Irish whiskey was once the most popular category in America, until Prohibition came along and completely disrupted the whiskey industry on both sides of the Atlantic. In recent years, predictions have been made that Irish whiskey could dominate the domestic market once again—that has not exactly happened, but brands like Jameson and Tullmore DEW continue to be bestsellers, and the number of distilleries in Ireland has grown from four to 40 since 2010. One of the stalwarts of Irish whiskey is Redbreast , a single pot still brand made at the same distillery where Jameson is produced, and the latest release is a tribute to the shared history between America and Ireland.
Single pot still is a distinctly Irish category that has a few rules: The whiskey must be made from a mashbill of malted and unmalted barley (up to 5 percent of other grains are allowed), and distilled in pot stills at one distillery. In this case, the distillery is Midleton just outside of Cork, where Jameson, Powers, Midleton Very Rare , and Green Spot (and the other Spots) are also made. In my opinion, and I’m certainly not alone in this, Redbreast is the best whiskey made at this massive distillery.
The whiskey is matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks and released with 12, 15, 21, and 27-year age statements (the latter includes whiskey aged in port pipes). Then there are special releases, like the American Oak Series which launched in 2022 with Kentucky Oak Edition . Missouri Oak is the new.