Redbreast adds to Dream Cask Series
Irish whiskey brand Redbreast has extended its Dream Cask Series with its sixth bottling, a 27-year-old single pot still.
The Irish Distillers-owned brand produces Redbreast at Midleton Distillery in Cork. The Redbreast Dream Cask Port to Port Edition was crafted by master blender Billy Leighton and blender Dave McCabe. Two whiskeys were separately aged in Bourbon and ruby Port casks for 27 and 28 years respectively, before being married together for a three-month maturation period in two tawny Port casks. Leighton said: “The two single pot still whiskeys, which had been maturing separately, were already an outstanding pairing, but the marrying period in the tawny Port casks elevated the expression to new heights. "The tawny Port influence adds notes of baked goods, toasted nuts, and sweet almond, overall making for a complex, full-bodied final liquid.” The sixth addition to the Dream Cask series, which includes a 30-year-old single pot still whiskey, presents flavours of toasted almonds, cacao nibs, dried fruits and red berry compote. McCabe added: “The traditional Redbreast style is mostly associated with the influence of Sherry. "Saying that, we took inspiration from the popularity of the Port cask inclusion in Redbreast 27 Year Old, and decided to push the boundary a little bit further. "By using two types of Port casks for this year’s Dream Cask, we created a whiskey with a medium spice intensity along with distinctive wine-driven characteristics. "We felt a three-month finish in the tawny Port casks was the optimal time needed, adding new layers of complexity to the whiskey. At the same time, we were conscious of preserving the individual characteristics that these two liquids had gained from their original maturation journeys.” Clocking in at 56.3% ABV, the bottling is available exclusively through an online ballot hosted on Redbreast’s online members’ club The Birdhouse, opening 22 May. It will retail for €580 (US$627). Only 780 bottles were yielded from the casks. In November 2022, the brand launched a campaign video in celebration of Robin Redbreast Day (17 November) starring Bridesmaids actor Chris O’Dowd.
