Any fans of Irish pot-still whiskey will know the name Redbreast, a production of Midleton Distillery out of County Cork, Ireland. Midelton is one of the most prolific producers of Irish whiskey, with brands including Jameson, Powers (one of my favorites), and the Green / Yellow / Blue Spot series, among others (and formerly Tullamore DEW). Redbreast, the subject of today's review, was originally started by Gilbey's in Dublin at the turn of the 20th century. Gilbey's produced whiskey under the Redbreast marque until the mid 1980s, at which point it was sold to a conglomerate and relaunched in the mid 1990s. Today, Redbreast has a handful of varieties, all of which carry age statements between 12 and 27 years.
A bit about distilling - just like with wine, and some beer, there are complex rules and regulations as to ingredients, production methods, aging requirements, and even the types of wood used in casks. There are two main types of stills in which whiskey can be made: a column, or continuous still, and a pot still. Irish whiskey can be made in either. Many Irish distillers use heated air to dry the malts (as opposed to peat, a classic Scotch technique) so the final product is somewhat lighter and cleaner.
Today's spirit is triple-distilled in a single pot-still, one of those half-orb copper-looking doohickeys in a distillery. Midleton uses very large pot stills, which allows for distillation to occur almost continuously. "Single pot still" is sort of the equivalent, in terms of pedigree, to Scotch single malt (as opposed to "blended Scotch whisky.") Redbreast is one of the only Irish whiskies out there that can still be called "single pot still."
Anyways - the whiskey. As noted, this 56.7% ABV (113.4pf) mash of both unmalted and malted barley is aged in a combination of American bourbon barrels and Spanish Oloroso sherry butts. It's medium amber in color, with a piquant nose of dried fruit, alcohol, and some spice.
Taste: fans of sherry will definitely enjoy this as a lot of the flavor profile is derived from the Oloroso casks...I'm getting some decent vanilla from the wood, a bit of mustiness, and a dose of candied dates, and some slight hints of sweet & sour sauce and table salt. There's a longer finish of oak than I expected, and has a lip-smacking aftertaste.
Interestingly, I tried this both neat and with several drops of cold, filtered water (as I usually do for cask-strength spirits) and I prefer it neat. I liked the fullness of flavor yet unlike high-proof bourbons, this whiskey didn't have an overpowering weight to it that necessitates some water. I got this for $89.99 at Metro Wine & Spirits on Columbia Road NW in DC. I think that's a fair price for a cask-strength Irish whiskey. Redbreast has a few other offerings, including a Lustau finish, for roughly the same price. A nice sipper and one for the top shelf of the bar for sure.
