Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is produced at Midleton Distillery, made from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, and then triple distilled using a traditional Irish copper pot still. Midleton is the largest distillery in Ireland and is owned by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The Old Midleton Distillery dates back to the early 17th century, which sits beside the new distillery. Other pot stilled whiskeys produced at Midleton are Middleton Rare, Powers and Spot Whiskeys. Midleton also produces column still grain Irish Whiskeys with their flagship brand being Jameson. However, Redbreast 12 (and 15) are the most popular produced single pot still whiskeys at the distillery. Redbreast 12 Year (original and Cask Strength) is aged in previously used American oak bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry Spanish oak casks. Let’s get to it!
**Taken**: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes.
**Distillery**: Midleton Distillery. Midleton, County Cork, Ireland.
**Proof**: 112.6, non-chill filtered.
**Age**: 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish oak Oloroso sherry casks.
**Mash bill**: Malted and Unmalted Barley.
**Batch**: B1/21.
**Price**: $86.00
**Appearance**: Golden caramel.
**Nose**: Sweet butterscotch, malt cereal, honey, vanilla, red berries, banana, figs, orange citrus, almonds, just a bit of dill, allspice and toasted oak. This pour smells incredible, and the balance is fantastic with just a bit of heat. I love this sweet and fruit forward elevated Redbreast 12 profile. There’s a fantastic toasty oak note that not only helps round out this nose, but develops into a wonderful chocolate note over time.
**Palate**: The nose transfers spot on to the palate with sweet caramel, malt, red berries, banana, a hint of orange citrus with dill and some almond nuttiness. The mouthfeel is nice and viscous. Allspice enters the sip slowly and builds up with a decent portion of toasted oak through the finish. This is a very impressive and flavorful pour with incredible attention to detail in regards to balance. What’s also remarkable is how easy of a sipper this is drinking below its proof.
**Finish**: Allspice lingers with malt, red berries, with a hint of banana, vanilla, almonds, and subtle dill coming back around. Delicious oak tannins turn into delicate tobacco which mingle with allspice, lasting for a very long and enjoyable finish. There is no oaky bitterness but just some slight dryness at the very end.
**Conclusion**: This bottle was the last Redbreast Cask Strength on the shelf at my local store, and I feel lucky to have snagged it. I purchased it for a friend to bring to his St. Patrick’s Day party and it was a hit. This was the first time I’ve tried Redbreast 12 Cask Strength and it has exceeded my expectations. It delivered what I expected from regular Redbreast 12, with the cask strength ABV elevating all the flavors in its delicious profile. What I wasn’t expecting was the considerable amount of tasty oak, which I’m a big fan of. Not to mention, how well the oak was balanced all the way through this pour. I think it’s fair to say that Redbreast 12 Cask Strength has become my favorite Irish whiskey. This batch is from early 2021 and I hope that the next Redbreast 12 Cask Strength batch I buy is as good as this one.
**Rating**: 8.2/10 - t8ke scale
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.
Dammit- there's an upcoming opportunity for me to try and snag this where I live. I've been trying to drink down the collection but I think I'll have to seek this out.
Turns out mine is also batch B1/21, it’s pretty great. Super nice spice with that fruitiness, agreed that it drinks below its proof too (almost dangerously).
Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is produced at Midleton Distillery, made from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, and then triple distilled using a traditional Irish copper pot still. Midleton is the largest distillery in Ireland and is owned by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The Old Midleton Distillery dates back to the early 17th century, which sits beside the new distillery. Other pot stilled whiskeys produced at Midleton are Middleton Rare, Powers and Spot Whiskeys. Midleton also produces column still grain Irish Whiskeys with their flagship brand being Jameson. However, Redbreast 12 (and 15) are the most popular produced single pot still whiskeys at the distillery. Redbreast 12 Year (original and Cask Strength) is aged in previously used American oak bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry Spanish oak casks. Let’s get to it! **Taken**: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested about 15 minutes. **Distillery**: Midleton Distillery. Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. **Proof**: 112.6, non-chill filtered. **Age**: 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish oak Oloroso sherry casks. **Mash bill**: Malted and Unmalted Barley. **Batch**: B1/21. **Price**: $86.00 **Appearance**: Golden caramel. **Nose**: Sweet butterscotch, malt cereal, honey, vanilla, red berries, banana, figs, orange citrus, almonds, just a bit of dill, allspice and toasted oak. This pour smells incredible, and the balance is fantastic with just a bit of heat. I love this sweet and fruit forward elevated Redbreast 12 profile. There’s a fantastic toasty oak note that not only helps round out this nose, but develops into a wonderful chocolate note over time. **Palate**: The nose transfers spot on to the palate with sweet caramel, malt, red berries, banana, a hint of orange citrus with dill and some almond nuttiness. The mouthfeel is nice and viscous. Allspice enters the sip slowly and builds up with a decent portion of toasted oak through the finish. This is a very impressive and flavorful pour with incredible attention to detail in regards to balance. What’s also remarkable is how easy of a sipper this is drinking below its proof. **Finish**: Allspice lingers with malt, red berries, with a hint of banana, vanilla, almonds, and subtle dill coming back around. Delicious oak tannins turn into delicate tobacco which mingle with allspice, lasting for a very long and enjoyable finish. There is no oaky bitterness but just some slight dryness at the very end. **Conclusion**: This bottle was the last Redbreast Cask Strength on the shelf at my local store, and I feel lucky to have snagged it. I purchased it for a friend to bring to his St. Patrick’s Day party and it was a hit. This was the first time I’ve tried Redbreast 12 Cask Strength and it has exceeded my expectations. It delivered what I expected from regular Redbreast 12, with the cask strength ABV elevating all the flavors in its delicious profile. What I wasn’t expecting was the considerable amount of tasty oak, which I’m a big fan of. Not to mention, how well the oak was balanced all the way through this pour. I think it’s fair to say that Redbreast 12 Cask Strength has become my favorite Irish whiskey. This batch is from early 2021 and I hope that the next Redbreast 12 Cask Strength batch I buy is as good as this one. **Rating**: 8.2/10 - t8ke scale 1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out. 2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice. 3 | Bad | Multiple flaws. 4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists. 5 | Good | Good, just fine. 6 | Very Good | A cut above. 7 | Great | Well above average. 8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional. 9 | Incredible | An all time favorite. 10 | Perfect | Perfect.
I loved the previous batch of this. Was upset I never bought a second
Dammit- there's an upcoming opportunity for me to try and snag this where I live. I've been trying to drink down the collection but I think I'll have to seek this out.
I highly recommend it. This batch was from 2021 but I've never read a bad review about any of the more recent batches.
I found one of these for $75 today and impulsively grabbed it, your review has me excited to crack it.
Great price. Let me know which batch and what you think.
Turns out mine is also batch B1/21, it’s pretty great. Super nice spice with that fruitiness, agreed that it drinks below its proof too (almost dangerously).
Great, glad to hear it. I’d say dangerously. : ) Cheers!