🥃 Redbreast
Irish single pot still whiskey brand from Midleton, Co. Cork: malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled, bourbon and oloroso sherry casks; 12 years, 40% ABV (80 proof); Irish Distillers, Pernod Ricard.
Redbreast is one of the best-known names in Irish single pot still whiskey, a style that sits apart from both single malt and blended Irish. The brand is produced by Irish Distillers at Midleton, County Cork. It is made from malted and unmalted barley, and the 12-year-old version has 40% ABV (80 proof). The owner is Irish Distillers, part of the Pernod Ricard group.
History. The whiskey was first stored and bottled by the London trading firm W&A Gilbey, using spirit from Jameson in Dublin. It was already labelled as Redbreast in 1912. Production moved to Midleton in the 1970s, and Gilbey's stopped making it around 1985-1986 and sold the brand to Irish Distillers. Irish Distillers brought back the 12-year-old version in 1991 as a single pot still.
How it is made. The mash consists of malted and unmalted barley, and the spirit is distilled three times in copper stills at one distillery. The whiskey is aged in American bourbon barrels and in Spanish oloroso sherry casks; the 12-year-old version, according to descriptions, matures for twelve years. Ageing in different casks gives a blend of vanilla, nuts and dried fruit, but the specific notes depend on the batch.
Range. The 12-year-old version remains the main one, but the producer also has older and stronger releases.
Why it matters to you. Single pot still is an Irish style, not to be confused with single malt whisky: here there is both malted and unmalted barley. The Irish Whiskey Geographical Indication applies to all Irish whiskey: at least three years in wooden casks and at least 40% ABV. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | the Redbreast name - since 1912 (Gilbey's); brand bought by Irish Distillers around 1985-1986; relaunch in 1991 |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | GI 'Irish Whiskey' (Technical File; Reg. (EU) 2019/787) |
| EU category | 2 - whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | malted and unmalted barley; water |
| Distillation method | pot still, three times, copper stills, Midleton |
| Cask type | American bourbon barrels and Spanish oloroso sherry casks |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years under the GI; the main version is 12 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% vol. (12 years) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Redbreast → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Pernod Ricard
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🧪 Water, 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
- Related to
- 🌍 Western Europe
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Jameson, 🥃 Bushmills 10 Year Old, 🥃 Bushmills Black Bush, 🥃 Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old Single Malt, 🥃 Bushmills, 🥃 Bushmills, 🥃 Cooley, 🥃 Cooley, 🥃 Midleton Very Rare, 🥃 Powers, 🥃 Powers John's Lane 12 Year Old, 🥃 Powers Three Swallow
Frequently asked questions
Is Redbreast a single malt whiskey?
No. It is a single pot still whiskey: a mash of malted and unmalted barley. Single malt whisky is made only from malted barley.
What does single pot still mean?
It is an Irish style made at one distillery from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and distilled in pot stills.
Where is Redbreast made and who owns it?
In Midleton, County Cork, by Irish Distillers, part of Pernod Ricard; the brand was bought from Gilbey's around 1985-1986.
What casks is Redbreast aged in?
In American oak bourbon barrels and in Spanish oak oloroso sherry casks.
What is the ABV and proof of Redbreast 12?
40% ABV, which is 80 proof. Irish Distillers relaunched the 12-year-old version in 1991 as a single pot still.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🍷 Sherry — Protected wine from the Jerez de la Frontera area of Andalusia, aged in oak casks in the solera system; 14 to 22 % alcohol.
- 🧪 Water — ~87% of milk.
Similar
🥃 Powers · 🥃 Tullamore Dew · 🥃 Midleton Very Rare · 🥃 Bushmills · 🥃 Jameson · 🥃 Connemara
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
What it includes
Sources
- Tasting Table: Redbreast 12 Year Old bottle guide (single pot still, malted and unmalted barley, triple distillation, bourbon and Oloroso casks, Gilbey's, 1991 relaunch)
- Page & Sons: Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey (single pot still, Midleton, first-fill sherry and bourbon casks, 40 % ABV, Irish Distillers 1985/86)
- Revenue (Ireland): Geographical Indication for Irish Whiskey and Irish Poteen/Poitin (GI verification, Tax and Duty Manual)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)