Origin: Cork (Ireland)
Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Strength: 40%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry Oloroso
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: The Midleton Distillery
Average price: € 50.00
Official website: www.redbreastwhiskey.com
Vote: 84/100
One of the cornerstones of Irish whiskey, the giant Midleton’s Robin is produced along with the various distillates that go to make up Jameson, following the all-Irish recipe that uses malted and unmalted barley in equal proportions.
Having first tried the (excellent) fullcask strength version, I finally pour into the glass the one that is in every way identical except for the strength, hoping it doesn’t get too watered down.
Tasting notes
On the nose, the cereal part dominates, a porridge with a handful of dried fruits (raspberries, currants, sultanas, banana, coconut), nuts (almonds, hazelnuts), honey and some wood chips just to make it crisp. Cinnamon and nutmeg on the side, with slight floral and vegetable notes in the background. Solid and direct.
The palate fairly closely mirrors the nose, the spice tones becoming more pungent and peppery and in general showing greater intensity than I expected. The malty part is sharper, offering a good mellowness, while the dried fruit is reintroduced with the addition of orange and increased incisiveness of red fruits, with a spoonful of quince mustard.
Not very long finish of spices, red fruits, malt, honey, wood, vegetable notes.
I admit that I started off a little biased because of the low alcohol content, but I had to change my mind: a full and satisfying dram, lacking great depth but without lapsing into the banal, managing to maintain body and substance with dignified class.