Redbreast, 12-Year-Old, Single Pot Still Whiskey, Ireland (40%)
About this SPIRIT
Midleton
Midleton distillery, founded by the Murphy family in 1868, was in fact the amalgamation of three previous distillers in Cork, as a suggestion by the Murphy’s to help overcome the difficulties the industry was facing. However, trouble for the Irish whiskey industry was only beginning, and it reached near-complete devastation by the middle of the 20th century. With global markets drying up, prohibition in the United States, two World Wars and English tariffs pricing it out of the market, by 1965 only four Irish distilleries remained.
Then, in 1966, something rather momentous occurred. The big three distillers - Jameson’s of Bow Street, The Powers of Thomas Street Dublin and The Murphy’s of Middleton, Cork - all titans of the industry, came together pooling resources, experience, and a passion for traditional Irish whiskey. Between them they forged the ‘New’ Midleton distillery, in a bid to save the industry, and the style (Irish Single Pot Whiskey) from complete annihilation. The new distillery opened on the old Midleton site in 1975 with Jamesons, Redbreast, Powers, The Spots and Midleton’s now being produced within this industry defining distillery. The distillery, now owned by Pernot Ricard, now has nine of the largest Pot stills in the world. Combined, these stills have a capacity of 80,000 litres. Alongside three eight-storey-high column stills, this distillery now produces some of the most iconic whiskeys in the world.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
One of my favourite examples of Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey. I’m unsure exactly how this whiskey manages to retain such richness of mouth-feel whilst at the same time showing real elegance. Its elder brethren have, perhaps, received more awards and critical acclaim, but this is the one in my drinks cabinet at home.
Robert Whitehead - Spirits Specialist
spirit at a glance
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