This latest addition to the Redbreast family line-up has been available from 12 September, retailing at €225 ($249).

TRBusiness was on location for an insightful two days in the home of Redbreast Irish Whiskey, as it launches an 18-Year-Old expression, the first permanent addition to the Redbreast family in four years, and the first 18-Year-Old release for the brand.

In crafting this latest expression, David McCabe, Master Blender at Irish Distillers, and Billy Leighton, Redbreast’s Master Blender Emeritus, drew inspiration from the extensive inventory found at the nearby Midleton Distillery.

The duo eventually settled on cask ageing in a mixture of ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry, cream sherry and ruby port casks, lending the whiskey a robust and complex profile.

“The unveiling of Redbreast 18-Year-Old is a moment of pride for us. We’re incredibly fortunate to have a variety of aged stock at Midleton Distillery and with its unique flavour profile, we are confident this will be a welcome addition to whiskey enthusiasts’ collections and a delightful first-hand experience for those new to whiskey,” said Leighton.

On the nose, the Redbreast 18-Year-Old gives berry fruit, chocolate, toasted almonds and cinnamon, finished by a hit of warming, fruit and oak-infused spice.

The flavour profile is a rich mixture of autumnal fruits, ginger, small hints of liquorice, and mellow citrus notes.

“While what we’re drinking in the glass is very Irish, it takes the world to make it, and you have to really respect those who make their own, have their own crafts skills in making barrels, making wine and making bourbon, and that all helps you to make your Irish Whiskey,” added McCabe.

Billy Leighton, Master Blender Emeritus, addressing the room during a sampling of one of Redbreast’s core expressions, which now has a new member of the family in the 18-Year-Old.

McCabe went on to highlight the differences in production between Irish whiskey and its Scottish and American counterparts, primarily the combination of malted and unmalted barley, as well as the use of pot still distillation, while musing on the why and how of its innovation.

“When we think of pot still whiskey, which red breast really is the flagship for, we’re using a combination of malted and unmalted barley, and that’s something which has been in usesince the 1800s.

In terms of flavour, what we find is it delivers this creamy, mouth-coating texture, plus a little bit of an elevated spice, while triple distillation creates a purified and perhaps more elegant spirit.”

Bottled at 46% ABV, Redbreast 18-Year-Old is set for distribution in the following countries: Australia; Bulgaria; Canada; Czech Republic; France;  Germany; Hungary; The Netherlands; Norway; Persian Gulf; Slovakia; Sweden;  Switzerland; Taiwan; United Kingdom; US; travel retail, and of course Ireland.

McCabe continued: “I think, when you look at Ireland now there’s so many new distilleries emerging over the last 10-12, years, which is absolutely amazing, and I think the future of Irish whiskey and innovation is actually looking at the past, as people who have been studying whiskey now find themselves in the business.”

As part of the launch announcement, Redbreast’s Master Blender’s delved deep into the provenance of Irish whiskey, and the tumultuous road to resurgence it has experienced in the last few years.

This journey through history was accompanied by a demonstration of the cask-making and repairing process by Master Cooper Ger Buckley, as well as a lunch at the world-renowned Hederman Smoke House.

“When you think about the history of Irish whiskey, loads of things came into play in a very short space of time,” said McCabe, adding: “You think of the World Wars, then there was a trade war with the UK, which led to closing the markets, including, say, Canada, Australia, then a civil war.

There was prohibition in the states. There was a time when there were over 100 distilleries on the island, but by the 1960s, there were just four.”

According to the Irish Whiskey Association, as of 2019 there were 32 whiskey distilleries in Ireland, in 2024 that number has risen to over 40, and there’s another on the way.

Leighton revealed Redbreast is building a second distillery to keep up with surging demand for Irish Whiskey, which he estimated will be fully operational by 2027.

Hederman Smoke House uses wood chips from disused Redbreast whiskey casks to hot and cold smoke its fish.

Redbreast also offered an exclusive sampling of its 18-Year-Old expression in the beating heart of its operation at the Midleton Distillery (the old one that is, though the new one is a literal stones throw away).

The new expression joins its other family members as a permanent addition to the SKUs already listed in travel retail, including: the travel retail exclusive Cuatro Barriles with ARI across Dublin & Cork Airport; listings across several Pacific airports; American Airports such as JFK, San Francisco and LAX.

The Midlton Distillery houses the world’s largest copper pot still, which was in use until the mid 1970s and could hold 80,000 gallons of mash. The distillery still claims the world’s largest active copper pot still.

Redbreast also recently launched another of its core expressions, the 12-Year-Old, with Dubai Duty Free, and is currently in the process of securing listings across Southeast Asia, EMEA, Gulf & India.

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