Spade and Bushel Amarone
A single malt which has firstly been matured in bourbon casks for four years before being finished for a year in Amarone wine casks from the Veneto region of Italy. Limited to 1,400 individually numbered bottles and bottled at 45% ABV. RRP €49.99.
Omar Fitzell Notes
Orange peel, pineapple, white chocolate, vanilla, red apples, almonds and honey. Light and delicate
Palate
Fresh and zesty. Light in mouthfeel with a fruit forward palate. Flavours of oranges, mandarins, pineapple, lemon curd, vanilla, custard and strawberries.
Finish
Crisp, fruity with decent length.
Overall
Very pleasant. The Amarone influence must be especially subtle but the result is a very fruity and enjoyable whiskey.
Al Higgins notes
Nose
Immediately apparently is the big burst of red wine. The
malt is obvious but the wine finish takes poll position. Summer fruits show in the form of strawberries and a touch of mango.
Palate
This bursts with summer fruit again. Strawberries, plums and even some orange citrus. An earthy note appears towards the end.
Finish
Short to medium finish. This is where the age is lacking. A slight touch of chocolate mousse here but only very slight leaves for a warm burn from the young spirit
Overall
For a 5 year old whiskey, this is very surprising. It’s not as balanced as I’d like however that will come with age. For the price and age this is a really good whiskey that can stand tall, particularly on the palate. If you like wine cask, give this a whirl.
Omar Fitzell
Omar has been lurking in the background of the Irish Whiskey Industry since 2010 when he started his journey through tasting, enjoying and collecting whiskey. In January 2018 he launched the online blog “That’s Dram Good” which, in those few short months, has become one of the most popular whiskey blogs in Ireland.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @thatsdramgood
• Facebook – ThatsDramGood
Al Higgins
Over 20 years of experience in drinks retail and a member of the team at the Celtic Whiskey Shop since 2003. Alastair is chief tester and taster at the shop and is also coordinator for the Irish Whiskey Awards. When he is not working he is either training for ultra-marathons, parenting or drumming with his band Le Galaxie.
You can find him on:
• Twitter – @mostlydrinking