RedBreast 12 Review

Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, this good Spring weather has me behind on my review of the RedBreast 12 I posted last Whiskey Wednesday. 

Ireland is the birthplace of whiskey, dating all the way back to as early as the 6th century, and is where the word whiskey originally comes from. The Irish Gaelic words Uisce Beatha, pronounced /ish-ka ba-ha/, meaning “Water of Life” got shortened, and misinterpreted, and mangled to just Uisce, and later to whiskey. But did you know until recently all the Irish Whiskey came from just two distilleries? The Bushmills distillery up at the tip of northern Ireland, a predominantly Protestant area, and the Old Midleton distillery much further south and heavily Catholic. The whiskey resurgence we are currently enjoying has seen a flourish of new distillers opening and now number 15-20 strong and are testing the bounds of traditional Irish Whiskey. 

Most Irish Whiskey is distilled in large pot stills (think moonshine stills) which leaves behind more of the flavor than modern column stills. This is one of the things that gives Irish Whiskey its distinct flavor. Many of these pot still whiskeys are triple distilled and made from barley that is both malted and unmalted, a primary difference from Scotch Whiskey. Why unmalted barley? Well the Irish didn’t like being taxed any more than we Americans did, so when England raised taxes on malted barley to help pay for its wars against France. Ireland gave England the big single finger salute and reduced their tax bill by using unmalted barley. It was kind of like their own Boston Tea Party. This unmalted barley gives Irish Whiskey its lighter fresher taste like green apple and lemon. 

All that just to tell you about RedBreast 12!

Key Facts for Redbreast 12

Redbreast 12 is a quintessential Irish Whiskey made at the Midleton Distillery and born next to Jameson, Powers, Green Spot, and Writers Tears. 

• Cost: $55-60 here in Maine, but markets vary and it isn’t distributed in all parts of the US yet.
• Made: Midleton, Ireland 
• Proof: 40 proof (80%ABV) 
• Mashbill: 50% malted / 50% unmalted barley
• Age: 12 Years 
• Barrels: aged in used bourbon, Spanish Oak and sherry barrels 
• Color: Even though it is 12 years old it is very light yellow, which comes from using refilled barrels. 

Redbreast 12 Tasting Notes

Nose: fresh cut hay, citrus, light honey, apples, with hints of black tea. All of these play well together and create a soft nose, It’s a pretty whiskey, nothing punchy or offensive. 

Taste: Almost no ethanol burn on the tongue, (40%ABV) but the taste explodes in all directions with flavors of honey, fruit, pear, spices, leather and hints black tea. All balance, nothing hits hard and nothing overpowers the other flavors. It’s light and subtle dancing in and out. It’s slightly oily and coats your mouth but in a pleasant way 

Finish: It finishes smooth and long, dried fruits, a light spice and apples.