Redbreast is considered by many to be one of the best Irish whiskey brands. In fact, we even named the brand's 12-year-old expression our favorite Irish whiskey, period. That track record should remain intact with the addition of this fantastic new 18-year-old expression.
Redbreast is a single pot still Irish whiskey, a category that has a few specific guidelines: the whiskey is made from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley (a small amount of other cereal grain is allowed), and it's distilled in a pot still at one distillery. Compare that to single malt whiskey, which is made from a mash bill of 100 percent malted barley at one distillery, a style that is mostly associated with Scotland.
The pot still mash bill gives a unique fruit-forward flavor profile. And in the case of Redbreast, the types of casks that are used, typically a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, also contribute a great deal to the whiskey’s character.
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Redbreast 18 falls just in between the core lineup’s 15- and 21-year-old expressions, but the specific types of barrels it's aged in make it stand out from the pack.
“The addition of Redbreast 18-Year-Old to the core range beautifully bridges the gap between our older and younger offerings,” said master blender David McCabe in a statement. “By incorporating cream sherry casks, we've created a whiskey that boasts a rich profile of dark chocolate, blackcurrants, and hazelnuts."
Cream sherry is a blend of sweet sherries. The use of these casks, which were sourced from the Antonio Páez Lobato cooperage in Spain, brings something new to the Redbreast portfolio.
The whiskey was made at Midleton, the large distillery, just outside of Cork, where other well-known Irish whiskey brands like Jameson, Powers, and Green Spot are also produced. It’s triple distilled and then aged in several different types of barrels: bourbon, oloroso sherry, and some ruby port casks in addition to the cream sherry casks.
At 18 years old, the whiskey has taken on big notes of oak and tannic spice. But it’s softened and balanced out by the different types of casks in which it spent nearly two decades resting. The resulting whiskey has big notes of cherry syrup, grape, butterscotch, fresh berries, dark chocolate, hazelnut, blood orange, and even a hint of Dr. Pepper on the palate.
The Redbreast portfolio is strong from start to finish, beginning with the 12-year-old that anchors the range all the way up to the outstanding (and expensive) 27-year-old. The new Redbreast 18 sits right in the middle in terms of age and price, $250. It's not cheap, but still much less than the $700 or more you might pay for the 27.
There is nothing mid about the flavor, however. My advice to longtime Redbreast fans and newcomers to the category? Grab this bottle if you see it in the wild and be sure to share it with friends.
from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/bdLPMuE
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