Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 750ML

Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 750ML is a triple-distilled, 46% ABV Irish whiskey in a 750ml bottle matured across three distinct cask types. It earned 99 points and an Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation rating from the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge — one of the highest scores ever given to an Irish whiskey. The expression also took Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and was named Irish Whiskey of the Year by Whisky Advocate in 2016.

Quick Facts: ABV: 46% (92 proof)  |  Origin: County Cork, Ireland  |  Age: 12 Years  |  Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Production & Heritage

Yellow Spot is produced at the renowned Midleton Distillery in County Cork, one of the largest and most technically advanced distilleries in Ireland. The whiskey is made from a traditional single pot still mashbill of both malted and unmalted barley, triple-distilled in copper pot stills. What sets this 12-year expression apart is its triple-cask maturation program: spirit is aged in American bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry butts, and — unusually — Spanish Malaga wine casks. The Malaga cask component undergoes full-term maturation for the entire 12 years rather than a short finishing period, which deeply integrates the sweet, raisined character of Malaga wine into the spirit. Malaga casks, made from Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel grape wine, remain exceptionally rare in whiskey production worldwide.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Mown hay and cracked black pepper open the nose, followed by red bell pepper, nutmeg, clove oil, and green tea. A second wave brings sweet honey and ripe peaches — the signature influence of those Malaga casks.

Taste: The entry is warm and honeyed, with classic pot still spice arriving quickly on the mid-palate. Fresh coffee, creamy milk chocolate, and crème brûlée develop alongside red apple and toasted oak notes. As the whiskey opens further, fruity flavors deepen into toffee, dried clementine, and a subtle bitterness from walnuts.

Finish: Long, sophisticated, and layered. Sweetness carries through to the end, mingling with red grape and dry barley before a gentle bite from the 46% proof closes things out cleanly.

How to Drink Yellow Spot

Yellow Spot deserves to be savored neat or with a few drops of water, which opens up the Malaga cask sweetness and allows the pot still spice to unfold gradually. The higher 46% ABV also makes it robust enough for cocktails where you want the whiskey to remain the star. An Irish Coffee gains extra depth from the toffee and chocolate notes. A Whiskey Sour benefits from Yellow Spot's honeyed richness playing against citrus. A Pot Still Old Fashioned with a touch of orange bitters lets the dried fruit and spice complexity shine through the sugar.

Best For

• Gifting a whiskey enthusiast exploring premium Irish single pot still expressions
• Side-by-side tasting alongside Green Spot and Redbreast 12 to study pot still character
• After-dinner sipping in place of a digestif, alongside dark chocolate or dessert
• Building a curated Irish whiskey collection anchored by award-winning bottlings

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Yellow Spot taste like? Yellow Spot leads with honey sweetness and pot still barley spice, then develops into coffee, milk chocolate, crème brûlée, and toasted oak. The rare Malaga cask influence contributes dried fruit, toffee, and a distinctive red grape sweetness on the finish.

How does Yellow Spot compare to Redbreast 12? Both are 12-year-old single pot still Irish whiskeys distilled at Midleton, but Yellow Spot is bottled at a higher 46% ABV compared to Redbreast 12's 40% ABV. The key difference is Yellow Spot's full-term maturation in rare Spanish Malaga wine casks, which adds layers of dried fruit and grape sweetness not found in Redbreast 12's bourbon-and-sherry profile.

Is Yellow Spot good for sipping neat? Yellow Spot is outstanding neat — its 46% ABV provides body and warmth without overwhelming heat, and the triple-cask complexity rewards slow, attentive drinking. A few drops of water can further open the honey and stone fruit notes.

Where is Yellow Spot made? Yellow Spot is distilled at the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland. Midleton is one of Ireland's most important distilleries, responsible for producing several of the country's most acclaimed single pot still whiskeys.

What foods pair well with Yellow Spot? Dark chocolate truffles complement the coffee and crème brûlée notes. Aged Manchego cheese mirrors the Spanish cask influence. Seared duck breast matches the whiskey's richness and dried fruit sweetness. Almond tart or marzipan echoes the nutty, toffee undertones. Blue cheese with honeycomb plays against the pot still spice and barley dryness.

What sizes does Yellow Spot come in? Yellow Spot 12 Year is widely available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Yellow Spot worth the price? Yellow Spot positions as a premium single pot still Irish whiskey, sitting above entry-level expressions like Green Spot while competing directly with Redbreast 12. Its rare Malaga cask maturation, 46% ABV bottling strength, and near-perfect critical scores — including 99 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge — make it a strong value proposition within the premium Irish whiskey tier.

Why Yellow Spot?

The defining feature of Yellow Spot is the full-term maturation in Spanish Malaga wine casks — a technique virtually no other distillery employs. This is not a finishing experiment; the spirit lives in those casks for the entire 12-year aging period, creating a depth of dried fruit, grape, and toffee character that cannot be replicated with a quick cask finish. A score of 99 points from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and Double Gold from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition confirm what drinkers already know: this is one of the most complete Irish whiskeys on the market. At 46% ABV and with the backbone of triple-distilled pot still barley behind it, Yellow Spot delivers both power and finesse in a category where that balance remains difficult to achieve.