Redbreast 21 Year Old - Review

Mar 12

Midleton Distillery, located in County Cork, Ireland, has a storied history that spans nearly two centuries. The distillery's origins date back to 1825 when the Murphy family acquired the site, which was previously a woollen mill and military barracks. The Murphys transformed it into a thriving distillery, known for its innovative use of a massive 31,618-gallon pot still, the largest ever built at the time(1 5).

Over the years, Midleton Distillery underwent significant transformations. In 1867, it became part of the Cork Distilleries Company, an amalgamation of several local distilleries. This strategic move positioned Midleton as a key player in the Irish whiskey industry(1 5). In 1966, the Cork Distilleries Company merged with John Jameson & Son and John Power & Son to form Irish Distillers, further solidifying Midleton's role(5). By 1975, Irish Distillers had consolidated all its operations at a new facility in Midleton, marking a significant shift from Dublin to Cork(7).

Today, Midleton Distillery is renowned for producing some of Ireland's most celebrated whiskey brands, including Jameson, Powers, and Redbreast. Redbreast, in particular, is a flagship brand of single pot still Irish whiskey. Originally bottled by Gilbey's using distillate from Jameson's Bow Street Distillery, Redbreast was later acquired by Irish Distillers in the 1980s(7). The brand was relaunched in 1991 and has since become the largest-selling single pot still Irish whiskey globally(7).

Redbreast 21 Year Old is a testament to Midleton Distillery's tradition of excellence. Produced in very limited quantities, this whiskey is crafted from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills, and matured in a combination of American bourbon barrels and first-fill Spanish oloroso sherry butts(3 6). This extended aging process introduces profound depth and complexity, making it a highly sought-after expression among whiskey enthusiasts.

As Midleton Distillery celebrates its bicentennial in 2025, it continues to honor its rich distilling heritage with exclusive whiskey launches and events. The distillery remains a beacon of excellence in the world of Irish whiskey, with Redbreast 21 Year Old standing as a pinnacle of its craft(5). This milestone underscores Midleton's enduring commitment to traditional Irish whiskey-making techniques while innovating within the Single Pot Still style.

A St. Patrick’s Day Review:

Nose: A wonderful swirl of cinnamon and nutmeg to start out with. Immediately following are some scents of baked apples, vanilla and a very light oak influence. There is some soft ethanol notes on the back of it as well which is surprising for the age and proof of the spirit. I also get some caramelized sugar and a creaminess as well. It is a very soft, sweet, and spicy nose.

Palate: This has a really nice consistency to it. The baked apples come through immediately and the baking spices are gone. I get some of the classic sherry notes that you would get in an Irish whiskey and some white pepper and pears as well. There is a dark dried fruit note in here as well. Upon the second sip, I get the vanilla type creaminess as well. This is a very easy sipping Irish whiskey with all of the classic notes. It is worth noting that the ethanol notes on the nose did not come through at all on the palate.

Finish: The finish is not long lasting at all on this. I get a bit of oak and vegetal influence on the back end which can be attributed to its age. I was expecting a little bit more on the back end here. There is nothing offensive about it but I just find the finish to have the same notes as the palate flowing through to the end in about 8-12 seconds after the sip.

Overall: 79. This was incredibly hard for me to write. This was a bottle that I bought overseas in Munich, Germany for 230 euro and couldn’t have been more excited as it often sells for $400 in the states. This bottle is a wonderful Irish whiskey, let me start with that. The price and the finish critically hit this whiskey. I believe that Midleton found the market with this Irish Whiskey by refining and softening many of the classic Irish Whiskey characteristics that people are familiar with and adding some age to it. It would greatly improve by allowing some additional proof to be added back in (at least 100 proof). To be honest, and it may be sacrilege, I would take Dunville’s 12 Year old PX cask or Redbreast 12 Cask Strength over this most days. Then I’d have $300 left over to refresh my wardrobe and get rid of those shirts I thought were cool in high school.

Value: 30/100; (-5 on the overall). This bottle deserves to be $200-220 tops. Knappogue Castle (also made by Midleton), Fercullen 21, Dingle Unique casks and aged whiskies, are all around this price and are on the same playing field, if not better positioned. On a separate note, if you ever make it to Cork, take the train to Midleton and see the distillery. It is completely worth seeing and had a wonderful experience there in May 2024. They are a storied distillery and are one of the main reasons there is still Irish whiskey being made in the first place.

Availability: Available. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding this one. If you can’t look past the hype of the brand (and the ever elusive Dream casks, All Sherry Casks, etc), prepare to get that visa out.

Citations and other articles on the spirit:

Brayden Bennell

Redbreast 21 Year Old - Review

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