Pernod Ricard USA has announced two new expressions for their Irish whiskey line: Midleton Dair Ghaelach and Green Spot Château Léoville Barton.
Both add creative takes to the category. Midleton Dair Ghaelach is Midleton distillery’s first whiskey to be finished in virgin Irish Oak Hogsheads. Green Spot ChâteauLéoville Barton is the first single pot still Irish Whiskey to be finished in Bordeaux wine casks.
These whiskeys will have very limited availability.
Midleton Dair Ghaelach
Midleton Dair Ghaelach, meaning ‘Irish oak’, is the result of a six-year exploration by the Midleton Masters into using native oak to mature Irish whiskey. The company says that Irish oak enhances whiskey with notes of vanilla, caramel and chocolate, balancing with the rich, spicy, single pot still taste profile.
In collaboration with Irish forestry consultants, Midleton sourced oak from sustainable Irish Oak forests to construct the casks. Each bottle can be traced back to one of ten 130-year old Irish oak trees, the company says.
At Midleton distillery, a selection of single pot still Irish Whiskey distillates, matured for between 15 and 22 years in ex-Bourbon casks, were blended together before going into the Irish Oak Hogsheads. The whiskeys were nosed and tasted each month until judged to be balanced with the right amount of contribution from the Irish oak.
Bottled without the use of chill filtration, at cask strength between 58.1 and 58.5% ABV, Midleton Dair Ghaelach is available beginning mid-February at the suggested retail price of $269.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton
Château Léoville Bartonis is set in the heart of the Saint Julien appellation in Bordeaux.
Green Spot Château Léoville Barton is initially matured in a traditional mix of ex-Oloroso sherry, new Bourbon and ex-Bourbon barrels. It’s then transferred into the ex-Bordeaux wine casks for between 12 and 24 months.
Maturing Green Spot in the Château Léoville Barton wine casks provides an assortment of floral and wood characteristics on the nose and palate, which give way to a long, spicy finish that the company says is “reminiscent of the terroir in France and Ireland.”
Bottled at 46% ABV, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton is available beginning mid-February at the suggested retail price of $99.99 per 750ml.
