Out of the four distillers still operating in Ireland New Midleton is the only one producing whiskey like in the 18^th Century: Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Nowadays it is referred to as Pot Still Irish Whiskey and the 12 year old bottling of Redbreast is, at least in my opinion, the best that have come out of this distillation method. Instead of only using malted barley like in single malts, Pot Still Irish Whiskey allow the addition of unmalted barley before proceeding with the triple distillation. This gives the finished product a more natural barley flavor which is especially apparent in this very outstanding Irish whiskey.

With the 12 year old Redbreast it was love at first sight….or rather taste. No wonder this whiskey appears on so many top 5 lists. The palate opens up with something that tastes like earthy hazelnuts that have been dipped in maple syrup and rolled in caramelized vanilla. Delicious. Then you have a later entry introducing sharp notes of citrus fruits and pine needles followed by subtle notes of sherry. Still the taste is very unique and hard to put an exact finger on. On top of all this you have the oily creaminess that Irish whiskeys are so well-known for.

VERDICT: In regards to Irish whiskeys this is definitely the breast..I mean the BEST!

(8.4/10)