Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition

A celebration of Irish Whiskey for St. Patrick's Day. Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition Redbreast Cask Strength Blue Spot Cask Strength My appreciation for Irish Whiskey has grown considerably in the last two years, significantly influenced by a friend with whom I've sampled numerous bottles. This includes various Redbreasts, the Spot whiskies, Teelings, Clonakilty bottlings, and others. What better way to honor St. Patrick's Day than with some excellent Irish Whiskey? My preference leans towards the higher proof expressions, so I selected three to commemorate the saint who rid Ireland of snakes. Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition On the nose, vanilla and sweet oak are prominent, alongside tropical notes of papaya and guava, as well as black cherry cola, spiced apple cider, and spice cake. The mouthfeel is rich, and the palate echoes these flavors. A spicy cinnamon note marks the finish. Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition is available online for approximately $130. It's produced solely for the U.S. market. Would I repurchase it? Absolutely. Scored 4.5. 50.5% ABV. Redbreast Cask Strength As anticipated, there's less oak and vanilla compared to the Missouri Oak Edition. The aroma and flavor profile seem more refined and focused. It presents notes of chocolate-covered cherries, pomander, dark caramel, and fruitcake. The texture isn't quite as full as the Missouri Oak Edition. The finish doesn't deliver a heavy impact, but the expected high-proof character is definitely present. Lingering tastes remind me of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. Redbreast Cask Strength can be found online for around $100. Would I buy it again? I already have. I have at least one bottle in my collection, plus this one. Scored 4.5. Batch B1/22. 58.1% ABV. Blue Spot Cask Strength This is one of my preferred whiskies, regardless of origin. It features notes of honey, vanilla, spicy candied cashews, ginger, warm brownies, espresso, and banana bread. It's a display of confidence and quality. This is certainly not a low-end whiskey, but one might need a high tolerance to fully appreciate it. I'm surprised I hadn't reviewed this sooner. Initially, I only tried it at a restaurant, but I've since acquired several bottles, including some brought back from Ireland by a friend (it's much cheaper there, around $US 120 compared to ~$300 in the U.S.). Would I purchase it again? Yes, at either price. I already have a backup. It's among the best. Scored 4.75. 7-year age statement. Non-chill filtered. 58.9% ABV. Direct comparisons are invaluable, even when tasting whiskies that might seem dissimilar or not part of a matched set. Context significantly shapes perception. While these three are Irish, and two share a producer, each offers a distinct experience that might be missed when sampled individually at different times. I'm a fan of cask-strength whiskies. The economics of water dilution is a topic I could elaborate on. Any whiskey below cask strength or barrel proof is essentially a water-diluted version of what was in the barrel. This isn't about what tastes superior. If that were the standard, there wouldn't be a minimum alcohol content (40% ABV / 80 proof), nor would common proofs like 43%, 45%, etc., exist. If forced to rank these three, my order would be Blue Spot, Missouri Oak, and Redbreast Cask Strength. This is somewhat surprising, as I enjoy the latter and the Missouri Oak is more diluted. Each of these offers a rich and thought-provoking experience, whether Irish or from elsewhere. Cheers!

When a certain distillery launched their "American Oak Cask Finish" series, the arrival of this one was predictable. This expression, however, was somewhat unexpected. I questioned its origin beyond the usual region, and what further possibilities existed. An intriguing concept. Let's examine it. Nose: Notes of banana, vanilla, and toffee. Toasted macadamia nuts and almonds. Caramel. Dried apricot. Gala apple and cranberry. A pronounced shortbread cookie aroma. Blackberry and raspberry. Coconut. Oak. Palate: Flavors of toasted macadamia nuts and almonds. Banana nut muffin. Pecan. Caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla. Plum, date, and fig. Cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and clove. Strong oak presence. More of the shortbread cookie essence. Gala apple. Finish: Hints of shortbread cookie. Toasted macadamia nuts and almonds. Brown sugar and vanilla. Gala apple. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. The finish is lengthy. Outstanding. It differs from the American Oak's crisper palate. The American Oak offered "lighter" sweet notes, whereas this one provides darker sweet notes. It's rich and more fruity than the American Oak. Both are excellent, and both earned a 4.5 rating from me. At $115, I believe the cost was justified. I missed the initial release and it took a while to find one. The effort was certainly rewarded. I'm uncertain about the next state to be featured, but I can confirm that this Missouri expression was a superb follow-up to the American Oak, delivering a distinctive and entirely different experience. Following two strong showings, I eagerly anticipate what comes next. Well done. 4.5/5.

The nose is delightful with golden raisin, vanilla, sticky date, caramel, black currant, toffee, and the greenest, softest oak imaginable. The ethanol presence is negligible; I could inhale this continuously. The palate exhibits slightly more spice than the nose suggests, with a sudden burst of cinnamon alongside the raisin, vanilla, and toffee from the nose (though the raisin is now darker), fig, prune, date, baked apple, and apricot. All the elements integrate seamlessly. The finish intensifies with more cinnamon, white pepper, ginger, candied pecan, earthy tea leaf, and tannic oak. Little from the palate carries over to the finish; it's more like an abrupt shift. Quite prolonged for its proof. The mouthfeel is velvety, but the finish is extremely dry, which I perceived as a minor drawback. I found this spirit very pleasing with only a few small imperfections. There's just one issue: at $199 (the allure of missing out is indeed potent), it's not even the best within its own Redbreast range, as Lustau, Port Cask, and PX all surpass it at a lower cost, as does Yellow Spot. My rating leans more towards its value proposition than the spirit itself; it's excellent. Just not at that price point.

Excellent dram with notes of raisins, berries, milk chocolate, cinnamon, brown sugar, and coconut. Aroma: Honey, Strawberries, Raisins, Apricots, Cinnamon, Plums, Milk Chocolate, Toffee, Coconuts, Brown Sugar Taste: Raisins, Strawberries, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Dates, Coconuts, Peaches, Milk Chocolate Finish: Strawberries, Luxardo Cherries, Milk Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Hazelnuts

Subtle vanilla scent, hot taste with cinnamon and oak, vanilla aftertaste