Crafted by master blender Billy Leighton, the limited-edition 27 year old single pot still uses two carefully selected casks from the Midleton inventory. Beginning life separately in bourbon and ruby port casks, the two whiskeys were then married together for a final three-month maturation period in two tawny port casks.
The release is the first in the where none of the fortified wine cask influence is derived from a sherry cask.
Leighton commented on the release: “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. The tawny port influence adds notes of baked goods, toasted nuts, and sweet almond, overall making for a complex, full bodied final liquid.”
Leighton enlisted the help of blender Dave McCabe on this release, with the hope of preserving the Redbreast Dream Cask legacy. The producer has described the liquid as having aromas of cassis, stone fruits and citrus peel, with notes of toasted almonds and cacao nibs on the palate.
McCabe added: “The traditional Redbreast style is mostly associated with the influence of sherry. 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.”
The new expression is available exclusively through an online ballot hosted on Redbreast’s online members’ club The Birdhouse, which opens on 22 May. Bottled at 56.3%, the RRP for release is €580, with each of the 780 bottles available presented in a keepsake book made from recyclable cardboard.