Irish

Redbreast 15 Year Old Review

Redbreast 15 Year Old sits a step above the classic 12, bottled at 46% ABV and matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks. We explore how this mid-teen Irish whiskey holds up in the glass.

OVERALL RATING

9
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Tasting Notes

About:

The next step up in the classic range of the Redbreast selection. Redbreast 15 Year Old comes in at 46% ABV, already offering an extended richness and profile before it’s even touched your lips.

A combination of 50% ex-bourbon and 50% ex-sherry, Redbreast 15 is an adventure through what happens to this uniquely Irish style of whisky when mid-teen ageing starts to take hold.


Appearance:
Dark Gold
Nose:
Tropical fruits and spice hit you straight away. It’s like grilled spices with mango, and pineapple, salt and pepper. That saltiness and earthiness comes from the malted and unmalted barley.

You do get the oak pushing through a little more, but it balances so well with those tropical fruit notes that I just love this expression for. With more time in the glass, you start to get elements of coconut, chilli flakes, and a little touch of something herbaceous. It’s almost like sweet basil.
Palate:
Extremely mouth coating texture that leads the way with ex-bourbon cask. Mango, pineapple, vanilla and caramel. The sherry pops through to provide this syrupy style, it’s very decadent and rich. You don’t get classic sherry notes of raisin, it just seems to add this much bigger texture to everything.
Finish:
Much like the 12 Year Old, this is led by lemon-driven black pepper and that salty, savoury barley notes that just drive it home. The tropical fruits do still mingle around, but the way they interact with these spicy yet somehow cleansing pepper notes is quite remarkable.
Comments:
This is my favourite bottling in the Redbreast range. It’s got everything that is classic about this brand and style of whisky, but it also has so much individual character and niche to it. The 12 year old is a delightful product, the 21 year old is dominated by almost Michelin star level fruity desserts. The 15 year old hits this amazing sweet spot in the middle where spirit, oak, barley and malted barley hit this massive chorus together and sing a loud.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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