Redbreast Lustau Edition

Macintosh apple taste. Added water, and got a melon finish

Golden orange hue and nose... but she bites back! All the spice and fire you didnt know you were missing in Redbreast, then fades to a long, slow simmer of dried fruit, port, and rum raisin ice cream. Interestingly, a bit of water awoke more spice, some smoke, and autumnal bonfires

Redbreast is possibly my favourite whisky line so I was excited that this was available in Canada. It's a lovely amber colour and is begging me to dive in. Nose: Vanilla, maple, banana, some blackberries, and definite creme brulee notes. I feel like I should need to crack a crusty bruleed top with a spoon. Palate: Slightly harsh initially. There is a really abrupt stimulation of the sides of the tongue and tannin feel. The first fill sherry barrel finish is very prominent here. There are some spicy notes as well with some cinnamon and black pepper. Really the tannins take over a lot of the flavour profile and seem to be a bit hard to get past. Finish: Medium. The aforementioned tannins persist on the sides of the tongue and back of the palate. Not a lot of flavour lingers though. I find I'm missing that really long, chewy, grainy finish that Redbreast typically has. A quick sip of Redbreast 12 to compare reminds me why I love Redbreast. In my opinion Lustau is a step down. I would prefer to either spend less money on 12 or more and get 15. This seems an interesting but not as good and somewhat disappointing addition, especially given the price point.