Green Spot has always been one of those bottles I reach for when someone tells me they don't think Irish whiskey can be interesting. The standard expression is a masterclass in pot still character, and this Chateau Montelena Zinfandel Finish takes that foundation and runs somewhere genuinely unexpected with it. At 46% ABV and non-chill filtered, you're getting this at a strength that lets the spirit actually speak — and what it has to say is worth hearing.
The collaboration with Chateau Montelena is a smart pairing. Zinfandel casks bring a particular kind of fruit influence — darker, riper, more brooding than you'd get from a Bordeaux or Burgundy finish. Think bramble fruit, baking spice warmth, and that slightly tannic grip that red wine wood delivers. Layered over Green Spot's trademark pot still spice and orchard fruit character, you've got a whiskey that sits at an interesting crossroads between richness and freshness.
What I appreciate about this bottling is the restraint. At NAS, Mitchell & Son clearly selected casks based on flavour profile rather than chasing an age statement, and the 46% ABV tells me they wanted this to land with enough weight to carry those wine cask notes without bulldozing the base spirit. That balance is harder to achieve than people think — I've tasted plenty of wine finishes where the cask just overwhelms everything, and you end up drinking a whiskey-flavoured wine rather than a wine-influenced whiskey. This isn't that.
Tasting Notes
I'm not providing formal tasting notes for this one — this is a bottle best explored on your own terms. What I will say is that the Zinfandel influence is present but integrated. You should expect the pot still spice that Green Spot is known for, with an added layer of dark fruit complexity and a slightly drier finish than the standard expression. The 46% ABV gives it genuine texture without any burn.
The Verdict
At £71.25, you're paying a premium over the standard Green Spot, and I think the Zinfandel finish justifies that price. This is a whiskey with genuine personality — it knows what it wants to be and commits to it. The wine cask influence adds complexity without masking the pot still character that makes Green Spot worth drinking in the first place. An 8.1 out of 10 feels right here. It's a confident, well-executed release that rewards attention but doesn't demand a PhD to enjoy. If you're already a Green Spot fan, this is a no-brainer. If you're curious about wine cask finishes but have been burned by heavy-handed examples before, this is a good place to rebuild that trust.
Best Served
Pour this neat in a Glencairn and give it ten minutes to open up — the wine cask notes really unfold with a bit of air. If you want to mix, try it in a Manhattan with a decent sweet vermouth. The Zinfandel-influenced fruit notes play beautifully against the herbal bitterness of the vermouth, and the pot still spice gives the drink a backbone that holds up against the other ingredients. Use a 2:1 ratio and stir it properly — this whiskey deserves that much respect.
