Redbreast has unveiled the latest edition to its Dream Cask Series, a 27-year-old single pot Irish whiskey known as the Port to Port Edition. The sixth bottling in the series follows last year’s 30-year-old expression known as the Double Edition
To create the Redbreast Dream Cask Port to Port Edition, master blender Billy Leighton and blender Dave McCabe blended two whiskeys that were separately aged in bourbon and ruby Port casks for 27 and 28 years respectively, before marrying them for a three-month maturation period in two tawny Port casks.
“The two single pot still whiskeys, which had been maturing separately, were already an outstanding pairing, but the marrying period in the tawny Port casks elevated the expression to new heights,” said Leighton. “The tawny Port influence adds notes of baked goods, toasted nuts, and sweet almond, overall making for a complex, full-bodied final liquid.”
The whiskey offers flavors of toasted almonds, cacao nibs, dried fruits, and red berry compote.
“The traditional Redbreast style is mostly associated with the influence of Sherry,” added McCabe. “Saying that, we took inspiration from the popularity of the Port cask inclusion in Redbreast 27 Year Old, and decided to push the boundary a little bit further. By using two types of Port casks for this year’s Dream Cask, we created a whiskey with a medium spice intensity along with distinctive wine-driven characteristics.
“We felt a three-month finish in the tawny Port casks was the optimal time needed, adding new layers of complexity to the whiskey. At the same time, we were conscious of preserving the individual characteristics that these two liquids had gained from their original maturation journeys.”
Bottled at 56.3% ABV, the Redbreast Dream Cask Port to Port Edition is available exclusively through an online ballot hosted on Redbreast’s online members’ club The Birdhouse, opening May 22. It will retail for €580 ($627 USD). Only 780 bottles were yielded from the two casks.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
Last summer, Redbreast unveiled Kentucky Oak as the first release in its American Oak series.
