Redbreast Family Collection

The texture of a single pot still Irish whiskey truly satisfies the palate. Irish blends offer a similar sensation, being dangerously easy to drink neat. Perhaps it's the inclusion of raw barley in the mash or the triple distillation, but I often find myself getting into trouble with these delightful drinks. It doesn't help when a friend, who claims questionable Irish heritage, insists on having a casual beer alongside a glass of Jameson. Our last gathering resulted in about a month of my wife giving me the silent treatment. However, my most cherished Irish whiskey experience was a dram of Midleton Very Rare (peachy, 5 stars) during a game of Snooker in Dublin years ago. Snooker, believed to be invented by British Army officers to vex the Irish, has apparently succeeded. For those unfamiliar, it involves a regulation pool table made 50% larger, with pockets halved in size. Sinking a ball requires extreme flexibility and yields a similar sense of satisfaction to form-fitting pants when worn by women. Regardless, I purchased this 3-pack to familiarize myself with single pot stills before our upcoming golf trip to Southern Ireland in September. The nose and palate of these whiskies were outstanding. For less than $20, they provided an excellent introduction to this wonderful category of whiskey. Consult the flavor profiles from the experts, but I'd give all three a 4-star rating.

An excellent and reasonably priced way to determine your preferred Redbreast expression. It helped me confirm that the 12-year was my favorite without purchasing full bottles. My only wish is that it included the 12-year cask strength or a sample of the 21-year, though that might make the set too costly. It also makes a great gift for someone new to whiskey, as Irish whiskey is a good entry point, and in my view, nothing surpasses Redbreast.