Let It Storm – Green Spot Leoville Barton
Usually, I am missing such occasions / holidays like St. Patricks Day here – not deliberately, but by chance. However, this year is different, because I have a joker up my sleeve. I made a drink with a new (for me) Irish Whiskey a while back. So, is there a better excuse to share it with you?
Ever since we visited Ireland, I am in love with the country and its whiskey! Obviously, I had to try as many Irish Whiskeys as possible over there. Among them were pretty much the whole regular “Spot” range. While my favourite was the Red Spot, the Green and Yellow Spot whiskies had a better value-for-money. The one I am presenting you today, is the regular Green Spot finished in barrels which previously held Leoville Barton red wine. On top of that, the whisky also has a higher ABV of 46 %.
Beautiful bouquet, mellow taste
While the Green Spot Leoville Barton has one of the most beautiful bouquets I ever encountered with a whiskey, it tastes a bit different. You get red wine and sherry fruits, orange flower water and a lot of baked goods in the nose. However, the taste delivers more typical “Irish whiskey” flavours. For me they came in the form of spices, vanilla and perfumed notes. All in all, I pretty much enjoyed the whiskey, but it could not beat the value-for-money of the regular Green Spot.
Kind of an Irish Hurricane
It seems that at the end of last year I was in the mood for Hurricane style drinks! So, I thought to give the regular Hurricane a Irish whiskey treatment. As a homage to tropical rum drinks, I split the base between the Green Spot and the “Teeling Stout Cask” whiskey. On top of that, I added a bit of Falernum to spice things up a bit. Apart from that, I also threw in some grapefruit juice and a mix of Peychaud’s and The Bitter Truth Creole Bitters to balance everything out.
3 cl Teeling Stout Cask Irish Whiskey
1,5 cl Heinrich Von Have Amber Falernum
2 Dashes Creole Bitters Mix
3 cl Pink Grapefruit Juice
3 cl Lime Juice
1,5 cl d’Arbo Passionfruit Orange Syrup
Shake – strain – chilled tropical glass over ice cubes;
Garnish: Grapefruit Twist – Brandied Cherry;
The “Let It Storm” starts with a combination of whiskey and passionfruit notes. After a short while the spices of the Falernum shine through. Apart from that, the pink grapefruit juice balances out the drinking experience. Furthermore, the passionfruit and peach jam brings a nice mouthfeel to the mix. This definitely is a different cocktail than usual for St. Paddy’s Day, but it still is very delicious!
