The top of the line; Redbreast 27 year is presented here under the Batch 3 bottling. I have just started to see Batch 4 coming around in MA, so hopefully I'll have a chance to give that a try too at some point. This bottle in particular was an amazing gift from my friend Eric - another stalwart example of how great the generous whiskey community can be. Many thanks to him for making this an easy choice to have open and share amongst friends in the Whiskey Study.
The Redbreast lineup consists of quite a few exceptional bottlings: they have the 12 year, Lustau, PX Sherry, Kentucky Oak, 12 year cask strength, 15 year, 21 year and this 27 year. There also was an obscure 19 year release that had a very limited run. I have sampled all of these listed except for the 19 year and they do range in quality from release to release. Without fail though, a Redbreast release has always dominated my yearly Irish whiskey bracket. While I am clearly a fan of the 12 year and PX edition releases, not every release has been a hit. So you might be wondering... Is this thing worth 500 bucks? Let's find out.
Company on Label: Pernod Ricard (Distilled at Midleton Distillery)
Whiskey Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted and Unmalted Barley
Proof: 106.2°
Age: 27 Years
Further identification: This Batch 3 edition of Redbreast 27 year comes in a stunning wooden box with metal inlays and a magnetic wooden latch that keeps the nigh 500 dollar bottle comfortably contained within its bounds
Nose: Upon lifting the glass to my nose I find a thick wave of crème brûlée. Deep vanilla bean sweetness carries much more heft than your typical 80-90 proof Irish whiskey. Nougat, anise, leather and black treacle ooze rich barrel influence across the senses. The hallmark sugar cookie note is distinct yet missing its typical oily backbone. Rich oak and syrupy bakery sweets emanate elegance and comfort. Frosted vanilla cupcake aromas breath softly. Let's jump into a sip, where this glass usually shines.
Coming back after a few sips I find that the glass has settled into the backdrop of a quaint, old woodworking shop. I find myself set into the countryside of pine boughs and cranberry bogs in early Spring. Deep inhales continue to produce cool waves of infinitely sweet vanilla. Swirling the glass wakes up the darker, brooding, warm tones of dusty cigar box, dark grape, and the damp dinge of the forest floor. As the glass gets low more fruit come forward on the nose; I find mulberry, prune and blackberry predominantly. The empty glass smells of sangria, tea and smoky honey. Delicious.
Palate: Right away you can tell this is going to be a full-volume pour. Punchy citrus tones accentuate a juicy array of red fruit on the first sip. The mouthfeel is thick, oily and viscous - a staple of a good Irish whiskey in my mind. Buttercream frosting, soft & chewy vanilla cookies, and creamy banana cheesecake with a hint of lemon produce a sumptuous linger. Another sip and swish confirms the tenacity of the spinning flavor wheel. Lemon pudding comes across lightly textured with a layer of granulated sugar. There's so much sweetness up front that it can be easy to overlook some of the nuanced layers hiding behind that first punch. Tart raspberry is tantamount to the fruit itself; it reveals itself in a near holy way where I could clearly envision the fruit shrouded in a bright light as the flavor bounced off my gustatory cortex. Lemon glazed scones produce an irresistible sweetness that keeps me coming back for more. As I exhale after a sip I find notes of freshly brewed coffee, black forest cake and chocolate covered raspberries rising up from the chest. Excellent layers come together cohesively on my last sip. I find macerated cherry, plum, creamy vanilla, and ground espresso bean settles perfectly in the middle of the tongue for a medium to long linger that maintains poise and volume well.
Rating: 5/5
Overall this is an exceptional Irish whiskey bottled at its peak performance. This would make an excellent addition to any whiskey enthusiast's bar. I am despondent every time I finish a glass from this bottle as I know it's not an easy one to keep stocked. I've been thoroughly impressed by every tasting I have had from this so far (this is my fourth try) and tonight is no different than previously. When I first opened this one I actually did a head to head comparison to the 21 year, and on that night the 27 year blew the 21 out of the water. Since I have some extra time and it's a Saturday with no further plans, I'll add a small comparison to the 21 year here below.
While the 21 year is quite a bit more oily, it's also distinctly more boozy despite being lower in proof. It lacks the fruity balance of the 27 year release, but does shine in a completely different way as notes of sweet cereal, smoke and earthiness flesh out a very different final product. I could certainly see folks being a bit divided between the two based on personal preferences. I definitely find myself gravitating towards the fruit and bakery sweets that the 27 year showed off. The 21 feels quite simple in comparison, but it does share that freshly brewed coffee quality across both releases. While there are things to love about both I definitely still agree with former me that the 27 year shines quite bright and is a perfect example of the high quality whiskey coming out of Redbreast these days.
Cheers!