Like Redbreast 12? Five Irish Whiskeys To Try Next

Redbreast 12 Year Old is world-famous for delivering an oily, sweet profile that’s all about fresh fruit, butter, and a gently spicy finish with notes of soft pepper. However, like most things, it is going up in price.

Here, we’ve put together a list of whiskeys like Redbreast 12. Some are comparable in price and style, some are cheaper, and one is a lot cheaper and a recent addition to my home cabinet.

Boann Single Pot Still Madeira Cask, 47%, $86 / £69

Kicking off with one of the newest quality competitors in the single pot still category. Boann has created an incredible profile and a range of whiskeys that have plenty in common with Redbreast 12, but with some key differences.

Instead of just malted and unmalted barley, the mash bill also contains oats and rye, giving you more mouthfeel and a little more spice. It’s aged in ex-bourbon casks alongside a range of vintage Madeira casks from Justino’s. It’s higher in ABV and a little more expensive, but it ticks all of the boxes for me.

An absolute stunner of a new release in the Irish market from a smaller distillery that is trying to bring more history and individual character back to the single pot still category.

Powers John’s Lane 12 Year Old, 46%, $70 / £62

One from the same distillery as Redbreast now. Again, this is a whisky that offers plenty of similar notes while pushing much further in a different direction.

Powers John’s Lane is more sherry-oriented, with a higher ABV of 46%. It leans less into the buttery profile and more toward chocolate, rich red fruit, and biscuit notes.

You can pick this up for around the same price as Redbreast 12, depending on the market, and it normally won’t set you back a huge amount more. It has similarities to Redbreast 12, but follows its own path, with a richer profile that stands out in the world of single pot still whiskeys.

Drumshanbo Single Pot Still, 43%, $63 / £52

A whiskey that has similarities to both Redbreast 12 and the Boann mentioned above, Drumshanbo Single Pot Still is made using malted barley, unmalted barley, and Irish Barra oats. The oats provide a richer, creamier texture and help the whiskey stand out in a very clear way.

The Shed Distillery, which produces this whiskey, has been on my “to watch” list in Irish whiskey for years. It is certainly one worth keeping an eye on.

Busker Single Pot Still Small Batch, 46.3%, $58 / £47

Coming from the Royal Oak Distillery in Ireland, here we have something with similarities to both Redbreast 12 and Powers John’s Lane. This small-batch release is matured in ex-bourbon casks before being moved into ex-Oloroso sherry casks, all built on a foundation of malted and unmalted barley.

Laced with plump red fruit, milk chocolate, and freshly milled barley, Busker Small Batch is one of the best-value purchases you can make in the current world of Irish whiskey, let alone single pot still whiskey.

This distillery offers really good value for money across its range, but this is the bottle to have if you want something that can compete with one of the biggest distilleries in Ireland and one of the largest brands in Irish whiskey.

The Whistler Triple Oak Irish Whiskey, 40%, $40 / £32

I am a fan of affordable whiskeys, and their taste and style can be hard to deny for the money, especially in the modern world of luxury pricing and marketing.

The Whistler Triple Oak is one of those constant “must re-buy” bottles that regularly works its way through my house. A combination of single pot still, single malt, and single grain Irish whiskeys, it’s an absolute montage of creamy vanilla, caramel, and sweet oak.

It’s a fabulous bottle with plenty in common with Redbreast 12 Year Old, while saving you some money and delivering a flavor profile that can comfortably hold its own.

Which Redbreast 12 Alternative Should You Try?

Whiskeys like Redbreast 12 aren’t hard to come by, and the Redbreast lineup itself offers some of the best Irish whiskeys on the market. However, with prices rising and more smaller distilleries attracting the attention of whiskey drinkers, there are plenty of high-quality alternatives worth exploring.

Any of the bottles listed above would make a wonderful alternative to Redbreast 12 Year Old. But if you still find yourself reaching for a bottle of that classic Midleton release, nobody is going to argue with you.