Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition

The Redbreast Kentucky Oak got kind of lost in the sauce when Redbreast started their wine barrel Finishing Series. I’m not sure if this is a fixture or just a one-off, but they’ve done so well with the limited releases I figured this couldn’t fail. Nose: Sandalwood. Shortbread cookie, vanilla, and honey. Apple, pear, and white grape. White chocolate. Toasted almond, pecan, macadamia, and walnut. Cocoa butter. Cinnamon, white pepper, peppermint, and heavy oak. Palate: Vanilla custard, toffee, shortbread cookie, and honey. Caramel and fudge. Sandalwood. Toasted almond, macadamia, and walnut. Pistachio. Cocoa and tobacco smoke. Black pepper and a faint hint of orange rind. Ginger. Apple. Dried apricot and cranberry. Peppermint. Finish: Toasted almond, macadamia, and walnut. Golden raisin. Cocoa, tobacco smoke, and orange rind. Ginger. Clove, nutmeg, black pepper/white pepper, cinnamon, and oak spice. Long finish.Awesome stuff. Yet another great NAS one-off from Redbreast. This profile actually reminds me more of Mizunura Oak than Bourbon Oak. Doesn’t change the fact that this is really good, in fact, it just make it that much more unique. My only critique is the price. It’s not unreasonable based on the quality, but it’s also not getting any awards for VFM at $120. Otherwise, I like the product here. I feel like Irish whiskies can go one or two ways. They are either bottled at cask strength, or have relatively low proofs. 101 proof seems like a nod to Kentucky, and it’s nice to see a non-CS expression that punches with the power that this does. 4.5/5.

So yummy. Definitely a lot more sweet than I thought. For sure want one of these