REDBREAST ADDS FIRST CASK STRENGTH EXPRESSION TO ITS REPUTED RANGE
Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is adding to its collection of Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton* this weekend at Whisky Live Paris**, with the launch of Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength – the portfolio’s first permanent cask strength bottling. This latest addition to the Redbreast range forms part of the company’s ongoing commitment to promote the provenance and quality of this unique Irish whiskey style.
Produced at Midleton Distillery, Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is Redbreast in its natural full-flavoured state – straight from the cask, non-chill filtered and without the addition of water. Bottled at 57.7% ABV, this first batch will be available from September 2011 in Ireland, France and Germany and in the US from February next year.
Brendan Buckley, Global Category Development Director for Irish whiskey at Irish Distillers, said: “Over the years, we’ve had great encouragement from whiskey enthusiasts and fans of the renowned Redbreast range to launch a cask strength expression, and we’re delighted to be finally releasing this incredible single pot still whiskey in response. It comes during what has been an exciting year for the range, having recently undergone a packaging revamp to freshen it up and reinforce its quality cues. We are confident that this latest development will be enthusiastically received by Redbreast fans around the world.”
Barry Crockett, Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery, added: “This is a very special single pot still whiskey, full of dried fruit flavours, with an exceedingly long finish. It is the perfect addition to the Redbreast range – representing the expression in its purest state. I’m confident that this will become the whiskey that all whiskey lovers will want to own and savour – myself included!”
Redbreast represents a style of whiskey that is unique to Ireland in general and to Midleton Distillery in particular. Single pot still whiskey is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, which is then distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, and all single pot still whiskeys from Midleton, is triple distilled.
Notes
*In May 2011, Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard announced plans to underline the rich heritage of Irish whiskey with the launch of a new initiative – Single Pot Still whiskeys of Midleton. Aimed at promoting consistent communication on the provenance and quality of Single Pot Still whiskey, the launch heralded an increase in investment in Irish Distillers’ existing portfolio, ahead of a planned roll-out of innovative extensions. Additionally, the initiative marked the adoption by the industry of new terminology for this unique style of whiskey – moving from ‘pure pot still’ to ‘single pot still’.
** Whisky Live
Paris is now in its eighth year and the 2011 show will take place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th September (26th September for trade professionals) at Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild. The ‘Single Pot Still Whiskeys of Midleton’ will host a stand at Whisky Live, and Master Distiller, Barry Crockett, will be in attendance.
Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild
11 rue Berryer, Paris 8 e
Metro: Line 1, 2 or 9 – Charles de Gaulle Etoile, Ternes or Saint Philippe du Roule
About Redbreast
The origins of Redbreast whiskey date back to 1887 and was originally the brand name given to the whiskey supplied by the Jameson distillery to the Gilbey whiskey bonders, before bottling at the distillery became the norm in 1968. As the practice of selling whiskey to bonders ended in the late 1960s, brands such as Redbreast all but disappeared, until Redbreast 12 Year Old was relaunched by Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard in the 1990s as a single pot still whiskey.
Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength joins the original Redbreast 12 Year Old and Redbreast 15 Year Old in the range. Full to the rafters with aroma and flavor, Redbreast displays the hallmark influence of whiskey matured in combination of first fill Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and American bourbon whisky barrels.
Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength Tasting Notes
Nose: A fruit explosion: figs, dates, ripe banana, sultanas, red apple and lime. Pot still spices combine with the sweet vanilla and pine from the casks.
Taste: Deep full dried fruit, a touch of citrus with aromatic oils and spices. Vanilla sweetness leads to toasted oak and barley.
Finish: Exceedingly long finish with a rich complexity of spices and fruit, slowly fading through sweet butterscotch to barley.
About Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard
Irish Distillers Limited, part of Pernod Ricard Group, distils and distributes a range of Irish whiskey, gin and vodka brands globally including Jameson, Powers, Paddy, Midleton Very Rare, Redbreast, Cork Dry Gin, Cork Crimson Gin and Huzzar Vodka.
