Slainte-Mhath
Redbreast 12 Year
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed
March 17, 2019 (edited March 5, 2024)
St. Patrick's Day, time to review some classic Irish single pot still whiskey! Like a whisper of spring, the nose of Redbreast 12 features fresh vegetation, clover and heather honey. Pears, apricots and melon intermingle with cereals, green malt and hints of sherry. On the palate, there is an interesting potpourri of floral vanilla, unripe banana and lemongrass, interrupted by peppery kicks of wood spices from the casks. Lingering freshness, nuts and mildly dry citrus zest remain in the subtle finish. It's a unique style of whiskey, and you can't go wrong with it.
RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 84 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE
44.0
EUR
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@Slainte-Mhath No, it hasn't come up at any tastings I've been to and I've never bought it.
@cascode Have you tasted/reviewed the 21 yo Redbreast?
@Slainte-Mhath This standard 12 is one of the "break-point" Irish whiskies for me - an expression that sits at the divide between low and middle-shelf spirits on one hand and genuinely interesting and flavourful spirits on the other. The cask strength version I thought takes that leap up into "very good/excellent" territory, but there is an associated price. The debate for me would be whether the 12CS or the 15 is a better buy.
@cascode 4.5 stars is an impressive rating for the CS version, I didn't know that it was that good!
@WhiskeyLonghorn I'd sgree with Slainte-Mhath, particularly at that small price jump. In our area it is much more of a difference (almost twice the price). FWIW I rated the regular Redbreast 12 at 3.5 and the CS at 4.5
@Slainte-Mhath will do. Thanks for the push. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Reviews do seem positive.
@WhiskeyLonghorn If you are experienced with CS whiskies, I'd probably spend the extra $20. Reviews are really promising.
@Slainte-Mhath I’ve been wondering the same thing lately. Been thinking about pick g up the CS bottling and wondering if it’s worth the extra $20.
Additional comment: Anyone who did a H2H tasting of the regular and the cask strength version? Is it worth the price premium?