b1gcountry Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I am going to pick up a bottle or two for my birthday. I have always been a fan of Jameson. I heard redbreast is the best Irish around. I've never tried it. I've never experimented with Irish the way I have with bourbon or rye. Is this a good place to start? Is the regular 12 a better place to start? This has always been on my list, but I've never pulled the trigger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender4 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Hmm...if Jameson is your only experience in Irish, then if you HAD to choose a Redbreast I'd go with the 12. The cask strength can throw a lot of people off unless they know that's what they're getting into. I'm biased as I am a HUGE redbreast fan. Never had the 21, but both the 12, 15, and love cask strength bourbons. I also like other types of whiskeys like rye, Japanese, and Scotch. Redbreast, to me, definitely has a heavier flavor profile compared to other "Irish Whiskeys", which is why I love it. I haven't tried the Yellowspot/Greenspot stuff but I have heard from a few people, that it leans toward the more delicate side of Irish whiskey so that may be an interesting alternative too. You can always buy yourself a "delayed" birthday present if you like the regular 12 version like the Cask Strength version, or, the 21 Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 The 21 year might be over what I like to spend on whiskey. Even for a birthday present This is exactly what I'm asking. I like bookers, etc in the bourbon world, but I do add water/ice to keep it 110 proof or so. I'm not sure that always translates to other whiskey. I drank Jameson before I really got into whiskey. I have wanted to try some better Irish whiskey for a while. I've just been preoccupied with a lot of the bourbon I've been drinking. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbanzobean Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Disclaimer: I used to really enjoy Irish Whiskey in my college days. Since I turned to malt whisky and bourbon/rye as a hobby instead of just drinking what was in front of me, I find that I have become lukewarm to the Irish style of whiskey (Canadian too, sadly). I put that disclaimer up front so you know that I'm biased, and that palates can turn on you even when you don't want them to. I really wanted to like my bottle of Redbreast 12 CS, but I just never warmed up to it. I like the regular version better, but still not all that much. the CS has a sort of acrid, metallic flavor that bugs me (somewhere between copper penny and 9v battery on my tongue), and comes off as saccharine sweet. I like the regular 12 better on ice, which turns it into bananas foster and chocolate. The 12 CS sort of goes that route, but retains a lot of metallic flavors. I think I had Batch 1 from 2012, but it might have been 2. Needless to say, my collection of Irish and Canadian Whiskies that I amassed based on positive reviews instead of personal experience has been consumed or gifted away. You win some, you lose some. Glad that there are plenty of folks out there who enjoy those styles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted July 27, 2016 Author Share Posted July 27, 2016 Interesting take. Thanks. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louisiana Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 Redbreast 12 got me started in this hobby. If you ever get the chance to try the 21 it is amazing. You can't go wrong with any of them though. Start with the one you want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special Reserve Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 I find Redbreast CS to be a powerful pour. It really becomes enjoyable with a little dilution. I'd definitely replace it when the bottle is gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennessee Dave Posted July 28, 2016 Share Posted July 28, 2016 Never tried the CS but I am a big fan of the regular bottling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted July 29, 2016 Author Share Posted July 29, 2016 I just picked up a bottle. The local chain had a $10 off sale. I decided to go with the 12yr 80 proof. I have wanted a bottle of this for over a year, but I just kept putting it off because I always found something else I didn't think I would be able to get next time. I resisted the urge this time even with a SAOS10SB sitting on the shelf. I went with the regular 12yr because half the fun is looking forward to opening the bottle, and now I'll have something else out there to look forward to tasting. I figured if I started with the cs I would be less appreciative of the regular 12. I will report back when I open it. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vosgar Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 I don't remember exactly how or why, but my first experience with RB was the 15yr, and it's still my favorite (haven't tried the 21yr, I'd love to but it's too damn expensive). For my tastes, the 12 is a bit more spicy and not as refined as the 15. The 12yr cask strength just adds a bit more heat, although I do like it better than the standard 12. It might have something to do with the fact that while both are aged in Oloros sherry casks, the 15 also uses bourbon barrels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl2 Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 On 7/28/2016 at 8:59 PM, b1gcountry said: I just picked up a bottle. The local chain had a $10 off sale. I decided to go with the 12yr 80 proof. I have wanted a bottle of this for over a year, but I just kept putting it off because I always found something else I didn't think I would be able to get next time. I resisted the urge this time even with a SAOS10SB sitting on the shelf. I went with the regular 12yr because half the fun is looking forward to opening the bottle, and now I'll have something else out there to look forward to tasting. I figured if I started with the cs I would be less appreciative of the regular 12. I will report back when I open it. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk If you like the Redbreast but want something a bit more meaty but not cask strength then don't forget about the Powers John's Lane. Essentially the same whiskey but a little more bourbon cask and a little less sherry cask while bottled at a decent 92 proof. I like it better than the regular RB12 personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Thanks, I'll try to remember that! Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vosgar Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 6 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said: If you like the Redbreast but want something a bit more meaty but not cask strength then don't forget about the Powers John's Lane. Essentially the same whiskey but a little more bourbon cask and a little less sherry cask while bottled at a decent 92 proof. I like it better than the regular RB12 personally. Good call on that one Bruce. A bonus is that it's a little less $$ than regular RB12 ($62 here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b1gcountry Posted August 7, 2016 Author Share Posted August 7, 2016 We started out our night by opening rb12 yesterday. Thanks everyone who posted about it in the past, it did not disappoint. We all really enjoyed it, and were surprised how much flavor it had at such a low proof. I will definitely be drinking through this bottle fairly fast, and replacing it with the cask strength. Maybe the PJL too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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