LeeEvolved
Redbreast 12 Year
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed
August 23, 2019 (edited December 1, 2025)
It’s funny to me, that I’m over 500 whisky reviews deep and I’ve yet to officially review this Irish whiskey staple: Redbreast 12. I’ve even reviewed a few other offerings from Redbreast- just not the 12. I keep thinking that I’ve tried this before, but then again maybe I haven’t. Weird. Anyway, this sample was sent to me by my buddy @Generously_Paul, from Michigan. It’s bottled at 40% ABV, is triple distilled, chill filtered and probably has added color that makes it lightly coppered in the taster. It makes some fat, yet undefined legs after a spin and leaves behind medium sized droplets clinging to the lip. It also looks rather watery, in general.
The nose starts out spicier than I anticipated. There’s a healthy dose of vanilla, nut bread and citrus peel. I don’t get much, if any, sweetness but then again I didn’t let this one sit very long. Some barrel cask presence sent a quick sting up my nose as I has going in for the first sip. Speaking of sips, the Christmas spices and something equivalent to rye spice launched onto my tongue very quickly- it also caught me off guard. After a bit of a roll, the spice note subsided and warm oak and vanilla settled in along with a nutty almond back end. It’s pleasant enough, albeit a tad harsh- even at 40%. The finish was short and still spicy, but left plenty of vanilla lingering for a bit. A sip of water a few moments later washed it all away. There’s zero staying power with this whiskey.
Overall, I seem to be very unimpressed with most Irish whiskies: except for West Cork and Bushmills. Redbreast, Teeling and Jameson don’t inspire me into buying more of their offerings. None of these are bad whiskies, they all just seem a little too tame for me. This particular 12 year old is the ultimate middle of the road dram IMHO. 2.5 stars. Cheers.
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@Rick_M Nice!... and I'm jealous! I agree about Very Rare - I have never been blown away by any VR vintages I tried but I have with Dair Ghaelach. It is innovative and I love that Irish oak is used.
@1901 - yes, wouldn’t spend $160 for the 40%abv Midleton VR, but was happy to shell out $300 for their Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest Tree No. 4. (56.2%abv). I like a good story. :)
Oh and yes haven't had a great Teeling yet and most Jamesons are pretty average.
Try Yellow Spot. If you don't like that either then at least you've had a good crack across the range of offerings. RB CS 12 maybe up your alley as well.
@PBMichiganWolverine that's it exactly. The big boys like Teeling and Midleton (with Method & Madness brand) are experimenting and straying to the fringes. And some young distilleries are trying some interesting finishes with the juice they sourced (West Cork and Glendalough come to mind). But I wonder what, and how long, it might take for Irish distilleries and regions to develop very distinctive and diverse characteristics like is the case in Scotland.
@1901 there’s no choice but to make for the masses. That’s where the bread is buttered, the revenue stream. It’s like the independent art house movies vs the Mega blockbuster Hollywood Avengers style.
After I had the Yellow Spot it ruined this one for me. I stick to the Cask Strength now
@LeeEvolved the RB12 Cask Strength is much more robust and flavorful. There still is spice but it’s more like cinnamon stick. RB doesn’t do their standard version any favors by watering it down to 40%. I have a bottle of the CS that I’ll likely open over Labor Day weekend. Let me know if you’re interested in trying it and I can shoot you a sample.
I think some of the Irish blends like Jameson are manufactured to appeal more to the masses, but I guess you could say that about scotch too. Some of the new distilleries (and there are many) also seem to be playing safe and aiming for the middle of the road output, which is understandable too. So I agree with your general summary @LeeEvolved There are exceptions and I think you've been given a good steer on Powers John's Lane. Also I think Barry Crockett and Dair Ghaelach are divine but as you've seen they're top end stuff.
@LeeEvolved that’s a lot—-But it’s an older ( I think 25+?) premium Irish. Not too dissimilar from its cousins across the Irish Sea.
@cascode @PBMichiganWolverine - whoa, those Barry Crockett bottles range from $175-200. That’s a hefty price for me to take a gamble on a good Irish, but my next online order I’ll take a chance on you guy’s recommendation. Powers John’s are around $55 so that’s an easy risk to me- adding that to the list now. The thing is I can get West Cork locally for $39-55 and I know they’re gonna be solid. Hmm, decisions decisions...
@LeeEvolved Try Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy and/or Powers John's Lane 12 year. If they don't float your boat then Irish whiskey just isn't your cup of hooch :-)
@Rick_M @LeeEvolved I’ve never tried it, but the reviews for Middleton Barry Crockett as well as sherry matured Redbreasts seem to be quite good. Not sure if these are 46% though
That’s one of the reasons i like Arran. Use quality casks.....throw stuff out there at cask strength, then tell people to go find your own damn sweet spot.
@Rick_M - I hear you. I recently finished off a bottle of the Redbreast 21 (that gets rave reviews and is 46%) and my notes tell me that my score should be around 3.25-3.5, tops with a slight bump because I got the bottle for a really good deal ($126). I just found it to be very uninspiring, as well. My overall assessment of Irish and Canadian whiskey is that they are manufactured and manipulated to be as mellow and smooth as possible as to not offend the whiskey consuming majority. Sure, there are exceptions here and there, but I just don’t hunt down those types of whiskey because of that.
@LeeEvolved - i have to admit, the magic of the emerald isle does have a way of prejudicing my sensibilities. :) You should try some of their other juice. 46% abv and above is a better sweet spot for them.