Tasting Notes
Nose: Pronounced aromas of bread, marzipan, vanilla, apricot and citrus with less obvious Sherry cask influence than the standard 12 Year Old
Taste: Forceful, fresh and crisp but with a rich mouthfeel. Almost like an unpeated Scottish coastal malt in character. Tropical fruits, exotic spice and vanilla flavours. Very complex. Becomes spicier with time.
Finish: Great length, less sherry influence than the standard bottling and a little rougher round the edges, but this is made up by the gloriously complex character.
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Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and then triple distilled in copper pot stills, Redbreast 12 boasts the flavour complexity and distinctive qualities of Pot Still whiskey. Matured in a combination of Bourbon seasoned American Oak barrels and Oloroso Sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts, the distinctive Redbreast sherry style is a joy to behold in each and every bottle. The Cask Strength expressions give a glimpse of Redbreast 12 in its natural, full flavoured taste. Superb single pot still whiskey, matured for 12 years and bottled at full-on cask strength. What's not to love? This particular batch, B2/19, weighs in at a generous ABV of 55.8%.
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Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible: Irish Whiskey of the Year 2019
San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Double Gold Medal 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Irish Whiskey Awards: Whiskey of the year and Best Cask Strength 2018
World Whiskies Awards: Category Winner 2017
Irish Whiskey Awards: Best Single Pot Still 2016 -
Redbreast whiskey harkens back to the days of the whiskey bonders, who used to buy whiskey by the cask and bottle it themselves. The particular whiskey bonder involved with Redbreast was W & A Gilby, started in 1857, and they bought whiskey from most Irish distillers, marketing it under their own brand of “Gilbey’s Castle Whiskey”. By 1887 they were marketing John Jameson pure and unblended Irish whiskey and by the turn of the century Gilbey’s whiskey brands included Castle Grand JJ Six Years Old and Castle Liqueur JJ Ten Years Old (JJ standing for John Jameson). In 1904 John Jameson & Son’s Castle “JJ Liqueur” Whiskey 12 Years Old was being sold and was similar in shape, bearing the red and white label seen on Redbreast bottlings up until the 1960s.
The first official reference to the brand name ‘Redbreast’ appears in August 1912, when Gilbeys were selling “Redbreast” J.J. Liqueur Whiskey 12 Years Old, described as one of their “famous” brands. The name ‘Redbreast’ itself refers to the bird, Robin Redbreast, and is attributed to the then Chairman of Gilbey’s, who was an avid bird-fancier. Gilby’s continued to sell Redbreast in this fashion until 1968 when the bonder trade was phased out. Gilby’s made a special request to be allowed to sell Redbreast in small quantities in the 70’s and 80’s, with the last bottling under Gilby’s occurring in 1985. The brand was subsequently bought by Irish distillers and was re-introduced as a 12 year old Pure Irish pot still whiskey initially, with other expressions since added, including this phenomenal 12 year old. Redbreast has been so well received that it is now one of the worlds most sought after whiskeys with some expressions such as Redbreast Dreamcask selling out in seconds and selling for huge sums on the secondary market. -
Producer Irish Distillers Style Single Pot Still Age A minimum of 12 years Volume 70CL ABV 57-60% Please note that the percentage changes with each batch.