Redbreast (whiskey) facts for kids
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| Type | Single pot still whiskey |
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| Manufacturer | Irish Distillers (originally Gilbeys) |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Introduced | Circa. 1903 |
Redbreast is a special kind of Irish whiskey made in Ireland. It's known as a "single pot still" whiskey. This means it's made in a unique way using a mix of grains in a large pot-shaped machine called a still.
Redbreast was first sold by a company called Gilbey's, which was a spirits merchant in Dublin. They bought the whiskey from the famous Jameson Distillery. Later, in the 1980s, another company called Irish Distillers bought the Redbreast brand. Today, Redbreast is the most popular single pot still Irish whiskey sold around the world.
Contents
The Story of Redbreast
How it Started
The company W&A Gilbey began in London in 1857. By 1861, they opened a branch in Dublin, Ireland. Back then, it was common for distilleries to sell their whiskey to merchants like Gilbey's. These merchants would then store and age the whiskey themselves. They often had many wooden barrels from importing wines.
By the 1870s, Gilbey's had a huge amount of whiskey stored in their warehouses in Dublin. They sold this whiskey under their own labels. The whiskeys were aged for at least six years in special barrels that used to hold sherry wine.
The Name "Redbreast"
Around 1903, a whiskey called "John Jameson & Sons Castle 'JJ Liqueur' Whiskey 12 Year Old" was sold. This whiskey was made at the Bow Street Distillery, where Jameson whiskey also came from. This was likely the very first version of what we know as Redbreast.
The name "Redbreast" first appeared officially in 1912. Gilbey's started calling their 12-year-old whiskey "Redbreast" J.J. Liqueur Whiskey. The chairman of Gilbey's at the time loved watching birds. He gave the whiskey the nickname "Redbreast" because it reminded him of the European robin, a small bird with a bright red chest.
Moving Production
In 1968, the company Irish Distillers decided to stop selling whiskey to merchants like Gilbey's. This was a big problem for Redbreast, because Irish Distillers owned all the whiskey distilleries in Ireland. However, after Gilbey's asked them to, Irish Distillers agreed to keep supplying the whiskey needed for Redbreast.
In 1971, Irish Distillers closed all their distilleries in Dublin, including the Bow Street one. They moved all their whiskey making to a new, large facility in County Cork. Because of this, Redbreast whiskey also started to be made in Cork instead of Dublin.
A New Beginning
In 1985, Gilbey's stopped making Redbreast. They sold the brand to Irish Distillers in 1986. After being off the market for a few years, Redbreast was brought back in 1991. It was first sold as a 12-year-old whiskey. Since then, other versions have been released, including 15-year-old and 21-year-old Redbreast.
What Makes Redbreast Special?
Redbreast is one of only a few "single pot still" whiskeys still made today. It's also one of only two that have been made almost continuously since the early 1900s. The other is called Green Spot.
Long ago, pot still whiskey was a very popular type of whiskey around the world. However, its popularity decreased in the 20th century. Many Irish whiskeys either changed how they were made or stopped being produced.
Single pot still whiskeys are unique to Ireland. They are similar to "single malt" whiskeys because they are both made using a special pot still. But there's a key difference: single malt whiskeys only use malted barley. Single pot still whiskeys, like Redbreast, use a mix of both malted and unmalted barley. This gives them a special taste and feel.
