The Basics:
Do I recommend it?: Yes!
Availability: Pretty much everywhere.
ABV: 40%
Presentation: Unspecified
General information: Single Pot Still
Bottling type: Proprietary
Character: Nutty, fruity, oily, rich.
Score: 89/100
The details:
Ethnically, I’m more Irish than Scottish, but I tend to prefer Scotch whisky to Irish whiskey–partly on account of the greater variety of Scotch whiskies available these days! Ireland’s distilling industry has only recently begun to rebound from years of consolidation and neglect.
St. Patrick’s Day marks an occasion for celebrating all things Irish (which, by the way, does not include listening to men in kilts play on Highland pipes…ahem). To mark the occasion, I like to take a detour from my typical Scottish drams into Irish whiskey. No style is more quintessentially Irish than pure pot still whiskey, and one of the more readily available pure pot whiskies is Redbreast, a charming dram produced at the Midleton distillery, owned by that most Irish of firms, Pernod-Ricard.
The flagship 12 year old is a nutty, fruity, and altogether delightful whiskey. It’s well worth trying, and if you have $50 to spare, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed to have a bottle in your collection. It’s a shame that Pernod waters it down to a meager 40% abv, but it’s still a deliciously oily little spirit with some good body on it (one can dream of how stunning this could be with an integrity presentation).
Bottling info
Bottling Information:
Expression: Redbreast 12
Bottler: Proprietor
Range: n/a
Bottle Code: L224831677 15:28
Presentation: Unspecified
Details: Pure Pot Still
Price: $50
Availability: Widespread. Any decent liquor store will have it, and you can probably get it in the liquor section of a box store or grocery store, too.
Distillery Information:
Region: Ireland (Midleton Distillery)
Location: Midleton, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Geography: Inland
Date Founded: 1975
Owner: Pernod-Ricard
Website: https://www.redbreastwhiskey.com/en-us/
Capacity: 64,000,000
Plant Summary: n/a
Total expressions sampled: n/aOverall distillery score: n/a
Tasting notes:
Nose: Thick, grainy and quite sweet–Blackstrap molasses. Corn, and a touch of vanilla extract. Underneath there’s a bit of linseed oil, damp woodchips, and walnut. Substantial.
Body: Medium to full; light syrup.
Palate: Still Blackstrap molasses, now joined by dried fruits–stewed prunes–walnuts, and a touch of brown sugar. A bit of fresh ginger. Rich, rounded, and very slightly spicy.
Finish: Prunes, blackberry coulis, and light spice. Medium length.
Score: 89/100
Who should buy it?: Anyone celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a right proper pot still Irish whiskey? Really, anyone who likes whisky/whiskey, in general–it’s excellent, and a must try.
Overall thoughts: Excellent stuff, although perhaps a little on the costly side of a whiskey of its age without integrity presentation. Still, worth trying!
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Whisky Considered 