The 8 Best Redbreast Irish Whiskeys, as Ranked by Critics

Irish whiskey is a category that has experienced red-hot growth at the moment, and one of the brands leading the charge in terms of critical acclaim is Redbreast Irish Whiskey.

This single-pot still Irish Whiskey brand is not short on critical acclaim, with plenty of Double Gold awards from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition under its belt. But what is the best Redbreast Irish Whiskey?

We’ve gone ahead and scoured our database of critics’ scores to find the highest-ranked Redbreast Irish Whiskey expressions, so if you’re looking for the best this brand has to offer, you’ll have all the information right at your fingertips.

The History of Redbreast Irish Whiskey

Redbreast has been around since 1912, when a wine importer and distilling business called Gilbey’s began branding 12-year-old Irish whiskey with Redbreast packaging. The story goes that Gilbey’s Chairman had a passion for birds, and he believed the European Robin — a bird colloquially known as Robin Redbreast — would make a great whiskey brand.

The Irish whiskey world was a heavily consolidated one, and just three distilleries were making whiskey for the entire industry. Redbreast sourced whiskey from the Bow Street Distillery, which, according to VinePair, was the same facility where the other major Irish whiskey brand — Jameson — was made.

The brands are still made at the same distillery today: Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland.

Our Ranking System Explained

The Bottle Raiders model takes reviews from some of the best spirits critics from the far reaches of the internet and determines a final, aggregated Raided Score®. This Raided Score® will determine the top 9 Redbreast Irish Whiskeys of all time, according to critics.

To qualify for this list, each bottle must have been reviewed by at least three critics. This way, we ensure each bottle is considered truly that good, as opposed to having a score swung dramatically in its favor because one critic gave it an exceptional rating. The whiskeys on the list within Redbreast’s program will be sorted from great to the very best based on these Raided Scores®.

Should a Raided Score® tie occur, the tiebreaker will go to the expression with a higher number of aggregated reviews, as we believe the score means more if it’s been reviewed positively by more critics. If the number of reviews is also the same, we’ll go based on our house review score since come on, it’s our list. If all of those factors are tied, we’ll simply sort them alphabetically and list them as a tie.

The 9 Best Redbreast Irish Whiskeys of All Time, Ranked

9. Redbreast Missouri Oak

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Redbreast Missouri Oak Edition is part of the brand’s American Oak series, and this Irish whiskey spent 10 months finishing in new oak barrels sourced from the Ozarks in Missouri. With a suggested retail price of $199 and an ABV of 50.5%, Redbreast Missouri Oak is delicious with a capital “D.”

Picture a nose of cinnamon, nutmeg, spice and sweet buttercream coupled with a palate loaded with maple, brown sugar, and graham crackers. Redbreast Missouri Oak finishes with oak, toffee and cinnamon.

A pretty, balanced and delicious whiskey with dessert and toffee.

8. Redbreast Pedro Ximenez Edition

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There are more than a few types of sherry out there, but perhaps none are as decadent or sweet as Pedro Ximenez. This Irish whiskey was finished in Pedro Ximenez casks to add a luscious sweetness to the pour — and many critics agree Redbreast has delivered.

On the nose, picture brown butter, light fig, raisin bread and luscious sweet cream. As far as the palate goes, this whiskey has a richly sherried character, with strawberry, blackberry and light tobacco. The finish is long with plenty of opulent sweetness.

Redbreast Pedro Ximenez Edition has an ABV of 46% and an average price of $128, according to Wine-Searcher.

7. Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition

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Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition takes its name from the 14 to 25 months it spent finishing in Tawny Port Casks before it was released in September 2023.

Before the finishing, the Redbreast team took this single pot still Irish whiskey and aged it in a blend of bourbon and oloroso sherry casks. Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition has a rich nose, loaded with red berries from the port finish.

The pour of this 46%-ABV whiskey is luscious, with a strong berry throughline that is interlaced beautifully with vanilla. This whiskey finishes with sweet oak, ginger and apricot. Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition has an average price of $131, according to Wine-Searcher.

6. Redbreast Small Batch Cask Strength Batch A

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This Irish whiskey is at least 14 years old and has a suggested retail price of $100. A darling among critics at, Redbreast’s Small Batch Cask Strength series Batch A has an ABV of 58.6%.

Just 252 bottles of this expression exist, according to Whisky Advocate, so you may have to do a little hunting if you want to seek this one out. Wine-Searcher shares this whiskey has an average price of $190.

With a nose of tropical fruit and oloroso sherry, according to Whisky Advocate’s Jonny McCormick, this is a potent and spice-driven whiskey. The palate is hot, but pepper and clove add a bit of dimension coupled with tree fruits like apples and flamed oranges. This small batch offering from Redbreast finishes with a pop of bubblegum.

5. Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition

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Redbreast dropped this release back in 2022, and it was part of a series meant to showcase the beauty of American Oak.

Redbreast’s Kentucky Oak Edition was the first release within the series, and these casks were selected for finishing. The team at Midleton Distillery joined forces with the owners of Elk Cave Farm and chose white oak from the tree farm.

This whiskey clocks in at 50.5% ABV and sells for a suggested retail price of $95.99. The nose is loaded with buttery biscuits and a touch of lactic funk. The palate is full of nougat and honey, interlaced with wood. This whiskey finishes with fruits like plum and peach.

4. Redbreast 27 Year Ruby Port Cask

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Redbreast’s 27-year-old Irish whiskey is triple distilled and was brought on as a core expression. This heavily-aged Irish whiskey is influenced by a bourbon and sherry base, and the addition of ruby port casks adds more depth to the expression.

With an ABV of 54.6% and the average price of a hefty $790 according to Wine-Searcher, this is one decadent release. The Ruby Port influence on this whiskey is very pronounced, and the nose and palate burst forth with red berry aromas, coupled with a tangy palate loaded with lime zest and vanilla bean.

This whiskey has a pleasant peach ring vibe, and is incredibly rich, making it a memorable release.

3. Redbreast Small Batch Cask Strength Batch B

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This release from Redbreast’s Small Batch Cask Strength series has an average price of $190, according to Wine-Searcher. These whiskeys are designed to highlight the subtle differences in Redbreast’s Irish Whiskeys.

This whiskey is aged at least 14 years, and critics fell particularly hard for it, awarding it a Raided Score® of 93.

Spirit Surveyor awarded it a 9 out of 10, citing rich dark fruit aromas, coupled with maple syrup and leather on the nose. The palate is full of juicy cherries and roasted nuts, coupled with loads of cream, and the finish is said to linger with cinnamon and leather.

2. Redbreast 21 Year

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Fans of freshly baked apple pie will have a hard time passing up this extraordinary release from Redbreast. With an ABV of 46% and apple brown sugar decadence on the nose — this is an exceptional release. Wine-Searcher reports this whiskey has an average price of $376, so expect to spend a pretty penny on this offering.

The palate is full of brown sugar, caramel apple, tobacco and bread. On the finish, expect maple, cocoa and dessert — but in a non-cloying way.

Spectacular and delicious through and through.

1. Redbreast Small Batch Cask Strength Batch D

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Another offering from Red Breast’s Small Batch Cask Strength series, this batch has an ABV of 58.9% and was matured in ex-oloroso sherry casks and ex-bourbon barrels.

Mark Gillespie of WhiskyCast was particularly fond of the delicate oak imparted to this whiskey, with gentle wafts of cocoa. With a thick and chewy palate, loaded with tannins and honey plus garden herbs, this whiskey finishes with spices, tannins, honey and vanilla. Like other Redbreast Small Batch Cask Strength expressions, this whiskey has an average price of $191, according to Wine-Searcher.

The best Redbreast bottling of all time, this was a true knockout.