Redbreast 1989 30 Year Old Port Finish
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
The Whisky Exchange Exclusive
57.2% ABV
$900 – $1,800 (initially sold for £675 in 2020)
Website
What the Retailer Says
A limited-edition 1989 Redbreast single pot still Irish whiskey, bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. Initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels, it was re-casked in 1995 into a Port cask from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Rich aromas of dried mango, plums, dark berries, oak, vanilla and coffee fill the nose, complemented by notes of cinnamon, exotic fruits, dark berries, vanilla and toasted oak.
Cask #: 38635
Number of Bottles: 444
Tasting Notes From The Producer
Nose: Rich medley of fruits, from sweet mango to fleshy ripe plums to dark berry fruits. The oak adds notes of toasted wood with touches of vanilla, brown sugar and roasted coffee beans along with a mild touch of leather. Pot still spices continue to build and evolve overtime adding further depth and complexity.
Palate: Initial notes of cinnamon spice and soft wood tannins along with exotic fruits and dark berries. Rich mouth-coating texture with sweet notes of vanilla and treacle toffee layered over a toasted oak foundation.
Finish: Lingering with the ripe fruits and pot still spices having the final word.
Tasting Notes From Billy Abbott, The Whisky Exchange
Nose: All of the fruit, from the fresh to the exotic, dried, and imaginary. Gummi bears, apples, pears, mango, pineapple, sultanas, raisins: if you can think of it, it’s probably here. Along with the fruit is aromatic old oak, many times polished, brown sugar and gentle spice.
Palate: Rich and rounded on the tongue, with toffee and caramel leading to the intense fruit of the nose. The tropical notes sit up front, with rich and sweet raisins, glacé cherries and plums sitting behind. Aniseed and cinnamon spice bring up the rear, with a touch of menthol freshness.
Finish: Brown sugar and cinnamon dusted pastry cases, filled with fruit. Gentle aniseed spiciness lingers.
Comment: One of the fruitiest whiskies I’ve ever tried, mixing classic, old-Irish tropical- and orchard-fruit notes with rich, dark dried fruit. It’s complex, layered and both rewards and deserves long consideration.
What Gary Says
Nose: Robust dark fruits, plums, poached pears, mango, berry compote, toasted oak and leather.
Palate: Thick and syrupy with dark fruits leaning towards tropical with coconut and mango, dark chocolate toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, cherries and honey.
Finish: Long and slightly drying with fading fruit and spice notes.
Comments: This is an absolute gem. Probably 4 of my top 5 ever tastes of Irish whisky have been exclusive offerings by The Whisky Exchange (so thanks to them, but also my good fortune to have friends who gift me samples of these fine bottles!) This is intense, and amazing neat – although if you add a few drops of water it brings the fruit more into that tropical lane. Just delightful!