Redbreast Lustau Edition

A look at the Redbreast lineup: Redbreast 12-Year Redbreast 15-Year Redbreast Lustau Edition Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition I started with Redbreast 12 over twenty years ago. A friend in the states always requested I bring back bottles from Dublin, as it wasn't available here. I liked it, but didn't adore it like my friend did. After a short break, I'm revisiting it. Redbreast 12-Year Clear amber. The aroma has abundant vanilla, honey-lemon notes similar to Nikka Coffey Malt (reviewed 9/21/23) but less intense, plus papaya, hot candied peanuts, mild clove, and toast. The taste repeats the hot candied peanuts or pralines, with a touch of spice and light vanilla in the finish. Compared to the others, the Redbreast 12 seems a bit weak. It's a shame this classic Irish Whiskey, with a 12-year age statement, is only 80 proof. Frankly, it's appalling. This isn't basic Jameson or Bushmills; it costs $70. Would I buy it again? I want to say yes. R12 is a cornerstone for an Irish Whiskey collection. However, it's not a good value relatively. It's a pleasant whiskey, and I'll drink and enjoy it. 3.5 out of 5 stars. 40% ABV. 12 years old. Redbreast 15-Year Deep, strong amber, close to the Lustau's burnt orange (still Pantone 144). First sniff has a sweet, intriguing cotton-candy-like note. This shifts to raspberry chocolate truffles, buttery scones, Concord grape juice, sandalwood, applesauce, coffee with milk, orange zest, and fruitcake. It also has apricot, discovered after tasting the Tawny Port Edition. The palate is slightly thick, and the flavor profile moves from fruit to wood and spice, ending with papaya, vanilla, and baking spices. The Redbreast 15 is truly excellent. Its depth and refinement suggest what the 12 could achieve at a higher proof. The 15-year costs about $140. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 46% ABV. 15 years old. Redbreast Lustau Edition Burnt orange color, darker than the 12-year, like the 15, as expected from the sherry cask finish (Pantone 144). Clear sherry influence: dried figs, mulled cider, prunes, clove, molasses, a little vanilla. These flavors are more savory on the palate, with a hint of salt and a light oiliness. Dates, brown sugar, and some chili spice in the finish. The Redbreast Lustau Edition resembles a refined Macallan's country relative; a bit less polished but with similar traits (I'll need to do a separate comparison to verify). It's available for around $75. Would I buy it again? Definitely. 4.25 out of 5 stars. 46% ABV. No Age Statement. Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition (To be clear: This "Tawny Port Cask Edition" is not cask strength). Similar deep amber Pantone 144 color. The aroma isn't as strong as the Lustau, initially presenting a dusty funk that then becomes like hazelnutty tawny port itself, before changing to brown sugar, cinnamon French toast, cut grass, chives, and cool spearmint. It's a bit vegetal; even a green pepper note is present. The texture is slightly viscous, and it's sharply focused with brown sugar and walnut flavors. The alcohol is less integrated than the Lustau on the palate, and the finish has a bit of sorghum syrup and a touch of woody bitterness. The Tawny Port Edition, like the other Redbreast bottles, comes in an attractive box. However, the color is mauve pink, suggesting ruby rather than tawny port. If I were in charge of marketing, I'd choose a tan shade. But I'm getting off track. I sampled each of these over three days, and my impression of the Tawny Port Edition diminished somewhat. This Redbreast expression currently sells for $99. Would I buy it again? Perhaps. 3.75 out of 5 stars. 46% ABV. No Age Statement. Through this comparison, I've been exploring the Redbreast range to understand the brand better. Their website features slick, though questionable, marketing. The 12-year box even has a QR code for a "virtual experience" with an augmented reality robin. I couldn't interact with it. It's basically an AR overlay of the mascot and a birdhouse on your phone camera view. Why? The website's "Drinks" section highlights expensive cocktails. Who created this? Redbreast's entry-level offering is the 12-year at $70. Who uses a $70, age-stated whiskey in a cocktail? While some can afford it, and I support using quality ingredients for crafted drinks, are they seriously promoting age-statemented whiskey as a premium mixer? This isn't budget whiskey, nor is it vodka. Redbreast's website seems to focus on age statements (12, 15, 21, and 27 years), typically for whiskey aficionados. From an inventory standpoint, distillers can't keep vast quantities of aged whiskey; stock decreases significantly with age. Pernod Ricard wants whiskey to sit for 12 years, then be diluted to 40% ABV and suggested for cocktails? From a business viewpoint: release an NAS version for cocktails. Most cocktail drinkers won't mind, and Pernod Ricard would profit more by not having age-statemented stock (or at least the 12-year) tied up. Having worked in finance my whole career, I don't grasp the business strategy. There's a major disconnect between marketing and business operations. I'll stop my rant now. Returning to the whiskey: the 15-year is the clear winner, followed by the Lustau, the Tawny Port, and the 12-year. I'm sure the 12 would be much improved at the 46% ABV shared by the others (Redbreast does offer a cask-strength 12-year, thankfully, which I'd love to try). I appreciate Redbreast's experiments with different finishing casks, and I hope the Lustau becomes a permanent offering. These are expensive whiskeys. The Lustau is the best value among them and generally, and the 15-year is very good. Note: All spirits were tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Part of a Redbreast tasting set with the 12 and 15 year olds, all 50ml bottles. Cost 25 euros for the pack. Pricey, but the presentation is excellent, with a quality box and magnetic closure. Filtered - No Color Added - No ABV - 46% Appearance - Gold with an amber tone, very viscous in the glass. Smell - Full, sweet, significant sherry notes (at last!), fruitcake, figs, dates, but primarily raisins, woody spice, dry, a mature red apple, very light wafer notes (especially next to the 12yo), honey, burnt sugar, vanilla. Taste - Smooth initial feel, brown sugar, honey, then becomes quite intensely spicy, remarkably so, hints of mint, stays viscous and sweet. The spice fades towards the end, becoming less dominant. Adding a little water softens the spice and reveals some wafer flavors. End - Quite lengthy, dry wood spice at the end, rather bitter, prominent raisins, a lingering finish with fig undertones. Considerably superior to the 12yo, more depth, far more intricate, better balanced with developing scents and a pleasing texture. Lovely aroma and a truly wonderful sherry ending...too peppery on the tongue for my preference, but I won't judge it solely on that. Taking everything into account, I don't think it justifies the price of roughly 70 euros for a full bottle.

The aroma of the Lustau is intensely fruity. Red orchard fruits, figs, prunes, orange peel, and cloves combine for a bright and sharp smell. The palate is extremely lively and full. Tasting the 12 immediately before the Lustau can be somewhat jarring. Milk chocolate and honey make a brief appearance before the taste erupts with abundant baking spice, bitter tannins, and dried plums. The finish has a bittersweet and powdery quality; think dark cocoa powder. Spices continue to be a theme until the end, this time with a distinct cinnamon and clove character. Wow. This one wasn't my favorite. The other Redbreast selections seem mild compared to this taste bud aggressor. However, if intensely tannic spice is your preference, this might be ideal for you. It's not for me, though.

It's been a while since I had an Irish whiskey. This is my first from Redbreast, a birthday gift from my wonderful wife. A solid choice. My previous experiences in this category were mainly with Mitchell distillery's colored bottlings, all of which are good. This one's aroma had a sweet fruit and oak character that was appealing. The initial sip was a bit fiery but settled down quickly. The flavors presented dark fruit notes from the sherry casks upfront. Later, I detected caramel, honey, and damp oak. The finish was quite long. It's not overly complex, but it's a worthy contender in the Irish pot still market. A great everyday sipper.

Nose: Smooth malt, a blend of berries, sugary cereal, fig, salty peanuts, subtle wood, and faint alcohol. Taste: Bold caramel apple, fig bars, cooked peaches, honeyed malt, mace, and walnuts. The aftertaste is fairly long with grain, unsweetened honey, metal, orchard fruits, and a whisper of alcohol. OHLQ offers a three-bottle sampler of Redbreast for $14.99, featuring this expression along with the 12 Year and 15 Year. As a tasting collection, this is a fantastic deal, especially given the cost of these bottles. The Lustau expression surpasses the 12Y in all aspects and usually costs under $10 more. In fact, it's just $3 extra at my primary shop currently. If the price difference isn't significant, choose this one.

A robust, Single Malt Irish Whiskey from Midleton Distillery. It's a mix of whiskeys aged from 0 to 12 years in used Bourbon and Sherry barrels, then spent another year in new Bodegas Lustau casks. The initial taste brings woody sensations with hints of roasted almonds, orange peel with cloves, plump raisins, caramel, and toasted grains. The middle palate offers creamy milk chocolate, honey, deep walnuts, figs, stewed plums, and cinnamon. The finish is extended with sherry, baked apple pastries, ground cinnamon, sweet figs, and black pepper. November 2018 / February / June 2019 / October 2020 / January 2021 / September 2022