Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition

The Redbreast PX was a sensational way to start off the Iberian Series. Next up we’ve got the tawny port. As I recall, this first Irish I’ve had that was aged in port casks. Redbreast has yet to let me down with these limited releases, so this is an exciting one for me. Nose: Blackberry, plum, and raisin. Shortbread cookie. Toffee, malt, and vanilla. Molasses and brown sugar. Macadamia, walnut, and almond. Orange citrus and honeydew. Palate: Heavy shortbread cookie, followed up by the blackberry, plum, and raisin notes. Big time walnut, almond, and macadamia. Butterscotch, vanilla, toffee, malt, milk chocolate, and caramel. Black licorice. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Orange and tangerine. A nice hit of vanilla frosting. Gala apple and green grape. Honeydew. Cranberry. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Macadamia, walnut, and almond. Blackberry, plum, and raisin. Red grape. Toffee, caramel, vanilla, and milk chocolate. Cinnamon, white pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Moderate length. I really like this one. Port casks complement the Redbreast profile nicely. The palate is the highlight; the vibrant, dark fruit notes are most pronounced on the tongue. Overall, I’m giving the nod to the PX, but this isn’t too far behind. The former is definitely the more complete whiskey and boasts a more compelling profile, but this is a solid addition to the series in its own right. At $150, I regrettably overpaid. I guess my store was charging more than most, because of I’ve seen this as cheap as $100. Forgetting the fact that I overpaid, I’d say this wasn’t a regrettable purchase, although it’s barely worth the cost. I scale my score to the cost to determine VFM, and this one was about as close as you can get to not hitting that mark. But it did. And I’m glad to have made the purchase. Looking forward to the next one. As for this, well-earned 4.25/5.

Sweet cherry and herbal nose, nutty with a little fruit on the palate, oak and spice on the finish

Cracked recently in our small society for higher end bottles, as this is a $200 bottle in my neck of the woods. But, its Redbreast, and I'm never disappointed by Redbreast...right? Pours just a bit darker than expected, and definitely has some hints of the aging on the nose as it isn't as light and airy as 'standard' Redbreast (speaking to the 12 year). Its definitely still sweet...laden with honey, but also plenty of light, tropical fruits, and there is some of the port character. Flavor is more robust than 'standard' Redbreast, but there isn't necessarily more character in this sip...yes, there's some evidence of the aging, but, as much as it pains me, I'm not sure it makes it a better pour, as some of the wispy character on the palate is lost with a more syrupy, heavier sip. There's still plenty of honey and general sweetness up front, but it gets a bit full with even hints of spice on the backend. The palate feels heavy, but not cumbersome...bits of dry oak on the finish. So, is this a good pour. Yes. But I would argue Redbreast 12 is a better pour...and the Redbreast PX feels worlds beyond this pour in terms of intrigue and depth. Let's be fair, this is a mild disappointment, but maybe that's because all (and I mean all) local places (Chicagoland) carrying this bottle are at the $195-$215 price point...and at that sticker, its just not worth it.

Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition does not have an age statement and it is bottled at 46% ABV. After an initial maturation in bourbon and oloroso sherry casks, the combination is then finished in seasoned tawny port hogsheads for 14-25 months. This is the 2023 edition. It sells for around $100-140. This is a serviceable whisky that suffers from a few problems that are not intrinsic to the liquid in the bottle but come to light when compared to other whiskies from the brand. One: this is a strictly inferior whisky compared to the cask strength 27-year-old ruby port. This whisky reminds me of the 27-year-old, which I picked up a few years back for ~$550, and now has climbed to around ~$700. This is still a pretty good deal for a 27-year-old cask strength release from a brand as reputable as Redbreast. And, if you can afford one bottle of the 27-year-old and want some delicious port influenced Irish single pot still whisky, I recommend buying one bottle of the 27-year-old instead of using that same money to buy 4 bottles of this Tawny Port. Alcohol is poison, and if you choose to poison yourself, make it the best tasting poison that you can afford. Or, if you can’t afford the Ruby Port, you can use the Tawny Port to see if it can inspire you to make more money, to try a thematically similar whisky that is better in every way. (I am joking. Buying more expensive bottles of whisky is a terrible reason to be inspired to make more money) Two: Redbreast should just put an age statement on this whisky. Now, I doubt they are slimy enough to put something younger than 12 years into this bottle and then charge almost twice as much as their basic 12-year-old, which is a foundational Irish whisky that I highly recommend if you have not tried it already, but this whisky feels more immature than the 12-year-old. With whisky, like with people, age does not always translate to maturity. My guess is that this is the 12-year-old Redbreast finished in seasoned tawny port casks, and these seasoned casks somehow made the final product more immature. Whereas the Redbreast 12-year-old is a mellow and relaxing experience, there is an additional dimension of overeager oakiness and spiciness to this whisky that makes it feel like it could be only 10 years old. Because I don’t consider this as good as the original 12-year-old, without an age statement, there is some paranoia that this is also cheaper to produce than the original 12-year-old, and this is a cynical consumer rip-off. Three: The Redbreast PX Edition (my next review) is a better whisky in the same price range. Redbreast should be more sherry influenced; it just goes well with the Spirit. Redbreast has never made a bad whisky, to my knowledge, because it always invokes that feeling of a freshly baked cookie with brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, walnuts, and butter. But the raisins and dark chocolate are what this recipe needs, and they are not provided by this tawny port finish. You get an extra hit of oranges and wood, but I don’t think that’s helping. If this Redbreast Tawny Port was the first Redbreast that I have tried, I would probably have thought that this was a flawed but promising expression, and I would have been open to trying more Redbreasts in the future. But, because I have tried other Redbreasts, I must make the following alternative suggestions: - Core range age expressions (12-year, 15-year, 21-year): All are great. The 21 year (~$400 now) is still the best Redbreast that I’ve tried so far. The 12-year can still be found on shelves for less than $70, and it is immaculate. - 12-year cask strength (~$100): Probably the best value for money Redbreast, if you’re into that kind of thing. - Redbreast PX Edition (~$150): Much better cask to finish a Redbreast with. - Redbreast Ruby Port 27-year-old (~$700): Like this Tawny Port, but infinitely better, but not as good as the 21-year-old, so I would just buy another bottle of the 21-year-old instead, if I was itching to purchase this again.

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