Stacks – Redbreast 15 Years

I really enjoy Redbreast whiskies. So, I was pleased to have the opportunity to review the 15 Year Old here on the blog. Of course, I also tried it in a short drink.

For the Redbreast 15 Years the Midleton Distillery uses the same production process as with the 12 Year Old Cask Strength bottling that I featured before. This involves malted and unmalted barley being triple distilled in pot stills. It is then aged for at least 15 years in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. Finally, the whisky is bottled at 46% ABV.

Heather honey

The Redbreast begins with cereal notes. After a short while, however, some perfumed flavours reminiscent of heather come through. Apart from that, you can detect hints of cinnamon and black pepper. I also picked up a hint of buttery notes, which I associate with bourbon barrels. The aftertaste lingers, offering more spices and a touch of hot pepper. I really love the iconic taste of Irish whiskey that this Redbreast delivers!

Still an Old-Fashioned or a Sazerac?

At first, I thought I should opt for a Sazerac variation. However, I found that even a touch of absinthe overpowers the more delicate notes of the Redbreast. So, I switched to the Casa Eva fennel liqueur that I mentioned in my last post about cocktails. Instead of plain simple syrup, I used cassis liqueur from Florian Faude as a sweetener.

Besides the obvious fennel flavour, you get a combination of dark berries and whiskey. I especially enjoyed the touch of acidity which the Faude Black Currant liqueur brings to the mix. Towards the aftertaste, the spices and the buttery touch of the Redbreast show through again.

*The fact that I received a product reviewed in this article for free, did not – in any way – influence the rating of said product. I received the whiskey for free from Pernod Ricard Germany.