Redbreast 12 year old, Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Description

Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey is a pure pot still whiskey and it is often considered to be the definitive expression of this quintessential style of Irish whiskey making. For many years it was the only  12 year old traditional pure pot still Irish whiskey. Redbreast Irish Whiskey is produced alongside Jameson, Yellow Spot, John Powers et al. at the Midleton Distillery in County Cork.

Single Pot Still Whiskey has been safeguarded and nurtured under the watchful eye of the Midleton Distillery for almost two hundred years. The distillery was founded in 1825 by three brothers, James, Daniel and Jeremiah Murphy. Eventually, in 1867, the distillery was amalgamated with several other local distilleries to form the Cork Distilleries Company. The distillery operated until 1975, when a new distillery was constructed alongside it to house the consolidated operations of three former whiskey-making rivals, John Jameson & Son, John Powers & Son, and Cork Distilleries Company to form Irish Distillers (which formed on 1966). Today Irish Distillers is a subsidiary of the French drinks conglomerate Pernod Ricard.

Redbreast Irish Whiskey is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley sourced predominantly from farms within the Munster region surrounding the distillery. It is said that the unmalted barley adds a silky or creamy mouthfeel as well as spiciness to the whiskey. The water source is the nearby Dungourney River. The grains are milled to a coarse “grist”, to which water is added producing a “mash”. After mashing, the run-off liquid known as “wort” is sent for fermentation. The liquid is then known as “wash” and is fermented to produce what is effectively a beer with an ABV of 10%. This is then triple distilled in copper pot stills (Midleton has the largest pot stills in the world). After this the new make spirit goes to oak barrels for maturation. Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey is matured in a combination of Bourbon seasoned American Oak barrels and Oloroso Sherry seasoned Spanish oak butts, the distinctive Redbreast sherry style is a joy to behold in each and every bottle.

The label and the iconic redbreast was re-imagined in 2019 with fine, hand-drawn illustrations by celebrated Irish illustrator Denise Nestor. Denise is a supremely talented artist from Co. Mayo. The robin redbreast and the unique bottle shape is recognised around the world.