Redbreast 27 Year

A lot of fruit upfront, with a sweet and strong taste in the finish. So good!

Nose of caramel and vanilla. Palate rich in apricots. Overall phenomenal

Holy $#!? This was amazing How can something that tastes this good be bad for you?

Not a fan.

Nose - guava, pineapple, mango, passion fruit, powdered sugar, ginger, mint, allspice, raspberry, nutmeg, strawberry jam, prepared caramel, vanilla bean, spicy oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - guava, strawberry, cherry, spearmint, ginger, cardamom, mango, pineapple, chili pepper, raspberry, grapefruit zest, sparkling apple cider, wine, allspice, clove, plum, spicy oak, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with tart tropical fruit, spearmint, and bitter citrus flavors. This remains the single most expensive bottle I’ve ever purchased. I’ve waited a long time to review this one, mostly because I didn’t really like it when I cracked the bottle a year ago and wanted to give it some time to breathe. Well it’s had enough time, so let’s see if I’ve changed my mind. The nose leads with an explosion of tropical fruits, some of which I’ve never detected previously in a spirit. Past that, it’s jammy, minty, and a bit spicy with dense oak providing a strong backbone. The palate brings the tropical fruit, but the spicy, minty flavors are highlighted more than on the nose. There’s also a citrus hit alongside the strong oak presence that borders on tannic, but doesn’t quite get all the way there. So here comes the controversial opinion. I think this is beautifully crafted whisky, but I just don’t love it. And when I spend almost $500 on a bottle, I really want to love it. I’m having difficulty placing specifically what it is that I don’t like. Something about the combination of tropical fruits and spicy, oaky bitterness seems cacophonous. Back when I had a bottle of the 12 Year Cask Strength, I did a side-by-side and preferred it over this one. I even added some water, and it changed but didn’t make a material difference for me. Who knows. Maybe I just don’t like nice things or need to try more to be able to fully appreciate what Redbreast has produced here. Either way, it’s great whisky but I can’t score it any higher than that for now.