Bourbon week is over. The king is dead, long live the king. Now we’ll try a very nice one from Ireland. Ireland, like the USA like to call it Whiskey, with ana extra ‘e’. I’ve already tasted a lot of Irish whiskies, and I know that Redbreast 15yo is one of the best there is.
Redbreast ia a triple distilled pure pot-still Irish whisky from the New Middleton distillery from County Cork, owned by Pernod Ricard. This bottle is from a 2005 batch when it was still called “pure”. Due to new rules for whisk(e)y, “pure” was deemed to be a very confusing word, so now it is called a single pot still Irish Whiskey instead.
There’s only one other pot still whiskey these days and that’s Green Spot. Redbreast is a blend of old whiskies from sherry butts and bourbon barrels. The difference between a single malt and a single pot still Whiskey is that the latter also uses unmalted barley, and therefore cannot be named a single malt. Besides this there are a 12yo (40% ABV) and a new 12yo, which is 57.7% ABV.
Color: Dark Gold
Nose: Malty with red fruit, but red fruit in a spicy way, almost smells carbonated. Milk chocolate and clean. Definitively some wood shines through. probably some older casks in there than 15yo? After a while more meaty, like a good Flemish stew made with dark beer.
Taste: Red fruit and blueberries, blueberry candy. Unique. It’s something we like in 60’s Bowmores (just a 100 times cheaper). Very smooth. Mocha and a hint of caramel or toffee. Some tree sap, and slightly bitter oak, or maybe bitter chocolate. Again, are there some older casks in here? Besides the dark fruits, I guess I am tasting banana and some coconut too. After some oxidation, the woody part is enhanced and the fruityness is a bit more subdued.
All in all a very nice example from Ireland. And it sure has a place of its own, since it’s different from anything from Scotland or the USA. This just has to be compared to both 12yo’s and Green Spot. Recommended.
Points: 86
Master Quill 
Redbreast 12 is one of my favorite whiskeys of all time (I’ll include a link to my review at the bottom). I know that I will have to get to the 15 eventually, but its just so pricey on this side of the pond. One day **daydream/swoon**
Anyway, great write-up and fantastic notes. Added and Liked!
Slainte,
Chuck
http://www.whiskeyworldtour.com
My Redbreast Review:
http://whiskeyworldtour.com/2011/11/30/redbreast-12-years-old-94-100/
Hi Chuck,
Tanks a lot for the compliments! First of all, it’s very expensive over here too, but I guess you also pay for something unique from Ireland, since there isn’t much around. The 12yo is more widely available, and de 15yo is more of a small batch kind of thing. Also thereare not much pure (or single) pot still whiskies around.
I had the 12yo a long time ago, and rated it 81 (85 for the 15yo), but like with many whiskies it’s a matter of taste, because I read that a lot of people like the 12yo better. Some time ago I even rated the 15yo even higher (87), but the bitterness of the wood is starting to be a bit ‘not in place’. Having said that, the blueberries are really nice in this one. Just one tip: The 12yo seems to better now than before, and the 15yo is known to be better in the past, than it is now. Maybe you should try it in a bar?
Wow 94 points already, not much room for perfection 🙂 I’ll follow your blog, becvause I already saw a lot of interesting stuff. Keep up the good work!