Okay, you win, Midleton, you win all the awards. You’re the kings of the single pot still style. The SWC seems to gravitate towards this stuff like Matthew McConaughey into a black hole, and I secretly wonder out loud in front of you all if we should just slow down a little. All the Spots, Redbreasts (the 21 year old review is in the hopper), all the Powers, is there really THAT MUCH difference between them all? Sure, there are outliers, but the prospect of trying out Redbreast Lustau Edition seemed a bit ridiculous. A single pot still Redbreast, already finished in sherry casks in the other bottlings, is finished in special oloroso sherry casks for a fun price tag of around $65? But you see, Midleton holds a power over us, like a Lincoln has power over Matthew McConaughey, if you must know. There isn’t a whole lot on the Irish shelf we like as it stands, so why not sample a belt of ole Redbreast for the sheer fun of it? Fine. On to some particulars…

Redbreast Lustau is a Midelton distilled single pot still style of the traditional malted and un-malted barley, aged for 10 to 12 years in ex bourbon and ex sherry casks. This whiskey is then finished for an entire year in first fill sherry casks from Bodegas Lustau in Jerez, Spain. The distinction for us today is typically finishing occurs for a few months, maybe more. An entire year in a high quality cask does indeed merit a look. The resulting swill is non- chill filtered and bottled at 46% ABV. On to it.

SWC Review

Nose- A floral and light sherry feel. Cereal forward with hay and grass. Chocolate mint. Brown sugar. Buttered biscuit. Some vanilla with time.

Taste- Orange and expresso. Creamy mint and sherry. Caramel. Savory feel as well. Full bodied.

Finish- Short to medium. Chocolate again. Dark fruit. Sweet pipe tobacco.

Comment- Quite the drinkable thing, if a little simple. Creamy texture was a plus. Drinks better than it noses, but the nose is still nice. Redbreast cask strength might be the better way to go for the money, but Midelton still holds the power over us with this.

SWC Rating- 88/100

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.