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.