Redbreast Irish Whiskey is embarking on a new chapter as it unveils a dedicated whiskey collection for the United States. The American Oak series celebrates the role of native wood in the production of Redbreast, giving provenance to the wood and unique American Oak influences to the whiskey.
The first limited release in the series, Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition, is made from malted and unmalted barley, triple distilled in copper pot stills and matured in American Oak Bourbon barrels and Spanish Oloroso sherry butts, before being finished for a period of 3 to 7 months in naturally air-dried PEFC certified American Oak sourced from the Elk Cave Farm in Kentucky. These casks have been hand selected for finishing to impart additional sweet notes of vanilla and wood spices.
“Redbreast is renowned for its heavy sherry influence,” said Master Blender Billy Leighton. “This can often mean that its ex-bourbon counterpart is overlooked, even though Kentucky white oak barrels, which have previously held bourbon, are central to the Redbreast DNA. This series explores the role American white oak plays in the composition of Redbreast, and takes it one step further, with a final flourish in virgin casks to enable the wood contribution to truly take center stage.”
Leighton and the team partnered with the owners of Elk Cave Farm to source white oak from their 1,300-acre tree farm. As committed environmentalists, the Taylors have championed sustainable farming practices since purchasing the land in 1959 and today are recognized across the country for the award-winning methods used on their farm. Under their guardianship, Elk Cave Farm has become renowned for applying the oak shelterwood system in their mature oak forests. Shelterwood, a forestry technique that emphasizes early tending of young oak seedlings by improving forest light conditions and reducing competitors, has proven successful in the Taylors’ mission to sustainably manage their oak forests. In addition, these productive oak forests will provide valuable wildlife habitat, clean water and fresh air today and for future generations.
Once felled, sawn and air dried, the oak was worked into 63 casks and shipped to Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, to be filled with a bespoke batch of Redbreast whiskey. The result is bottled at 101 proof and is non-chill filtered.
“Crafting this whiskey has been a journey of discovery,” Leighton said. “From learning about the trailblazing work of the Taylor family improving the sustainability of America’s oak forests, to exploring the region’s influence upon our whiskey, all of which has shaped this deliciously complex whiskey. The Kentucky Oak series demonstrates Redbreast’s continued evolution, setting the bar for subsequent expressions in the series.”
“Our family is honored to work alongside the Redbreast team, witnessing first-hand their passion and dedication to creating great tasting whiskey,” added Elk Cave Farms’ Scott Taylor. “Much like whiskey making, tree farming requires patience and faith that future generations will reap the benefit of decisions we make today. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch this project come to fruition and to see our home-grown Kentucky oak shape the flavor of a Redbreast Irish Whiskey.”
Redbreast Kentucky Oak is exclusively available in the US for $95.99.
