Mit Glenfarclas holst Du Dir einen wuchtigen, würzigen und Sherry getriebenen Whisky ins Glas. Seit Generationen in der Hand der Familie Grant ist Glenfarclas heute eine der letzten Destillerien in schottischer Hand. Du bekommst einen ehrlichen, ungefärbten Whisky - einen echten Oldschool Scotch!
About Redbreast
What makes Redbreast so special? Redbreast is a traditional and high-quality whiskey brand from Midleton. The Midleton Distillery is probably less familiar to you than the whiskey brands that are created there. First and foremost is the Irish whiskey classic Jameson. Jameson is a blend of Irish Grain Whiskey and Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey. Pot still whiskey is a type of whiskey made from malted and unmalted barley. Unique to Ireland, she brings flavor and depth to Jameson. Redbreast is this ingredient in its purest form. A triple distilled single pot still whiskey. The heart of the Irish whiskey industry. Unfortunately, there are very few single pot still whiskeys left today. Because by the middle of the 20th century, the Irish distillery landscape was almost extinct.
With the Redbreast Single Pot Still Whiskey you can revive and enjoy Ireland's whiskey tradition. The soft, creamy whiskey convinces with great aromas of vanilla, coconut and many fruity notes. Most Redbreast bottlings contain a proportion of whiskey from sherry casks, which give it subtle spicy notes and dark fruits.
3 reasons to love Redbreast
1) Because the single pot still is such a rare type of whiskey.
2) Because it is a delicious temptation.
3) Because it hardly gets more Irish.
What does Redbreast whiskey taste like?
Redbreast is a smooth whiskey that has delicious spice notes at the same time. This is an exciting feature of Single Pot Still Whiskey. A grainy, nutty and sweet character is skillfully combined with ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks at Redbreast. The triple distillation makes it particularly soft. Redbreast Whiskey has drawn wonderful vanilla, caramel and coconut aromas from the ex-bourbon casks. Aromas of strawberries with whipped cream and wild berries come out of the sherry casks. Sounds good? Then grab the Redbreast 12 years!
How is Redbreast Whiskey made?
Redbreast is made at Midleton Distillery in County Cork in the south of Ireland. It is one of the very few remaining single pot still whiskeys in Ireland, an endemic type of whiskey so to speak. Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey is unique to Ireland. What is Pot Still Whiskey? Pot still whiskey is made much like single malt Irish whiskey. The only difference between single malt and single pot still whiskey is the grain composition.
While Single Malt must be made from 100% malted barley, Single Pot Still is made from malted and unmalted barley. This is for historical reasons. Around 1785 this style of whiskey-making developed to avoid some of the taxes imposed on malted barley. Whiskey, once referred to as Pure Pot Still, has become a popular type of whiskey. The term single pot still is relatively new and, like single malt, describes the origin of a pot still whiskey from just one distillery.
In the case of Redbreast, this is the famous Midleton Distillery, which also produces the legendary Jameson Irish Blended Whiskey. The exciting thing: Jameson consists of a mixture of pot still and grain whiskey. That means, in principle, you can taste Jameson's fillet with Redbreast Whiskeys. It is distilled on the largest pot stills in the world. The copper stills of the Midleton Distillery hold 75,000 liters. The water for Redbreast comes from the River Dungourney, which flows directly through the distillery grounds.
Redbreast is triple distilled. Triple distillation is one of the major differences between Scotch whiskey and Irish whiskey. Even if there are a number of double distilled Irish whiskeys today (Connemara, Tyrconnel, Waterford). However, triple distillation is still a trademark of Irish whiskey. This makes Redbreast as a triple distilled single pot still whiskey a picture book Irish whiskey.
On the story of Redbreast
The story of Redbreast begins in 1857 with the London wine merchant W & A Gilbey. Success came quickly and the company expanded. By 1861, W & A Gilbey already had branches in Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh with their own barrel stores. In 1866 the company moved to Dublin, where it caused a sensation with its own pot still, bottling plant and then rare wax seals on the bottles. Spirits are quickly becoming an important part of the W&A Gilbey portfolio. By 1874 the company already had 300,000 gallons of whiskey in their own warehouses. The whiskey comes from different whiskey distilleries. At this point, Dublin is the international center of whiskey production. W & A Gilbey sells three brands of Irish Whiskey Castle U P Irish Whiskey 33% under proof, Castle U V Irish Whiskey 17% u.p. and Castle D O Irish Whiskey at cask strength.
In 1875, W & A Gilbey boasted the world's largest cask store of Irish whiskey outside of the distilleries themselves. In 1887 the good cooperation with the John Jameson & Sons Distillery expanded. W & A Gilbey sells "John Jameson & Son's 'sole make' pure and unblended Irish whiskey". W&A Gilbey supplies Jameson directly with their own wine and sherry casks. These, in turn, also drive Jameson's quality and reputation.
The predecessor of today's Redbreast Whiskey was created in 1903. The John Jameson & Son's Castle "JJ Liqueur" Whiskey 12 Years Old is sold with a bottle design similar to that of Redbreast today. Gilbey's sold its whiskey under the Castle brand name until the 1930s. In 1912 Gilbey's created the "Redbreast" J.J. Liqueur Whiskey 12 Years Old. He describes the whiskey as one of his most popular brands. This leads to the conclusion that Redbreast was previously used as a nickname for this bottling or something similar. The name Redbreast refers to it Robin Redbreast for the robin The name is associated with Gilbey's CEO who was a great bird enthusiast.
The 1920s were a bitter time for Ireland. Not only the whiskey industry was starving. The First World War, Prohibition in the USA, Ireland's most important export market, and the Irish War of Independence bring the economy to its knees. Everything is scarce and buying high-quality whiskey is out of the question for many Irish people. However, some luxury goods are found in the hands of the spiritual. So does one or the other whiskey. Thus, Redbreast is also known as "The Priest's Bottle" - the priest's bottle.
To avert the demise of Irish whiskey, the three big remaining whiskey producers dare to take a bold step. Former competitors John Jameson & Son, Cork Distillers Company and John Powers merge to form the Irish Distillers Group. 1970: Gilbey's convinces the Irish Distillers Group to continue supplying them with pot still whiskey for Redbreast. In the summer of 1971, however, the Bow Street Distillery (Jameson) in Dublin closed its doors.
The last bottling of Redbreast under the Gilbey's banner appears in 1985. Gilbey's finally sells the naming rights of the Redbreast brand to the Irish Distillers Group. In 1991, after almost 10 years of absence from the market, Redbreast can be reborn. In the meantime, production has moved to the Midleton Distillery, where the fine, triple-distilled brandy is produced. In 2005, the Redbreast 15 years came onto the market. The bottling was created in honor of the French importer La Maison Du Whiskey in Paris. More exciting bottlings follow. The future of Redbreast looks bright. Slainte!
Recommendations in the Redbreast range
The Redbreast 12 year old is the flagship of the special Irish whiskey. You can't avoid this classic if you want to try all representative types of whisky. This whiskey should not be missing in an Around The World Whiskey Tasting. With its 40% vol., the Redbreast 12 year old is particularly mild, making it a wonderful entry-level whiskey. In no time you have convinced your friends of whiskey.
The Redbreast Lustau is a variant with a higher sherry content. This means that more sherry casks were chosen for this bottling than for the Redbreast 12 year old. The oak barrels, in which the Spanish Oloroso Sherry previously slumbered, come from the renowned Bodega Lusta. In the Redbreast Lustau you will find delicious notes of dark fruits, dates, figs, liquorice and light roasted notes. Sounds tempting, right?
The Redreast 15 years is the upscale version of the Redbreast range. In contrast to the Redbreast 12 years, the Redbreast 15 years is bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill-filtered. This also gives stronger aromas in addition to the old age. Grab it if you want deep, rich aromas and the finest notes of spice. Finely balanced notes of berries and essential oils as well as a soft and noble mouthfeel convince with the Redbreast 15 years.
Do you like it strong? Then the Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Years is the right whiskey for you. This premium pot still whiskey doesn't do things half hearted. With a cask strength of between 55 and 60% vol., it brings the full potential of pot still whiskey to your palate. The Redbreast Cask Strength 12 year old will be released in batch. Therefore, the alcohol strength varies from batch to batch. This is noted on the label, e.g. “Batch No. B1/21” means batch 1 in 2021. Intense, sweet notes of marzipan and caramel leap out of the glass. On the palate, the Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Years ignites a firework of aromas with notes of dried fruits, tropical fruits, light citrus notes and a variety of spices. Toasted oak, vanilla and oak round off the whiskey. A hit!
The Redbreast 21 years represents the luxury segment of the brand. A real whiskey to indulge in. Here you can explore the full depth and complexity of Redbreast. The Redbreast 21 years spoils you with nutty notes, tropical fruits and a sublime composition of tannins and spices. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about sherry whiskeys, pot stills or Irish whiskey, this is the premier class! Only the Redbreast 27 years is able to top this taste experience. However, the redbreast has become even rarer than the robin for 27 years.
Facts & Figures about Redbreast
Address: Midleton Distillery, Old, Distillery Walk, Midleton, Co. Cork, P25 Y394, Ireland
Established: 1912 (Redbreast brand), 1991 (present production at Midleton Distillery)
Region: Ireland, County Cork
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Smoke: Unpeated/ Non-smoky
Status: active
Capacity: approx. 64,000,00 lpa (litres per year)
Stills: 3 pot stills (75,000 l), 3 pot stills (in the Whiskey School), 11 column stills
Washbacks: 48
Mashtun: various
Water: River Dungourney
Visitor Centre: Yes
Telephone: +353214613594
Website: www.redbreastwhiskey.com
Directions to the Midleton Distillery
Bildnachweis/ Bildquelle: Pernod Ricard Deutschland GmbH
Tasty experiments
The experimental creations Jameson Orange Whiskey and Jameson Cold Brew show that it never gets boring at Jameson. With the Jameson Orange Whiskey, Jameson Irish Whiskey was mixed with orange aroma. Perfect as a long drink with lemonade and orange zest. you like coffee Then you should definitely try the Jameson Cold Brew. Here Jameson has been paired with delicious Cold Brew, a coffee that is brewed cold. A new variant of Irish coffee, so to speak. Because this drink is not drunk hot, but served cold. Rethink old school? Try Jameson Cold Brew with ice and coke with an orange zest. This is how you can make Whiskey and coke really well today!
There is always something going on at Jameson in the travel retail sector too. The Jameson Signature Release comes with a higher proportion of single pot still whiskey than the standard. The increased proportion of sherry casks also contributes to a fruitier and fuller taste experience.
The Jameson Deconstructed series with the Jameson Lively, the Jameson Bold and the Jameson Round was also exciting. With the Jameson Lively, the focus was placed on the grain whiskey. It is therefore lighter with fresh fruit notes, apple and ginger. The Jameson Round was devoted to barrel influence. American oak casks, sherry casks and madeira casks were used here. Versatile aromas of dried fruit, old leather and delicate spices could be found here. Jameson Bold focused on the spicy, grainy Pot Still Whiskey. This gave the Jameson Bold a sweet-malty character and a variety of spice aromas.
What is Pot Still Whiskey?
Pot Still Whiskey is a special type of whiskey that is unique to Ireland. It's basically made the same way as single malt Irish whiskey, with one key difference. Single malt whisky/ whiskey must be made in Ireland and Scotland from 100% malted barley. To avoid high taxes on malted barley, the clever Irish early on began distilling whiskey with a mixture of malted and unmalted barley. This full-bodied, whiskey was distilled on pot stills like single malt. The Single Pot Still Whiskey was born. Pot Still Whiskey is said to have full-bodied aromas of spices, cereal notes and intense fruit aromas. The pot still portion in Jameson provides aromatic depth and backbone. If you would like to try a pot still whiskey, we recommend the Redbreast 12 year old or the Green Spot Single Pot Still.
This pot still whiskey is now triple distilled at Midleton Distillery. With a capacity of 75,000 liters, the pot stills at the Midleton Distillery are currently the largest of their kind in the world. Triple distillation is a tradition in Ireland. In Ireland, it is believed that triple distillation produces a smoother, purer spirit. In Scotland, the Auchentoshan Distillery in the Lowlands is the only whisky distillery that relies exclusively on triple distillation. Double distillation is common in Scotland. You'll have to find out what's better for you with your nosing glass.
The grain whiskey for the Jameson Blend is also made in the Midleton Distillery. Distillation takes place here in column stills. Eleven columns ensure continuous production of grain whiskey at Midleton. The grain whiskey is light and sweet and provides the lightness of the Jameson blend. With an annual output of around 64 million liters of New Make (all types of whiskey combined), Midleton is one of the largest whiskey distilleries in the world.
How is Jameson whiskey aged? For a whiskey to be called whiskey in Ireland, it must be matured in wooden casks for at least three years. Most of the time, however, the whiskey is stored much longer. Jameson matures in oak casks, mostly ex-bourbon barrels, but also in some ex-sherry casks from Jerez, Spain. The oak barrels mature in large warehouses, more like warehouses, until they are finally married to the various Jameson bottlings. Around 2% of the whiskey is lost every year during the long-term maturation. This is what the Irish call 'Angels' Share'.
What makes Jameson Whiskey so mild? There are probably three reasons for the ease with which Jameson pleases the palate. On the one hand, the sweet and light grain whiskey gives the blend lightness. Second, the spicier and more aromatic part of the blend, the Single Pot Still Whiskey, is triple distilled. The third factor is bottling at low volume percentages. Most Jameson Whiskeys are bottled at a mild 40% ABV and are therefore very pleasant to drink. Due to the gentle manufacturing process and the low-proof bottling, Jameson is one of the mildest whiskeys in the world.
The barrel in focus - for the barrel lovers
The Jameson Black Barrel is our tip if you want to taste your way up the range. This Jameson bottling is named after the heavily burnt oak barrels in which the Jameson Black Barrel was matured. They give it aromas of tropical fruits like peach, guava and coconut and a nice creaminess on the palate. Dates and walnuts with light cinnamon, peach and again coconut await you in the taste.
The Jameson Crested is also a nice alternative to the classic Jameson. In the past, the bottling was simply called Crested Ten and did not adorn itself with the Jameson brand name. It was a blend with whiskeys that were between 10 and 15 years old. The exact composition of Jameson Crested's age today is not known. However, it is said to be a blend of 60% Single Pot Still and 40% Irish Grain Whiskey. Sherry casks were also used for cask aging. This also explains why we find more depth and volume in the Jameson Crested than in the Jameson Standard. On the palate it is full-bodied, with fine cereal and roasted notes, light hints of sherry and chocolate notes.
The third in the bunch (no pun intended) is the Jameson Triple Triple. This Jameson creation takes its title from the traditional triple distillation - triple distilled - and the triple barrel aging - triple matured -. The Jameson Triple Triple matured in ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and ex-Malaga casks. This is how the Jameson Triple Triple gets a round bouquet of sweet pear, citrus zest and dark fruits. Garden fruit, black currants, plums and light spices await you on the palate.
