Irish Week - Redbreast Single Pot Still PX Sherry Finished Irish Whiskey Review

Updated: Oct 20, 2023

We are officially starting Irish week as we prepare our livers and our souls for St. Patrick's day coming up on March 17th. All this week I will be running a giveaway on my Instagram where you will have the chance to win a bottle of Green Spot Irish whiskey or 4x 2oz samples of 4 bottles of your choosing that I drink this week! There will be 5 days of nothing but Irish whiskey reviews from me starting tonight! If you want a boatload of bonus entries make sure to drop a comment on this webpage with your Instagram handle and your favorite Irish whiskey you want to see reviewed! As a special thank you to my website subscribers, each of these comments are worth 10x more than an Instagram tag!

Also feel free to drop a comment on all of my previous Irish reviews below:

On the 17th @amongstthefernsco and I will be tasting through just about everything we have, so stay tuned for a big finale. Now, let's see how this glass is doing tonight!

Company on Label: Pernod Ricard (Distilled at Midleton Distillery)

Whiskey Type: Finished Irish Whiskey

Mash Bill Percentages: 100% Malted and Unmalted Barley

Proof: 92°

Age: NAS

Further identification: This is an Iberian Series release from Redbreast that first released in late 2021; it is initially matured in both bourbon and oloroso sherry casks before spending another 12-22 months in Pedro Ximénez hogsheads seasoned at the Páez Lobato cooperage in Jerez

Nose: An intense sweetness I can smell from several feet away is emanating off this glass. It smells lovely, but I fear I'm in for something a bit overly sweet with all the finishing that is going on here. Wow, nope - I'm pleasantly surprised to find a fairly traditional vanilla sugar cookie aroma as soon as I lift the glass to my nose. There's a dusty oak here that I definitely associate with a bourbon smell. Verdant earth & a lovely creamy coffee bean aroma can be found on the left nostril while spice cake and strawberry cereal rocket to the top of my sinus on the right nostril. An elegant, sweet red raspberry dessert aroma really classes this pour up. A bit of funky chocolate darts in and out, but would definitely do well to stay at the forefront as it smells lovely. On the nose this feels like one of the more complex Irish whiskeys that I have in recent memory. From the perspective of someone who is coming back from a long bourbon and rye kick, it's quite impressive that this is this fragrant at 92 proof. I say it's time for a sip!

After having a few sips and returning to the nose, I get much more oak, paper, and the aroma of a citronella candle burning. Wow. A deep inhale shows off a delectable butterscotch. Later in the glass the nose almost starts turning hot as some zesty orange peel and spiced bitters begin to creep in. I really get a ton of the bourbon barrel influence here with caramel and vanilla really sitting pretty on top of the glass. There's a really faint green pepper on the top of really strong pulls that doesn't feel out of place despite how it sounds. The main aroma that keeps coming back around is a lovely soft marshmallowy vanilla that refuses to give up no matter how long I pull air off this glass. The empty glass smells of floral honey, hibiscus, faint hickory smoke, and crushed red grape skins.

Palate: There's a lovely lemon frosting that leads the way on the palate that immediately melts into a red berry delight. This is truly a pure dessert pour; I would reach for this before ice cream any day of the week. The mouth coating is incredibly silky and noticeably less oily and viscous than some other Irish whiskey releases. It carries strawberry, red raspberry that transferred well from the nose, and a sweet red peach. There's a very slight effervescence if you pay close attention to the center of your tongue as well. This is seriously so delightful (and perhaps the timing is right that I am sitting quite satisfied post-dinner). I'm not usually a big sweet tooth but this one is doing everything just right for me. Another sip builds more fruit notes like apricot and a vanilla pear jam. Later in the glass I get some soft tiki cocktail notes like pineapple, orange and a coconut cream. A larger sip and swish reveals a ton of creamy characteristics that I felt were missing earlier in the glass. I continue to get some of the pineapple juice sweetness while caramel builds well into an incredibly well-rounded whiskey. My last sip is another delicious treat that leads a bit pepper forward but instantly settles into a bouquet of sugary plum, strawberry, almonds and vanilla.

Rating: 5/5

(Just wow. One of my favorites.)

This is an incredibly rich, flavorful dessert whiskey. This might be one of the most complex Irish whiskey experiences I've had to date. This is so nice that I'm definitely going in for another. Cheers folks!