Meeting Results – Irish Whiskies – March 4, 2023
The inaugural meeting of the Proof & Bond Society focused on the founders’ go-to irish whiskies. Below we have a summary of the results of those tastings and the cumulative average scores of all of our members.
Green Spot
Proof:
40 Proof | 80% ABV
Age:
7–10 Years
Distillery:
presenter:
Arthur Shmidt
Reception:
Green Spot is a go-to, solid and dependable. Drinkable. The low marks from our members who scored it below a 4 came from its overall pleasantness—they found themselves wanting a bit more body and heat. This shouldn’t be an issue for longtime lovers of Irish whiskey who are comfortable with a character that is less bold than American whiskies. The lack of a tail on the spirit was spoken of both in positive and negative tones. While it wouldn’t be right to call the reception ‘divisive,’ it could be characterized as amiable but lacking enthusiasm. For lovers of Irish whiskey or someone looking for a good benchmark against which to weight others, Green Spot is well-worth checking out.
Final Rating: 3.7
Proof:
86 Proof | 43% ABV
Age:
3 years
Distillery:
Presenter:
Brian J. Roan
Reception:
The general consensus on this pot still Irish whiskey was that it brought more heat than anyone expected. Perhaps this is because of the use of freshly coopered and charred Irish oak barrels, which add to the maturation first achieved with the use of American ex-bourbon barrels. We found that this spirit hit harder and stuck around longer, bolder and more complex than the Green Spot. One member of the Society said that while “Green Spot was a party, Glendalough was a conversation.” Adding one or two drops of water to the glass of neat whiskey universally brought out more flavor and tempered the heat enough to bump up three of seven scores when it came time for review. This excellent whiskey was further buoyed by the excellent story and mythology behind the distillery, its surrounding area, and its mission. Many of our members said they would be seeking out this bottle for their liquor shelf and we would encourage you to do the same.
Final Rating: 4.2/4.4*
*Three members’ ratings went up with the addition of two drops of water.
[As a bonus, click below to read the Seamus Heaney poem, referenced by one member as we discussed the story of St. Kevin, whose image is featured on the label of Glendalough.]