Whiskey_Hound
Redbreast 15 Year
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed
April 19, 2021 (edited February 4, 2022)
The Redbreast brand is one of Ireland's stalwarts. So far I've had the 12 and the 12 CS; both were winners. On to the 15, which surprisingly flies under the radar. Let's see what it's all about.
Nose: Creamy vanilla custard and shortbread cookie. Honey, toffee, and malt. Coconut, banana, and zesty orange. Lemon and lime add more citrus. Almond and chestnut. Green apple and pear. Green, grassy, and floral notes. Oak and a touch of cinnamon and baking spice to let you know it's 46% ABV.
Palate: Plum and raisin. Green apple, pear, banana, and orange. Shortbread cookie, caramel, vanilla custard, toffee, flax seed, graham cracker. Cola. Almond and chestnut. oak, cinnamon, black pepper, and some more baking spices.
Finish: Plum and raisin. Dried cranberry. Almond and chestnut. Toffee, vanilla, and caramel. Black pepper, cinnamon, baking spice, and oak. Moderate lengnth--about what you'd want from a 46% ABV whiskey.
One thing I've learned over the years is to be patient with a whiskey--especially an older one. This one started off decent, but there was nothing particularly impressive about it based on my first couple pours. Now that I'm halfway through the bottle, oxidation has made this a completely different animal.
Redbreast continues to deliver. Ironically, this drinks like Green Spot on steroids. It really doesn't remind me a whole lot of either RB12 incarnate. All of these brands hail from the same distillery, but I usually find consistency between each individual brand. This instinctually reminded me of a higher proof Green Spot, and looking back at past reviews confirms that.
Whatever the case, this is a fantastic whiskey. It's a worth a go for not only every fan of Irish whiskey, but any fan of whiskey period.
97.0
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
Is this worth the upcharge over the 12yr ?
@CKarmios @Anthology Thank you both! If this is all you need to complete the core lineup then I say get on that. You won't be disappointed
Nice review! I’ve had my eye on this one for a while now so this rev goes a long way. I think it’s the only one I’m missing in the core lineup. Also nice Jedi wordplay there. “Every fan” and “any fan” just about covers the entire whiskey fan ecosystem haha
Good review. I think it’s great that you can discern a difference and a positive profile progression between the two 12s and this one