Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Bordeaux Cask Review

What do Wild Geese have to do with this whiskey? Nothing and everything. Wild Geese was originally the term for the exodus or Irish soldiers after the Battle of Boyne in 1690 to France. This term was later used to describe a further exodus through the 16th - 18th centuries. Later playing off of the term, Wine Geese was used to describe the Irish that relocated to Bordeaux in France and took up winemaking.

The founder of Château Léoville Barton, Hugh Barton, was one such Wine Goose.

The use of the casks from Château Léoville Barton makes this the first ever Bordeaux cask finished Irish whiskey! Before its time in the red wine casks it previously spent time in ex-Bourbon, American Oak, and Oloroso Sherry casks. While the cumulative age if the whiskey is not disclosed, the time in the wine casks clocks in between one and two years.

I remember trying this whiskey for the first time at an off-license in Ireland. They had a cart full of sample bottles, gave me a glass, and told me to have fun. Of the dozens of bottles I sampled, this was the only bottle that I had to stop and take a picture of.

Such a delicate and beautiful whiskey that is so well nuanced. Nothing about it is heavy handed. The fruit from the Bordeaux casks is present, but not overbearing. It accentuates the soft nutty notes from the sherry cask and the vanilla of the bourbon barrels. Easily a top 5 all time Irish Whiskey for me. Do not pass it up.

This was not a completely objective review as it was not done blind. I was aware of what I was drinking at the time of drinking it. The bottle was purchased by myself and was not provided by Green Spot for review.