Redbreast (whiskey)
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| Type | Single pot still whiskey |
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| Manufacturer | (originally Gilbeys) |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Introduced | Circa. 1903 |
| Variants | 12-year-old, 12-year-old cask strength, 15-year-old, 21-year-old |
Redbreast is a brand of single pot still Irish Whiskey produced by Irish Distillers. It was originally produced by Gilbey's, a Dublin spirits merchants using distillate sourced from Jameson's Bow Street Distillery. However, in the 1980s, the brand was purchased by Irish Distillers, the producers of Jameson Irish whiskey. It is the largest selling single pot still Irish whiskey in the world.
As of 2016, there are five variants are available:
W & A Gilbey was founded in London in 1857, and by 1861 had opened a branch on what is now O'Connell Street in Dublin.
At the time, it was customary for distilleries to sell distillate to wine merchants or "bonders", who having amble supply of casks through the importation of fortified wines, would mature the whiskey themselves under bond. By the 1870s, Gilbey's then described as a "wine importer and distiller", had over 300,000 gallons of whiskey from Dublin distilleries in stock under bond, and was selling whiskey to consumers under its own labels. These whiskeys were aged for at least six years in Gilbey's own sherry casks at its bonded warehouses on Dublin's Harcourt Street.
By 1903, a whiskey known as John Jameson & Son’s Castle “JJ Liqueur” Whiskey 12 Years Old was being marketed in a bottle of similar shape and markings to those used for subsequent bottlings of Redbreast. This whiskey was produced using using distillate sourced from the Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, the home of Jameson whiskey. Although this whiskey was likely the forerunner of Redbreast, the first official mention of "Redbreast" only dates from 1912, when Gilbey's referred to the sale of "Redbreast" J.J. Liqueur Whiskey 12 Years Old whiskey. "Redbreast" being a nickname given to one of their whiskeys by Gilbey's then chairman, an avid birdwatcher, in reference to the Robin Redbreast.
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