On Saturday 20th May 2017 Redbreast Irish Whiskey treated 100 fans to a very special tasting to coincide with the celebration of World Whisky Day.
The tasting was a sample of single pot still Irish whiskey drawn from a cask chosen by Midleton master blender Billy Leighton as his "Dream Cask".
Prior to the tasting nothing was given away, even when the selected tasters received their tasting sets all they had to go on was an unmarked 100 ml bottle filled with the mysterious whiskey. It was clear we would just have to wait for the event itself.
The method in which the tasting would be conducted would also be unique as Redbreast decided they would stream the tasting live via Facebook from warehouse A1 in the grounds of Midleton itself, thus making the event accessible to everyone across the globe, albeit without the magical whiskey.
Commenting prior to the event Billy Leighton explained the reason behind his selection by stating: “I’ve poured over our maturing casks at Midleton and have drawn a special expression of Redbreast that demonstrates the character of the family and reinforces single pot still whiskey as the quintessential style of whiskey from Ireland. I’m looking forward to leading the tasting with Dave and slowly revealing the secrets of this mysterious whiskey on Facebook LIVE – it promises to be unmissable experience, as my dream Redbreast cask will never be tasted like this again.”
On the night in question I made sure to have my sample ready and laptop fully charged to take part in this event and at 7pm BST the Redbreast Facebook page sprang into life with the live stream being hosted by Billy Leighton and Dave McCabe.
As the stream got going we didn't have to wait too long to find out exactly what it was we would be tasting and the revelation was astounding to say the least.
What we had in our hands was a 31yo single pot still Irish whiskey that was distilled in October 1985. It had spent 25 years in an ex-bourbon cask before being re-casked in 2011 into an ex-sherry cask.
The natural cask strength was 46.7% ABV and if you are really interested the cask number was 41207.
Excited would not even cover exactly what I was feeling as this was going to be the oldest Irish whiskey I had ever tasted since sampling some 28yo Redbreast at a tasting at Whiskey Live, Dublin a few years ago.
As I listened on intently it soon became clear that this sample of 31yo whiskey was essentially the same as that 28yo I had tried previously only with 3 years extra maturation under it's belt.
When Redbreast 21yo was first launched in 2014 it was known to contain whiskey of up to 28 years of age. This 31yo sample was from the same batch that would have first been used to create the Redbreast 21yo. I hope that explains things ok.
It was now time to delve into the whiskey and it did not disappoint.
Onto my notes:
Nose - Rich, deep and creamy with vanilla. Gentle pot still pepper spice. Red toffee apples with the red berry fruits still extremely vibrant. Naturally with time it became darker with full Christmas cake flavours, raisins, fig rolls, stewed berries and a little hint of something tropical. Stewed oranges were also present and with time a distinct note of ginger snap started to appear.
Palate - Just as rich as the nose yet deliciously smooth. Ripe banana, blackcurrant jam and further pot still spice. The liquid fills the mouth and brings a glorious lip smacking dryness but in no way have the casks overpowered the spirit. You almost have to chew through this one. With time some notes of dusty old leather backed books started to appear giving a true sense of the age. Simply stunning.
Finish - Long and lingering with red apple, dark berry and delicious warming spices.
Overall, words can not accurately describe how good this whiskey is. It truly is in a league of it's own.
The flavours come at you layer upon layer with each one playing it's own part and working in total harmony with the next. It is a whiskey you would need a few months with before you could even begin to really get to know it.
Towards the end of the tasting a question was raised asking what would happen with the rest of the contents of the barrel that this sample had been drawn from and it was suggested to put pressure on the powers that be at Midleton to maybe get this released as a single cask release.
I can tell you one thing, if this ever gets released as a single cask bottling the price will be astronomical but it will also sell out in hours, if not minutes.
My advice to everyone is start saving now, hope the time comes that this is released as a single cask bottling and then get in line with your fingers crossed.
I would also like to touch on the tasting again and say that in my opinion this was a huge success. The tasting was interactive and enjoyable and I certainly hope Redbreast continue to host these Facebook Live tastings, maybe next time they could stretch it out even longer to maybe an hour or so.
This is an excellent way for them to connect with fans all over the world and continue to raise the profile of Irish whiskey in a way that is fun, entertaining and engaging while also allowing people the rare opportunity to ask a Midleton master the question they've always wanted answered.
Lastly I would like to thank Redbreast for the chance to take part in this once in a lifetime tasting that I'll remember for many years to come.
Until next time,
SláinteSI
As Irish Whiskey continues to grow it is obvious to many that The Teeling Whiskey Company are right at the forefront of it's growth. Since their formation, in 2012, they have set a high standard with excellent general releases and the opening, in 2015, of their brand new distillery and visitors centre.
As mentioned, the general releases coming from The Teeling Whiskey Company are of a very good standard and this has allowed them to build a solid reputation, but if you want to delve deeper into the treasure trove of whiskeys they have in their possession then you should look a little further.
A more detailed internet search will reveal a wealth of other bottlings that should rouse the interest of any whiskey lover. The main bulk of these bottlings are single malt, single casks that have been finished in a range of interesting woods and it is one of these type of bottlings that I wish to talk about.
Back in July 2015 the Celtic Whiskey Club sent it's members out a sample of such a bottling. This was a sample of a Teeling Single Cask that had been finished in a Madeira barrel. Initially distilled in 2002, at "an undisclosed distillery in the North of Ireland", the spirit was matured in a refill Bourbon barrel before being finished in a Madeira barrel for a period of a year.
The cask was number 926 which yielded 315 bottles at a natural cask strength of 55.9% ABV. These were obviously bottled without chill-filtration and without the addition of any colouring.
Onto my notes:
Nose - Sweet with the malt and Madeira. Distinctly "North of Ireland" and much like the Bushmills 10 year old. Slight grassy note and quite green with green apple and unripe banana. Wood influence is slightly understated. Feels like the Bourbon barrel was quite tired and the Madeira barrel has had more of a say with some sweet, dried fruit and a little damp, dusty note. Subtle clove and black pepper. We now get more of the Madeira notes with some orange oil and over ripe red apple. The spirit still has a nice vibrancy and the balance isn't too bad. With time a little creamy vanilla comes through and binds the flavours together. With water the experience instantly becomes more like Christmas cake with touches of cinnamon. The madeira influence is coming into it's own and works well with the malt.
Palate - Sour, bitter arrival. Moves towards the sweet momentarily before jolting into pepper and clove. As the heat eases we drift back to sweet red apple and orange but the spice continues to linger in the background. With water the sour arrival is balanced out towards the sweet fruits. Emphasis is on red apple, red currant and old wood. The spices still try to have their say but are much more subdued. The light vanilla also makes an appearance on the palate and again brings it all together.
Finish - Decent length with more red apple and dry spice. Fruity to the end and becoming fresher, with water, as the spice seems to die first giving the dram a moreish feel.
Overall this is a good, decent dram. Classic young Bushmills with a nice Madeira touch, almost like a younger brother to the Bushmills 21 year old. When poured neat, the spirit is a little on the feisty side. It definitely takes a little water to calm it down and bring the flavours together, but it's very worthwhile to get a new Bushmills experience.
This sample was of particular interest to me as I have a very similar bottle in the house, except my bottle comes from cask number 935 and was bottled at 55.5% ABV, and the whole time I was sipping at this sample I couldn't help but think that cask 926 just wasn't quite as good as cask 935.
This, however, only backs up what I have said before in that this is what makes single cask bottlings so interesting. Never will you get two casks the same and this will lead to each cask delivering a different experience into each bottle that comes from that cask. For me, this alone is reason enough to seek these bottles out. What I find excellent, others may find slightly disappointing or vice versa, but this only adds to the enjoyment of whiskey.
Lastly I would like to make one other point. While I have been mentioning Bushmills, quite a lot through this "Teeling" review, I would like to heap praise upon The Teeling Whiskey Company.
Everyone should be obviously aware that Teeling are a new distillery, and naturally can't have their own spirit at this age, so therefore they have to have stock from other distilleries in order to get their name out there. But what they also have is the skill and expertise in order to make sure that the liquid in a "Teeling" bottle lives up to the reputation they are aiming for.
As we have seen, a little too often, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to obtain stock from elsewhere and throw it into a hastily released product. But what we have also seen is that this only leads to poor quality products which reflect badly on an industry that is trying so very hard to make a strong name for itself.
What Teeling are doing, however, is ensuring that, through excellent cask management and innovative ideas, they are strengthening the name of Irish whiskey and one can almost be certain that this will continue long past the time when their own spirit will be ready for bottling.
Until next time,
Sláinte
SI
For many years now people have asked me what my favourite Irish whiskey is and while it may change occasionally, depending on my particular mood, the answer they usually get is "Redbreast 12 year old". I've always found myself drawn towards the Redbreast family for their superb use of sherry maturation combined with some of the finest Irish Single Pot Still whiskeys you could find.
I've attended many a tasting, sat in many bars and have even been lucky enough to taste some samples straight from the barrel, and I'm always taken aback by the wonderful flavours coming from the Redbreast whiskeys. From the smooth and creamy 12 year old to the heavy hitting cask sample of 17yo, Oloroso matured, Single Pot Still, that bordered on the meaty side of the flavour spectrum, they all have their place in the Redbreast family.
Last year we were treated to a new release in the form of the Redbreast "Mano a Lámh", a dram I've still to review, and this year those at Midleton, and The Whisky Exchange, haven't let us down, although they may have let our bank managers down.
In March 2015 Billy Leighton, master blender at Midleton Distillery, brought two Redbreast single barrel samples over to the staff at The Whisky Exchange and after hosting a tasting, with their customers, barrel #30087 was selected to be bottled and exclusively sold through the online retailer.
Cask #30087 was first crafted back in 1996, at the Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage in Southern Spain and was subsequently toasted and seasoned with Oloroso sherry at the Paez Morilla Bodega until 1999. The cask then enjoyed a journey to Midleton where it was filled with Single Pot Still spirit and laid to rest, in warehouse M15A, until August 2015, some 16 years and 147 days later.
The whiskey was removed and bottled, without chill filtration and at a strength of 59.9% ABV, for sale through The Whisky Exchange's website. It is now found online, after being fully released a couple of months ago, at the handsome price of £180 and it's also worth noting that this is naturally a limited release with only 576 bottles being made available for sale.
I've always suggested that I would be loathe to pay such a price for any bottle of whiskey but thankfully I managed to get a small sample of this awesome sounding dram for review. As much I was looking forward to tasting the liquid I was also looking forward to seeing if this could change my mind and make me think that I'd spend such an amount on a bottle of my favourite spirit.
Onto my notes:
Nose - Rich and indulgent with intensely sweet sherry. Alcohol soaked dried fruits, deepest, darkest Christmas cake. Slight nuttiness, peppery red fruit and mixed berry compote. A little delicate note of cream appears and gives it a slight blackcurrant cheesecake feel. This is most definitely a sherry bomb and while not quite as "meaty" as the sample I mentioned earlier, it's definitely on the right track. With water the dram opens up to allow orange and apple to come through. Water also gives the fruit a distinct freshness, almost like a fruit salad, while also bringing out older notes of the wood. Impressive, very impressive.
Palate - Thick and velvety. Fantastic mouthfeel like a thick berry coulis. Nutty notes from the nose continue before moving onto intense peppery spice. The spice seems to be a gorgeous mix of wood spice and the pot still elements. You really need to "chew" through the sherry to reveal a little stewed apple, think apple and blackberry crumble. Deep stewed orange and a little vanilla cream also come through. With water the mouthfeel, naturally, thins out but it does not lose any of it's gorgeous flavours. If anything it has softened the sherry down just enough to allow the red fruits to really come into their own and it still retains a lovely dry oak spice.
Finish - Is very good with spicy red fruits lingering on and on in the mouth. Delicious. A word of warning though, in my opinion this needs only a little water. This is definitely a dram to take care with so start with very little water and work up the way if required.
Overall this is quite simply stunning. It hits all the right notes in all the right places and you could easily spend a couple of hours with one glass, just to let it open up naturally and reveal all it's hidden depths. Having previously tried, and enjoyed, the sample from the warehouse it's so good to see a general release that's in the same ballpark.
Earlier I mentioned that it would be interesting to see if this whiskey could encourage me to spend £180 and do you know what? I think it maybe just has. It really is utterly fantastic.
Until next time,
Sláinte
SI
Earlier this year, I attended another wonderful event hosted by the Merchant Hotel in the centre of Belfast. This was the second in their "By The Fire" whiskey events and welcomed Midleton's master blender Billy Leighton to take us through a range of whiskeys from the Midleton portfolio.
As with the previous event, with Colum Egan, the room was set and provided the perfect setting for the evening's festivities.
Tickets had sold out well in advance and the crowd was eagerly anticipating what we might be treated to, let's face it, these nights always have a wee surprise in store.
To get us in the mood we started off with a Jameson, Ginger & Lime, a drink that Jameson have tried hard to market and in fairness I think it's starting to take hold. When out in the town I hear more and more people asking specifically for this and even at a recent leaving dinner, in Newtownards, the drink on offer was this very concoction.
It's a drink that works and is a perfect little taster for people that want to try something different and might bring more into the whiskey world.
As Billy Leighton introduced himself the mood was relaxed, and laid back, with no strict script and questions flowing back and forward.
The main line up for the evening was as follows: Powers "John's Lane", Redbreast 12yo, Redbreast 12yo cask strength, Redbreast 15yo and Redbreast 21yo. Not bad at all for the £25 ticket price.
As the conversation carried on Billy acknowledged the perception of him working in a lab, bringing together the wondrous flavours we know and love, but he was very honest in comparing himself more to a stock controller.
It's an aspect of the whiskey world that is often overlooked. With such a large company, he is responsible for managing the huge stock at Midleton, the ages and cask types, to ensure that age statements and quality are maintained year on year.
When you consider that Midleton has something like 45 warehouses on site, each containing millions of litres of spirit, you get an idea of the scale of the task that faces him.
He continued by highlighting how his task is very different from scotch blenders who would have a larger range to play with. As all Midleton blends are produced on site it's very much in his hands to maintain the stanards throughout all the styles.
To really hit this home he described that, because the much revered Redbreast 21yo has some 28yo whiskey contained within it, he has to have the next 28 years worth of 21yo already maturing. As part of his role he also has to forecast for 10 years, so now the overall forecast is 38 years, and as a sherry cask takes 5 years to make, and season, this is now increased to 43 years.....this has to be done for all brands and their relevant expressions!!
As if this wasn't enough he also would divide forecasts into optimistic, pessimistic and realistic as the market changes. Unbelievable really, when you think about it.
As we sipped the 12yo we were informed that it roughly contains 12 - 14yo whiskeys.
He touched on global brand reach by stating that they are starting to do well in Russia and South Africa, have been doing well in the USA for about 10-12 years and are quiet in China, at the moment, due to other brands.
As we moved onto the 15yo we were treated to more inside information. He highlighted the make up of the whiskey by stating the key character is sherry matured with a mix of first fill & second fill casks and also stated there is some 19yo contained within.
He also informed us that this was first made, back in 2005, as a "one off" for La Maison du Whisky in Paris, France.
Four years later marketing came along asking him to re-create this expression for general release. As this was initially a one off, the components were not readily available, to make the same flavour profile, but it was re-created as best possible from an original bottle held at Midleton.
Only now, is the 15yo, more or less, at the same level as it was for that '05 special release.
We finished with the 21yo, which I absolutely adore, and if the tasting had finished there then I would have went home very happy but......here came the surprises.
Five, yes FIVE, more samples that had been taken straight from the casks at Midleton.
They were as follows:
1 - Pot Still whiskey distilled in 1994 and matured in a first fill port cask
(Used in Jameson Rarest Vintage)
2 - Pot Still whiskey distilled in 1998 and matured in a first fill sherry cask
3 - Pot Still whiskey distilled in 1997 and matured in a first fill bourbon cask
4 - Pot Still whiskey distilled in 1996 and matured in an American virgin oak cask
(Small amount used in Jameson Gold)
5 - Grain whiskey distilled in 1990 and matured in a second fill bourbon cask
I could not believe my luck!!
He took us through each and the flavours were out of this world from, the almost meaty, port matured Pot Still to the exceptional single grain, which is quite simply the finest single grain I have ever tasted.
I quizzed him specifically on the single grain, and why there has never been a Midleton single grain released, and it seems that marketing just aren't that interested in getting it out there.
I think they're mad in the head as this would put anything else on the market to shame. I suppose it may be needed for more important blends but I'm sure if they got together they could get some maturing right now, even for some sort of a special release like the Mano a Lamh.
To finish off the evening we were treated to something truly special. A chance, albeit slightly rushed, to see Billy Leighton at work. It was at this moment he collected up one of each of the sample bottles and went round each table asking how much to use and, with that, he set about creating what I shall call the "By The Fire Blend".
As we suggested measures he adjusted them accordingly to balance the flavours and we were then treated to a taste of this once in a lifetime blend.
Amazing, just simply amazing.
As Billy brought the evening to an end he left us to enjoy what was left of the samples and my oh my did they disappear quickly. Maybe even back to some people's houses....I'm saying nothing.
All in all an absolutely awesome evening and a great chance, yet again, to hear from the people who truly are at the heart of Irish whiskey. It's not the bosses of Pernod Ricard, or previously Diageo, who fund our much love distilleries, but the people actually working there, day in day out, creating something special for everyone to enjoy.
With people like Billy Leighton at the heart of Irish whiskey, especially with the passion he has, I know we're in very safe hands as Irish whiskey continues to grow.
As for the "By The Fire" event, I know they were having a break over the summer months but I believe they are planning to start up again soon with a possible visit from Tullamore on the cards.
Lastly I would just like to thank the Merchant Hotel, and Billy Leighton, for a memorable evening and I look forward to more of the same.
Until next time,
On Saturday 20th May 2017 Redbreast Irish Whiskey treated 100 fans to a very special tasting to coincide with the celebration of World Whisky Day.
Excited would not even cover exactly what I was feeling as this was going to be the oldest Irish whiskey I had ever tasted since sampling some 28yo Redbreast at a tasting at Whiskey Live, Dublin a few years ago.
