🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
Undiluted Redbreast 12: an Irish single pot still from Midleton, 12 years in ex-bourbon and oloroso casks; batch strength above 57% ABV.
Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is the version of the core 12-year-old Redbreast whiskey that is drawn from the cask without dilution with water. Strength varies by batch: Difford's Guide gives 57.7% ABV, and the Whisky for Everyone review of batch B1/23 gives 57.2%. It was released in Britain in September 2011.
It is the same Irish single pot still from Midleton: malted and unmalted barley, triple distillation in copper pot stills. The whiskey matures for at least 12 years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish oak oloroso sherry casks. It is bottled in small batches, and each batch has its own number.
Why this matters for you. Whisky for Everyone calls it the only cask-strength whiskey in the core range. Compared with Redbreast 12 Year Old, the taste is richer and the alcohol content is almost one and a half times higher, so check the batch number and strength on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | cask strength, varies by batch (57.2–57.7% ABV per sources) |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 12 years |
| Cask type | ex-bourbon (American oak) and ex-oloroso (Spanish oak) casks |
| Distillation method | pot still, three times, copper stills, Midleton |
| Raw material | malted and unmalted barley; water |
| Year founded | 2011 (Britain) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Legal basis | Irish Whiskey GI (Technical File; Reg. (EU) 2019/787): Irish Pot Still Whiskey |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oloroso, 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Redbreast, 🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Irish Whiskey
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Do all bottles of Redbreast 12 Cask Strength have the same strength?
No. The whiskey is bottled in batches without dilution, so strength varies: Difford's Guide gives 57.7%, batch B1/23 gives 57.2%.
How does Cask Strength differ from the regular Redbreast 12?
The age and casks are the same, but the whiskey is not reduced with water to 40% ABV, so it is much stronger.
When did Redbreast 12 Cask Strength appear?
According to Difford's Guide, it was released in Britain in September 2011.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old — An older Redbreast expression since 2013: at least 21 years in ex-bourbon and oloroso casks, part of the whiskey up to 28 years old; 46% ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Redbreast 15 Year Old · 🥃 Redbreast 18 Year Old · 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old · 🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old · 🥃 Powers John's Lane 12 Year Old · 🥃 Powers Three Swallow
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength (57.7 % for the batch tasted; minimum 12 years; first-fill ex-bourbon and oloroso-seasoned casks; small batches; UK launch September 2011)
- Whisky for Everyone: Review | Redbreast 12 Years Old Cask Strength (batch B1/23, 57.2 %; bourbon-seasoned American oak and oloroso-seasoned Spanish oak; the only cask-strength whiskey in the core range)
- Tasting Table: Redbreast 12 Year Old bottle guide (40 %; ex-bourbon barrels and oloroso butts; triple distilled; other expressions: 12 Cask Strength 2011, 15 Year Old 2005, 18 Year Old 2024, 21, 27)
- Revenue (Ireland): Geographical Indication for Irish Whiskey and Irish Poteen/Poitin (GI verification, Tax and Duty Manual)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)