Irish Whisky

[ILLfarmboy]

....
But Redbreast is a different story. It is noticeably oily in texture and flavour - this is I believe a traditional Irish taste since the non-NAS Jamesons all have it, even single malt Bushmills has it to a degree! Sherry helps (which is why it is aged or finished in sherry barrels) but it doesn't cover over the taste completely.

I like Powers though which has some of that taste, but in a moderate way, and helped in this regard by its admixture of grain whisky.

Gary

I love Redbreast. It has such a rich flavor and mouth-feel especially for an 80 proof whiskey. Knowing it was aged in ex-sherry casks, and thinking that was largely what I was responding to, I bought a bottle of cask strength Mcallan (a sherry monster). I disliked it intensely to say the least. I dumped it out. I guess it's that pot-still character I can't get enough of. I have to wonder why anyone would want to cover over that taste. Different strokes for different folks.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

I have been putting off buying the Redbreast 12 for a long time. But with St. Patrick's Day coming up I think I will have to go get a bottle.

Ed

[TBoner]

While I've sampled many SMSW, I've only dabbled in Irish whiskey - Jameson's NAS and Jameson's 18 have been favorites; I thought the 12 was okay. I have tried a few Bushmills, and the only one I remember any opinion on is the 16, which I enjoyed.

But tonight, with a pipe full of Virginia tobacco, I'm enjoying my first ever Red Breast.
I'm in love.

This has the best mouthfeel of any 80-proofer I've had, plus some really unique and terrific fruit notes. I'll post better tasting notes some other time, but overall, I think this is terrific. Looks like a bottle will be coming home with me on my next non-dusty whiskey-buying trip.

[ILLfarmboy]

...This has the best mouthfeel of any 80-proofer I've had, plus some really unique and terrific fruit notes. I'll post better tasting notes some other time, but overall, I think this is terrific. Looks like a bottle will be coming home with me on my next non-dusty whiskey-buying trip.

I've remarked before how Redbreast reminds me of orange Lifesaver Cream Savers.

I once mixed Redbreast With Welches sparkling white grape juice (the kind made to imitate champaign. I gotta say if real champaign tasted like that did I would actually drink the stuff.

[TBoner]

I remember reading that now.

It's interesting, because besides apples, I detected orange in the whiskey as well. But it was so distinct from the orange I get in a bourbon that I shrugged it off.

You nailed it. It's not the deep, rich character of orange peel that comes through in rye-heavy bourbon. It's more subtle and the slightly creamy mouthfeel contributes to the creme savers impression. Good call on that.