Redbreast PX Edition Irish Whiskey.

The festive season deserves to be celebrated with quality products that elevate every occasion. After a fantastic dinner and relaxing to watch TV or participate in board games, sip a dram or two of superior Irish Whiskey indulging with Redbreast PX Edition.

PX stands for Pedro Ximénez. This was previously a limited edition in the Redbreast Iberian Series. It is now a permanent feature in Redbreast's portfolio.

Unique among the family, Redbreast Pedro Ximénez Edition is a Single-Pot Still Irish Whiskey, triple-distilled. Initially matured in Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks before being re-casked in delectable Pedro Ximénez Hogsheads from the southern tip of Spain for a sweet finish.

| 92 Proof | 46% ABV |

TASTING NOTES

NOSE.

Hints of fruit, spices and toasted nuts combine with the subtly sweet aroma of Pedro Ximénez sherry seasoned casks.

TASTE.

A zesty, syrupy mouthful with the perfect balance of fruit, spice and toasted notes.

FINISH.

Satisfyingly rich and long, sweet flavours and lingers in the mouth.

CRAFTING REDBREAST

MAKING THE DEFINITIVE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY

Redbreast has stayed true to the Irish Pot Still whiskey-making tradition for more than a century. Today, it is considered the definitive expression of this quintessential Irish whiskey-making style – a living legacy.

Single Pot Still Whiskey has been safeguarded and nurtured under the watchful eye of the Midleton Distillery for almost two hundred years. And Redbreast is proudly considered the definitive expression of this Single Pot Still art. In the stages and chapters above, we’ll take you through the traditions, art and secrets that go into making Redbreast's iconic and signature tastes.

Irish whiskey is made using a mash bill of a mix of malted and unmalted Barley, sourced predominantly from farms within the Munster region surrounding Midleton Distillery, one of the few worldwide that uses unmalted barley. That wasn’t always the case, though, as this has been the traditional way of making Irish whiskey since the 1800s. The English Malt tax is widely given as the reason for using unmalted barley, as it made whiskey production cheaper, but it imparts a silky or creamy mouthfeel to the whiskey, which is difficult to achieve from malted barley. It also adds a spiciness that marks out Irish whiskey. That’s not to diminish the role of malted barley, which is crucial to whiskey production. Visually, it is almost identical to unmalted barley, but when placed between your teeth, it tastes crunchy and sweet. The primary reason for malting barley is to make the starch accessible to the yeast during fermentation. Of course, the tradition in many countries, notably Scotland, is to make whiskey from 100% malted barley, which imparts a particularly malty, biscuity or cereal character.

The process of malting barley takes about four days. The barley is encouraged to grow and stimulate enzymes that break down the cell walls that contain starch. Barley is steeped in water for several hours to trick it into germinating. It is then laid out on mats at 18 degrees Celsius, and the barley starts to sprout. Once germination has reached a certain point, the Malter will kiln dry the barley in closed smokeless kilns to ‘fix’ the enzymes ready for their conversion to sugars in the fermentation stage.

The first distillation still takes place in the wash, into which the wash is added, and heat is applied. As alcohol boils at 78.1 Celsius, its vapours are the first to rise from the wash and depart upwards through the neck of the still. Copper piping leads from the neck of the still to a horizontal condenser where the vapours are converted back into a liquid; this is the first of the spirit, and it has an alcohol volume of approximately 40%. The spirit captured from the wash still (now known as low wines) is fed into the second or feints still. Here, the spirit captured has an alcohol volume of approximately 70%. Finally, and almost unique to Ireland, the feints are still fed into the third or spirits. The spirit is filled into oak casks for maturation and has an alcohol strength of 85% vol.

The large sherry casks manufactured by hand at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, are made from European oak, Quercus robur, and have a typical capacity of 500 litres. The butts used to mature whiskeys at Midleton are constructed using strict guidelines. Before being ‘shipped home’, the butts will have held sherry wine for two years. Extreme care is taken to avoid any potential for sulphur taint, and there is no use of sulphur candles in the handling of Midleton Distillery-owned and bound butts. Bourbon Barrels are made from American white oak, Quercus alba, and have a typical capacity of 200 litres. Many of these barrels are manufactured in Kentucky and have held Bourbon whiskey for three or four years before being shipped to Ireland.

They say that travel broadens the mind, and well, it certainly broadens one’s flavour profile. Redbreast uses American barrels from Kentucky and Tennessee to bring a whole array of flavours to the Redbreast range. The charred inner linings of these casks allow the whiskey to seep in during maturation, and when it withdraws in the cooler winter months, the whiskey takes the spectrum of bourbon flavours hidden within. From the vanilla to the nutmeg and cinnamon.

Redbreast PX Edition Irish Whiskey is perfect for Christmas and New Year celebrations, and continue enjoying it throughout the year. You will enjoy it neat or as a base for some faithful cocktails, and it pairs superbly with cheeses at the end of a meal or the midnight feast before Santa delivers his presents.

Redbreast PX Edition.

£81.00

Redbreast PX Edition is available online and in stores throughout Ireland.

https://www.redbreastwhiskey.com/en/