New Irish whiskey from the single pot still saviours
Redbreast Mostcatel is here!
You can Mosca-tell this one is going to be a corker of a whiskey…
Redbreast loves a bit of sherry. Now it turns to Moscatel.
A new release and the fifth chapter in the Iberian Series heads to Málaga, specifically Bodegas Quitapenas, to swim in the serene waters of Moscatel. Less dark fruit heft, more perfume and sunshine.
If you’re not familiar with Moscatel, it’s made with the ancient Muscat grape variety, which is prized for bringing aromatic intensity to its wines. When fortified and aged in the sun of southern Spain, it creates floral, grapey, and naturally sweet tones that remain fresh, not saccharine.
As a whiskey cask, it’s a nice soft, subtle contrast to the more decadent richness of Pedro Ximénez or oloroso. Single pot still whiskey remains the backbone. Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley and distilled in copper pot stills, it delivers texture, spice, and a distinctive creamy mouthfeel. And Redbreast is its greatest champion.
New Redbreast, same appreciation for sweet wine
Redbreast Moscatel proves its love of fortified wine finishes can still explore new corners. By turning to Moscatel wine casks, Redbreast adds lift and fragrance with floral top notes, honeyed fruit, and a gently exotic sweetness that never tips into excess.
The Iberian Series
The Iberian Series exists to explore the relationship between single pot still Irish whiskey and the fortified wines of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
Each release focuses on a specific cask type, not to dominate the whiskey, but to show how different styles of sherry and wine can highlight new facets of Redbreast’s character. It’s a rabbit hole well worth falling into. Or should that be a robin’s nest?
More from Redbreast
There is no shortage of sublime sherry-soaked whiskey when it comes to Redbreast. Explore the full range at Master of Malt.
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The Redbreast Tale
Redbreast’s story starts with the wine and spirits merchants Gilbeys, founded in London in 1857 and expanded into Dublin in the 1860s. As an importer of sherry, Gilbeys worked with John Jameson & Son, which was distilling at Bow Street in Dublin, supplying the distillery with sherry casks to rest the Irish pot still whiskey in. This whiskey was then bottled under a variety of different names.
The Redbreast name didn’t appear until 1912, however, referring to the robin redbreast, attributed to the chairman of Gilbeys, who had a fascination and love of birds. Though the Bow Street distillery closed in the summer of 1971, Redbreast is now made at the well-loved Midleton Distillery, owned by Irish Distillers Ltd.
