🥃 Redbreast 18 Year Old
A permanent Redbreast expression since 2024: 18 years in ex-bourbon, oloroso and cream sherry casks, part in ruby port casks; 46% ABV.
Redbreast 18 Year Old is the most recently introduced permanent expression of the Redbreast brand, presented in September 2024. It is an Irish single pot still from Midleton with a stated age of 18 years, bottled at 46% ABV. Fred Minnick writes that it has joined the permanent line-up.
The main difference is the cask selection. According to TheTaste.ie and Fred Minnick, the whiskey matures in ex-bourbon, oloroso sherry and cream sherry casks, and part of it is aged in ruby port casks. The port casks link it to the oldest permanent expression of the brand, the 27-year-old.
Why this matters for you. Redbreast 18 Year Old sits between Redbreast 15 Year Old and Redbreast 21 Year Old. If you like sherry and port notes, it emphasises them most in the middle of the range. Check the age on the label, as the bottles of the expressions look similar. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 46% ABV |
|---|---|
| Minimum maturation | 18 years |
| Cask type | ex-bourbon, oloroso and cream sherry casks; part ruby port casks |
| Distillation method | pot still, three times, copper stills, Midleton |
| Raw material | malted and unmalted barley; water |
| Year founded | 2024 |
| 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 18 Year Old → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oloroso, 🍷 Oak barrel, 🍷 Sherry, 🍷 Port, 🥃 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 15 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 15 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old, 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old
Frequently asked questions
Is Redbreast 18 a limited release?
No. TheTaste.ie and Fred Minnick call it a permanent expression, the first new addition to the range in four years.
What is the strength of Redbreast 18 Year Old?
46% ABV, according to TheTaste.ie and Fred Minnick.
What casks is Redbreast 18 aged in?
Ex-bourbon, oloroso and cream sherry casks; part of the whiskey is aged in ruby port casks.
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.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
- 🥃 Ex-bourbon barrel — American white oak cask of 180–200 litres used for bourbon: bourbon may only be aged in new charred casks, so used ones go to Scotch, Irish whiskey and rum.
Similar
🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength · 🥃 Redbreast 12 Year Old · 🥃 Redbreast 15 Year Old · 🥃 Redbreast 21 Year Old · 🥃 Tullamore Dew 14 Year Old Single Malt · 🥃 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
- TheTaste.ie: Introducing Redbreast 18 Year Old (2024; 46 %; new permanent member; ex-bourbon, oloroso, cream sherry casks and a portion in ruby port casks)
- Fred Minnick: Redbreast Adds Permanent 18-Year-Old Expression (20.09.2024; 46 %; permanent range; ex-bourbon, oloroso and cream sherry casks, portion in ruby port casks)
- 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)