Redbreast 12 year old Cask Strength review

This Redbreast 12 year old is an cask strength Irish Single Pot Still whiskey from New Middleton distillery. Single Pot Still whiskeys are also known as Pure Pot Still, a traditional yet rare Irish way of making whiskey using malted and unmalted “green” barley. So far New Middleton is the only distillery making age stated Single Pot Still whiskeys.

The cask strength version of Redbreast 12 year old whiskey is very popular. And it’s no wonder, having tasted their normal 12YO version and the 15YO. Both are good. In fact, Redbreast 15 year old is fantastic.

This Redbreast 12YO CS in question is Batch B1/13 – bottled at 59.9% ABV! Like the alcohol per volume suggests, this one needs more than few drops of water and oxygen. At least for me it got much better when I added dash of water – and the bottle had been open over 6 months.

Matured in a combination of Ex-Sherry (Oloroso) and Ex-Bourbon barrels, majority in Ex-Sherry.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky Review

There Will Be Blood while hunting Redbreasts

Seems like every time you try a Middleton distillery whiskey, it’s a jackpot. Even the normal version of this golden liquid is good – and this is just extraordinary.

I’ve referenced There Will Be Blood the movie before, with Glenfiddich 12YO which I didn’t like. I stated that there will be blood before I’m through tasting that single malt. With Redbreast it’s more like blood will be bled if I don’t get any.

The movie suits more with Redbreast because both are good and both revolve around the theme of liquid gold. That’s just what this cask strength Irish whiskey is – pure golden water of life.

Matured in:

First-fill Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks and Ex-Bourbon whisky barrels

ABV: 59.9%

Colour: Copper gold

Bottle code: L310731095 09:19

Non-chill filtered, no added colour

Nose: Tropical fruits and acid minty aromas. Touch of sherry and sultanas, and lots of grapefruits. Drops of water tones the aromas nicely: smooth but powerful sherry notes with nuts and vanilla.

Taste: Very thick and full. Fills your mouth with velvety oil and thick fruity notes. Mostly sherried red fruits along with biscuits and wee spices. Drops of water adds more spices which makes this even more exciting: a mix of sherry and spices in a thick acid oil. After a dash of water, sherry notes get nicely sugared and a minty breeze comes in.

Finish: Nice long mix of spices and fruits. Quite oily and sherried. Butterscotch and burnt malt along with strong olives in oil rise up late in the aftertaste. Addition of water brings sulphury notes and gives nice black peppery and nutmeg notes. Gets very dark and edgy with water and time in the glass.

Balance: The taste is absolutely stunning and mouthfilling. This Irish dram gives a great strong velvet coating to your mouth. Aromas could be better compared to the excellent palate and aftertaste, but in overall, amazing Irish dram! Let it rest in the glass and don’t be afraid to pour more than few drops of water if it feels to powerful without.