Green Spot - Single Pot Still

Tonights' pairing is the Green Spot - Single Pot Still with the music of local music sensations Fishead Stew. I am hoping that the upbeat bluegrass, old time feel of the 'Stew hits the Spot. (Groan)

The Green Spot is an Irish whisky and so from now on I shall refer to it as "whiskey". It is (as the title suggests) a Single Pot Still, which is a term used to describe an Irish distillation process of mixing malted and unmalted barley mash then distilling using a pot still. My whisky clubs March tasting featured this whisky and if I recall I did enjoy it. This will represent my official tasting.

Fishead Stew is a well loved Yukon band. I would say the simplest way to describe their style is bluegrass meets klezmer. The tempo and rhythm of this band makes for some great dancing. They recently recorded a live album and I am looking forward to its release.

Nose: soft and warm, notes of peppermint patties, lavender and raisins tease the senses. I also detect banana and orange rind.

Palate: The first thing that comes to mind here is honey, chocolate milk and a hint of ginger. I also get a biscuit taste like shortbread.

Finish: The finish is clean and not overly long. The ginger and shortbread hang on a bit and there is the most fleeting note of melon.

I would rate a decent whisky. I think overall I don't prefer most Irish whiskey. They tend to be  a bit soft for me. This one is a bit more complex than many I have tried, yet it maintains that ultra soft characteristic.

As for the pairing it actually does work in a way. The music is often a bit fast which I have found to sometimes be a detriment to being able to fully take in all of what the dram is trying to say. The fun factor of the music along with its pace give the feel of drinking music. This leads to a great pairing as the Irish are very fond of drinking music and that's what I am doing here (in a non-session way).

I like many are caught up in World Cup fever, so I raise this glass to the Irish National team that didn't qualify. I also hope that my Piratiko (Greece) are able to win tomorrows match against the Ivory Coast and make it to the next round (at least).