Thomas Barton left Ireland in the 18th century, one of the "Wine Geese" — the emigrants who departed Ireland across the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and found their way into the world of winemaking abroad. In 1725, he founded a wine merchant company that eventually became Château Léoville Barton, one of Bordeaux's most respected grand cru classé estates, still owned and overseen today by his direct descendants, Anthony and Lilian Barton. Three centuries later, Mitchell & Son — the Dublin wine merchant founded in the early 1800s, the very company behind the original Green Spot — looked at that history and saw an opportunity too fitting to pass up: an Irish whiskey finished in the casks of a Bordeaux château built by an Irishman.

The result, Green Spot Château Léoville Barton, is the world's first single pot still Irish whiskey finished in genuine Bordeaux wine casks. The whiskey begins its life exactly as standard Green Spot does — matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for seven to ten years, built on Midleton's classic single pot still mashbill of malted and unmalted barley, a style whose origins trace back to an 18th-century tax on malted grain that Irish distillers cleverly circumvented by blending in unmalted barley instead. But then, rather than bottling as-is, the whiskey is transferred into actual ex-Château Léoville Barton wine casks — the very French oak barriques in which the estate's own celebrated Bordeaux aged — for an additional twelve to twenty-four months.

The distillery's own tasting note captures the transformation precisely: "the contribution of the French oak drives the initial aroma, adding some crisp woodland notes to the spicy Single Pot Still character. The wine seasoning brings a delicate touch of floral perfume and a hint of ripe berries such as raspberries and strawberries, these are in addition to the orchard fruits typical of Green Spot." Selfbuilt's Whisky Analysis meta-critic database places it at 8.82 out of 10 across seven reviews — ahead of the standard Green Spot itself, and among the more highly regarded winey cask finishes in the entire Irish whiskey category. Bottled at 46% ABV — six points above the standard release — non-chill filtered and uncoloured. Two families. Two centuries of Irish enterprise abroad and at home. One whiskey that could only exist because of both.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Mitchell & Son was established in Dublin in the early 1800s, originally as a bakery, before diversifying first into a coffee shop popular with Dublin's establishment and later into wine merchandising — the business that remains family-run and independent to this day. As wine merchants, Mitchell & Son imported a wide range of European wines — Burgundy, Bordeaux, Sherry, Port, and Malaga — all transported in oak casks. Faced with the question of what to do with empty barrels once their contents had been consumed, the firm recognized their potential for whiskey maturation, and in 1887 took empty casks to Jameson's Bow Street Distillery in Dublin to be filled with new-make spirit. Casks were marked with colored paint corresponding to their intended maturation period — blue for 7 years, green for 10, yellow for 12, red for 15 — giving rise to the "Spot" whiskey range that survives today, with production having since moved entirely to the Midleton Distillery in County Cork.

Green Spot itself is now a vatting of 7-to-10-year-old single pot still whiskies, matured in a combination of 75% ex-bourbon and 25% ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Château Léoville Barton represents part of Green Spot's "Wine Geese" series — a collection celebrating the historic waves of Irish emigrants who left in the 16th through 18th centuries and became prominent winemakers abroad. Château Léoville Barton itself is a grand cru classé Bordeaux estate founded in 1725 by Thomas Barton, an Irish Wine Goose, and remains under the direct stewardship of his descendants Anthony and Lilian Barton today. For this collaboration, standard Green Spot — already matured in its traditional sherry and bourbon cask combination — is transferred into genuine ex-Château Léoville Barton French oak barriques, the actual casks previously used to age the estate's own Bordeaux, for an additional twelve to twenty-four months of secondary maturation. Bottled at 46% ABV, uncoloured and non-chill filtered, distilled and matured entirely at Midleton in County Cork.

Critics Reviews

World's Best Single Pot Still Whiskey — World Whiskies Awards

"Bold and complex aromas are rich with spice, dried fruit, and balanced oakiness. Buttery in texture and flavor, nectarine, vanilla bean, and softly cooked grains are well integrated. The smooth spirit finishes with a touch of long lasting baking spice." 98 Points 2020 ultimate Spirits Challenge

Mitchell & Son / Green Spot official tasting notes:
"Nose: It is the contribution of the French oak which drives the initial aroma adding some crisp woodland notes to the spicy Single Pot Still character. The wine seasoning brings a delicate touch of floral perfume and a hint of ripe berries such as raspberries and strawberries, these are in addition to the orchard fruits typical of Green Spot. Taste: The familiar mouth coating effect is a very satisfying balance of oak and spices. Some vanilla sweetness works in harmony with the dry wine influence, while the fresh orchard fruits and French oak combine effortlessly with barley grains to complete the complexity. Finish: The rich French oak character is slow to fade leaving the wine and spices of France and Ireland with the last word."

Tasting Profile

Nose
A coppery amber hue — definitely some red cask influence noticeable, the ex-Bordeaux barriques' most immediately visible contribution. French oak drives the initial aroma, adding crisp woodland notes to the spicy Single Pot Still character that defines every Green Spot expression. Raspberries and strawberries arrive immediately and vividly — the wine seasoning's most direct and most specifically Bordeaux-derived aromatic signature. A delicate floral perfume threads throughout. Orchard fruits — the archetypal Green Spot signature — remain present beneath the wine cask influence.

Palate
Very creamy, with a luscious fruit medley leading the way — a slight sourness reminiscent of sour cherry, alongside lemony citrus and a touch of orange. The familiar Green Spot mouth-coating effect delivers a very satisfying balance of oak and spices. Vanilla sweetness works in harmony with the dry wine influence, while fresh orchard fruits and French oak combine effortlessly with barley grains to complete the complexity. Red berries, liquorice, slight spice, and oats round out a palate that Road to Dram called noticeably influenced by the finish at every turn.

Finish
Medium-long, noticeably tannic — a fine tannin, drying rather than bitter. The rich French oak character is slow to fade, leaving the wine and spices of France and Ireland with the last word. Baking spice, red fruit, and vanilla persist, with an aftertaste genuinely reminiscent of red wine — a lasting, layered close that several reviewers specifically noted as more complex and longer-lasting than most Irish whiskey in the category.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Dark chocolate and red-berry desserts
• Roast duck or game — the wine cask tannin pairing naturally with richer meats
• Aged cheddar and hard cheeses
• Charcuterie boards