Redbreast 15 Year Old is a single pot still Irish whiskey from the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, matured for fifteen years and bottled at 46% ABV. The expression was originally created as a one-off release for Paris-based La Maison du Whisky, and following its commercial success it became a permanent addition to the brand's core range. Initially it was a limited edition made exclusively for La Maison du Whisky in Paris; today it is a permanent member of the family.
The single pot still style is a distinctively Irish method of production. The whiskey is made from a combination of malted and unmalted barley which, after milling and mashing, undergoes triple distillation in traditional copper pot stills. The use of unmalted barley in the mash bill, alongside the tradition of triple distillation, is a typically Irish approach to whiskey making. The mash bill is based on malted and unmalted barley from farms in the Munster region surrounding the distillery, while the soft, pure water comes from the River Dungourney, which flows through the area around Clonmult.
Maturation is carried out in two cask types. For fifteen years the whiskey matures in a combination of bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. After fifteen years of ageing, the spirit is bottled without chill filtration.
The nose and palate are dominated by ripe fruit, warming spices and a note of oak. Full and rich, with a complex yet balanced interplay of berry fruits and aromatic oils; round and soft on the palate, with the juiciness of fleshy fruit combined with spices and toasted wood, and a long finish. It differs in character from its twelve-year-old sibling. Redbreast 15 is richer, earthier and more robust than the 12 Year Old.