Red Breast Irish Whiskey

After seeing the discussion on Jameson's in another thread I thought I'd post a quick review of Red Breast Irish Whiskey.

First of all - I am a fan of Irish Whiskey in general - and choose it over scotch when presented with good choices. One issue is that almost every bar has at least a 5-6 decent scotches (usually a few blends and a couple singles) - but they often have only the most basic choices in terms of the Irish. As a result, I'm found drinking scotch far more often than I probably would if given a better set of Irish choices.

Red Breast is a "pure pot still" whiskey - which IMO - is really what makes Irish whiskey Irish. As much as I love Bushmills (particularly the 16yr) and other Irish Whiskeys - one taste of a pure pot, and you'll see what made my ancestors drunkards for all these years. A pure pot whiskey is single aged in a traditional copper pot still(s). In my opinion, this imparts a spicy taste ("spicy" is really the wrong word, but as close as I can get - you need to taste it to understand) along with an aggressive body - as well as an overall smoothness of flavor.

To me - a good pure pot feels very full and flavorful - yet still goes down quite easy (relatively speaking). This combination is hard to find, IMO - and very nice. Much like with cigars - smoothness and a full rich flavor often fight each other - but you can find a rare treat that manages both. The result is that Red Breast tends to get consumed in large amounts when I drink it - I just can't have one...

In terms of taste, I found Red Breast to be fairly complex with a spicy taste and woody smell (but not a woody taste). The finish is fairly long - and you might taste notes of vanilla, nuts, and a sherry-like sweetness after each sip.

The only other pure pot I've had is Green Spot - which has a very similar foundation as the Red Breast - but finishes completely different. I'd recommend both whole-heartedly - particularly to those folks that like Speyside scotches (I'm not really sure why I make that recommendation - but I've just found that Speyside fans - including myself - tend to like both these pure pots).

Lastly, I'd recommend this drink with a smooth and creamy cigar - my favorite combination is an ISOM Upmann #2 - but I also enjoy this with any aged Cohiba (particularly a well aged robusto). Although you'd think the drink is too strong - I have found that this drink also goes well with very subtle cigars, including various medium-bodied aged Davidoffs (I've had this with several 5000's from '85 - and would recommend the combination).

Cheers,

- Oak

Sigh....my envy of folks who live where there are independent liquor stores, who will stock unusual or rare brands knows nearly no bounds.





















OK, it knows no bounds!!

Nice review Oak :thumbs: Although not quite as enamored of Irish whiskey I do like it for a change of pace. It has been quite a while since I had any Green Spot so if you have a source drop me a PM. I’ll do a review of the Bushmills Millennium sometime in June for you and maybe my take on Red Breast too.

psyktek said:

Sigh....my envy of folks who live where there are independent liquor stores, who will stock unusual or rare brands knows nearly no bounds.





















OK, it knows no bounds!!

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Amen brother

Jeez you two, you want some cheese to go with that whine. I live in a state run liquor system too but still can find things fairly easy. I've posted and there was a whole thread about the best places on-line to buy. Where do you think I get the things my state doesn't carry? ???

Thanks for the review of Red Breast. On my shopping list now.

AVB said:

Jeez you two, you want some cheese to go with that whine. I live in a state run liquor system too but still can find things fairly easy. I've posted and there was a whole thread about the best places on-line to buy. Where do you think I get the things my state doesn't carry? ???

Click to expand...

I've often wondered about folks like this too. I mean, jeeze, how the hell do you think I get half of the stuff I get (ok, more than half)? The islands are situated wher some might call "off the beaten path." But, it's called mail order fellas. It's called ISP's and the beauty of the www. It's called google, point, click, enter your info, click, then...bam...it shows up at your door. I guess if you go down the street to your local Jake's Beer, Bait and Barber shop (hey, I mean, why not kill three birds with one stone??) and they don't have what you're looking for, you call it quits? Sheesh. :sign: :sign: :sign:

[quote name='BruddahKeali'i' date='Jun 4 2004, 01:11 PM'] [quote name='AVB' date='May 25 2004, 05:25 PM'] Jeez you two, you want some cheese to go with that whine.  I live in a state run liquor system too but still can find things fairly easy.  I've posted and there was a whole thread about the best places on-line to buy.  Where do you think I get the things my state doesn't carry? ??? [/quote]
I've often wondered about folks like this too. I mean, jeeze, how the hell do you think I get half of the stuff I get (ok, more than half)? The islands are situated wher some might call "off the beaten path." But, it's called mail order fellas. It's called ISP's and the beauty of the www. It's called google, point, click, enter your info, click, then...bam...it shows up at your door. I guess if you go down the street to your local Jake's Beer, Bait and Barber shop (hey, I mean, why not kill three birds with one stone??) and they don't have what you're looking for, you call it quits? Sheesh. :sign: :sign: :sign: [/quote]
ouch :0 Those are some strong words there

Never let it be said that newbies and older guys will hold back on their opinions, no matter how ill-informed.

I have tried numerous sites, both those that have been suggested and others that I've found, in attempts to mail-order stuff that can't be found here. EVERY SINGLE ONE has said, in effect, "We don't ship to Utah."

Perhaps you're not aware that both Utah and Utah's senior senator, Orrin Hatch, are in the forefront of the efforts to ban interstate shipping of alcohol. Given that, it's not surprising that no one wants to ship here. Utah has won at least one case in court that allowed them to levy a huge fine against one company. Utah's laws specifically state that the State shall be the SOLE importer and seller of alcoholic beverages.

If one of you two would care to ship me some Red Breast Irish, I'll PM you my addy and gladly reimburse you for the cost. (And then let me know who was willing to ship here. )

Many are the tales of folks trying to bring in beer from Wyoming, only to be stopped by the Utah Highway Patrol and watch as everything was poured out on the shoulder of the highway....

I'll see what I can do for you. You've got a PM so once I get an answer I'll put out some feelers.

I hadn't heard of Red Breast until I went to Ireland last October & grabbed some on the way back at the duty free. Very good - a step above Jameson's which I also enjoy.

psyktek said:

Never let it be said that newbies and older guys will hold back on their opinions, no matter how ill-informed.

I have tried numerous sites, both those that have been suggested and others that I've found, in attempts to mail-order stuff that can't be found here. EVERY SINGLE ONE has said, in effect, "We don't ship to Utah."

Perhaps you're not aware that both Utah and Utah's senior senator, Orrin Hatch, are in the forefront of the efforts to ban interstate shipping of alcohol. Given that, it's not surprising that no one wants to ship here. Utah has won at least one case in court that allowed them to levy a huge fine against one company. Utah's laws specifically state that the State shall be the SOLE importer and seller of alcoholic beverages.

If one of you two would care to ship me some Red Breast Irish, I'll PM you my addy and gladly reimburse you for the cost. (And then let me know who was willing to ship here. )

Many are the tales of folks trying to bring in beer from Wyoming, only to be stopped by the Utah Highway Patrol and watch as everything was poured out on the shoulder of the highway....

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Can't help but point out that psyk's initial post made absolutely no mention about being exiled in Utah. It simply made reference to not being able to go to some indy liquor store. Just food for thought.

If ya' don't want your balls busted a little, maybe paint the whole picture to begin with. Call it "ill-informed" if ya' want, but those two could only go on what you stated in your initial post.

Glad to see AVB is on the ball for you. Likewise, if you need any assistance from Miami, let me know. Pm me, I'll do what I can for ya'.

MiamiCubano said:

Can't help but point out that psyk's initial post made absolutely no mention about being exiled in Utah. It simply made reference to not being able to go to some indy liquor store. Just food for thought.

If ya' don't want your balls busted a little, maybe paint the whole picture to begin with. Call it "ill-informed" if ya' want, but those two could only go on what you stated in your initial post.

Glad to see AVB is on the ball for you. Likewise, if you need any assistance from Miami, let me know. Pm me, I'll do what I can for ya'.

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Thanks for the offer of help my friend! Thanks to AVB, I now have two sites that will ship to Utah. Both seem to get themselves off the legal hook by positing that the customer takes possession of the goods in the state of origin rather than the state of delivery. (Could I get busted for transporting illegal goods across state lines? :lookup: )

AVB I know, and I took his initial post with the grain of salt it deserved. Keali'i I don't know, and I STILL think his post went beyond a little "ball-busting". But that's just my opinion/reaction, so I take responsibility for it. And as you pointed out, AVB turned around and offered to help me with this, out of the goodness of his heart.

And I don't feel "exiled" to Utah, just a little discriminated against.

I got a bottle of Red Breast from one of the sites he provided, and I concur with oak's review. This is a really fine Irish, very different from the others I've had. It has an initial sweetness reminiscent of good bourbon, but the rest of the profile is very different. Gonna have to pick up a bottle of my usual Irish and compare. What a nice excuse for a trip to the liquor store!!

psyktek said:

MiamiCubano said:

Can't help but point out that psyk's initial post made absolutely no mention about being exiled in Utah.  It simply made reference to not being able to go to some indy liquor store.  Just food for thought. 

If ya' don't want your balls busted a little, maybe paint the whole picture to begin with.  Call it "ill-informed" if ya' want, but those two could only go on what you stated in your initial post.

Glad to see AVB is on the ball for you.  Likewise, if you need any assistance from Miami, let me know.  Pm me, I'll do what I can for ya'. 

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer of help my friend! Thanks to AVB, I now have two sites that will ship to Utah. Both seem to get themselves off the legal hook by positing that the customer takes possession of the goods in the state of origin rather than the state of delivery. (Could I get busted for transporting illegal goods across state lines? :lookup: )

AVB I know, and I took his initial post with the grain of salt it deserved. Keali'i I don't know, and I STILL think his post went beyond a little "ball-busting". But that's just my opinion/reaction, so I take responsibility for it. And as you pointed out, AVB turned around and offered to help me with this, out of the goodness of his heart.

And I don't feel "exiled" to Utah, just a little discriminated against.

I got a bottle of Red Breast from one of the sites he provided, and I concur with oak's review. This is a really fine Irish, very different from the others I've had. It has an initial sweetness reminiscent of good bourbon, but the rest of the profile is very different. Gonna have to pick up a bottle of my usual Irish and compare. What a nice excuse for a trip to the liquor store!!

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As an attorney, I'll tell you there's a reason that those companies set it up so that they allege you take possession of the item in their place of business rather than your home state. Bottom line, your suspicions are correct. Just make sure the packaging is plain as day so that no one is alerted as to the contents. Otherwise, let's say that the great State of Utah buys the b.s. that you acutally took possession of the item in some other state. Then, probably under Utah's reasoning, you're nothing more than a bootlegger. And transporting it across state lines no less.

Probably pretty unlikely that that would result however. Utah wants the $$$ to be made from sanctioning such companies, and such companies - no offense - have deeper pockets than yours. So if they go after anyone, it would most likely be those guys.

However, if Hatch is as hell-bent on sending a message as you imply, then watch out. The jack-booted boys may like nothing more than to let the other fine folks of Utah know that Uncle Utah is even watching the little guy.

In the interim, glad you found a source.

I know I can come up with more than 2 dealers for you but things have been hectic lately. I'm out of town more often than not this month but it will settle down in July and I'll look some more. Glad that you have those 2 and that they can deliver for you. :thumbs:

Utah-schmootah. Make your own damn liquor and then you won't have to worry about buying it.

Utah has grocery stores, right? Sugar, water, yeast nutrient, strong yeast. Mix up and let sit for a week. Then throw it in your still, get the column temp. up to 70-80 C and let it cook off. Bam! Liquor. Cut it w/ water, stick it in a nice little charred oak barrel for a bit and there you go. Maybe even add a little essence for flavoring to duplicate the taste of one of your favorites.

:sign:

**Edited**

Of course, it's my understanding that there are some issues of legality w/ said practice.

Tony Bones said:

Utah-schmootah. Make your own damn liquor and then you won't have to worry about buying it.

Utah has grocery stores, right? Sugar, water, yeast nutrient, strong yeast. Mix up and let sit for a week. Then throw it in your still, get the column temp. up to 70-80 C and let it cook off. Bam! Liquor. Cut it w/ water, stick it in a nice little charred oak barrel for a bit and there you go. Maybe even add a little essence for flavoring to duplicate the taste of one of your favorites.

:sign:

**Edited**

Of course, it's my understanding that there are some issues of legality w/ said practice.

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thanks for the information Tony. I think I'll just stick with home-brewing for the time being though.

I haven't done any necroposting for a while, so here we go!

I was in the mood for a change today, so I picked up a bottle of Redbreast 12 (40% ABV) at the liquorist for $46.00 after tax. I am about halfway through my first glass, and I can say without reservation that this is the best Irish whiskey I've ever had. Not that I've had that many (Bushmills white, Black Bush, Jameson, Tullamore Dew).

Redbreast is a "pure pot still" whiskey, which means that it's distilled from a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, then distilled in a pot still. This is unlike blended Irish whisky, in which the pot still whiskey is mixed with column-distilled grain whiskey, and is unlike single malt which is distilled only from malted barley. Redbreast is distilled by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, at the Midleton distillery, is aged in Oloroso and Bourbon casks, and the sherry really does show.

The whiskey is a deep gold in the glass, darker than many lighter scotches, I suspect due to coloring but there's no way to know. The aroma is very fruity, like any Irish whiskey, but it is much richer and "rounder," smelling more ripe and with heavier aromas. I get a LOT of honey in the nose, along with some vanilla and some wood. The flavor is also much "rounder" than the other Irish whiskies I've had, with a lot of fruit again, I'm thinking very ripe blood oranges. There is also a very rich sweetness, as of brown honey, caramel and toffee all mixed together, and some wood again, and a little bit of spiciness in the finish, which is medium in length. It tastes like it smells, basically, which is very full and rich compared to every other Irish whiskey I've ever tried. The whiskey feels very full and oily in the mouth.

To me, this is more like a Speyside scotch (and a damn good one, at that) than it is an Irish whiskey, at least the light ones I'm accustomed to. It is very full and rich, and there is no harshness to it at all. Redbreast honestly deserves a spot in everyone's liquor cabinet. In fact, I like it more than most blended scotch and many single malt scotches I've had. Definitely a keeper.

P.S. If this is what historical Irish whiskey tasted like, it is a damn shame what the distillers have done to the bulk of their products.

Red breast is good stuff. Inexpensive enough to be an everyday drinker but tastes like so much more. If you have the coin I highly recommend Midleton's. At over $100 a bottle it's not cheap but it's definitely the best Irish whiskey I've had and I prefer it to Highland Park 25, Johnnie Blue, Macallan 18 etc.. which are all at a higher price point.

in front of the computor now with a glass of Red Breast 12 and a pipe full of Margate. English tobacco and Irish whiskey is a great combination.