Redbreast Cask Strength

Normal Redbreast 12 is bottled at 80 proof. Redbreast Cask Strength is bottled at 115 proof. The whiskey is not diluted with water nor chill-filtered, leaving it both stronger and slightly murkier in color than its Redbreast 12 kin. Don’t let it scare you, this bottle is about the smooth sipping, not burning your tongue with a high proof.

Redbreast Cask Strength

I live out in the sticks and don’t have access to a good liquor store unless I’m willing drive an hour or so. That means that when I see a bottle I feel like I need to buy it because I’m not sure if I’m going to find it anytime soon again. I was with my brother when I saw this bottle of Redbreast Cask Strength. His reaction was shock. He drinks beer, so a $100 price tag was just crazy for him. He’s not a whiskey snob (that’s what my wife calls me) but I had to get it when I saw it. I should have gotten two bottles, because now that I’ve tried it, I know I’m going to want more.

The Nose

The nose on this Redbreast 12 Cask Strength is deep and rich. There is a hint of malt just under rich dark fruits which is perfectly balanced against the vanilla from the bourbon barrels. I can sit and sniff this dram all day. It is just as good as the sip. If you want to up your Nose game, this is a great bottle to appreciate. Pour a dram into a Glencairn Whisky Glass and enoy.

The Palate

The mouth feel is crisp and clean. The front of the tongue is sweetness that immediately turns to dryness and fruitiness that finishes with a charred oak from the time spent in the bourbon barrels that coasts to a very subtle smokiness. It is complex and lovely. It is not for new drinkers, or at least I don’t think most new Whiskey drinkers will appreciate it, but I could be wrong.

The Score

This cask strength Redbreast is all the goodness of Redbreast 12 but concentrated and powerful, but in a refined, balanced way that really just hits it out of the park.

This Redbreast Cask Strength is all the things I love about Redbreast 12, without the overly wooded notes from Redbreast 15, on steroids.

Redbreast Cask Strength scores a 97/100, making it the all time best whiskey I’ve ever had, and it earned every point.

Color

Deep amber with just a touch of murkiness.

Proof

55.8% ABV

Pros

  • Nose full of fruits and vanilla that is balanced perfectly by the oak from the bourbon.
  • If you like Redbreast 12 this is going to nock your socks off.
  • Perfectly balanced flavors that make for easy sipping.

Cons

  • Can you find it!
  • If you are on a budget, these bottles can hurt your wallet.
BottleScorePrice
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750ml
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750ml
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750ml
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750ml
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750ml
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750ml
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750ml
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700ml
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750ml
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750ml
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750ml
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750ml
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750ml
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750ml
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750ml
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750ml
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750ml
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750ml
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750ml
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500ml
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500ml
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750ml
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750ml
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750ml
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750ml
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750ml
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750ml
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750ml
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750ml
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750ml
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750ml
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750ml
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700ml
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750ml
Breaker29$65 / 750ml
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750ml
Stranahan's27$60 / 750ml
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750ml
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750ml
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750ml
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750ml
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750ml
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750ml
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750ml
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750ml
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750ml
Pops McCann0$40 / 750ml
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750ml

High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey

High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey is a product of the Royal Oak Distillery in a joint venture with New Riff Distilling. If you are familiar with the Busker brand of Irish Whisky you’ve already drank a few drams that the Royal Oak Distillery created.

High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Unlike American Bourbon, new Irish Whiskey offerings don’t come out every day, so when I saw this bottle of High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover I jumped on it, super excited to open the bottle and try it.

Now that the bottle is open, let’s dig into how it stands up to its peers.

High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey

The Nose

The nose on this High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey is delicate but deep. There are those lovely butter cookie notes I love in Irish Whisky in general mixed with vanilla and molasses. The sweetness here is rich but some ends with a dry not that really accents the time spent in the Sherry Casks. For a Whiskey bottled at cask strength there is zero booziness.

The Palate

This whiskey is just so damn smooth. There is absolutely no hint that this was bottled at cask strength. The front of my tongue is awash in desert flavors. Sweetness and butter cookies. The mid tongue blends that sweetness and creamy maltiness with the dryness of the time spent in the sherry casks. The finish is a blend of those sweet flavors and the dryness of the sherry. It really is a masterful blend.

These are very rich flavors. Have you ever had a really fatty, creamy meal that was amazing, but also made you think you just couldn’t eat another bite? It is so so rich you can’t take it? That is exactly how this High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover made me feel.

The Score

High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey scored a 97/100 making it Sip Worthy. This is an expensive whiskey, but if you have the dollars, it is well worth a try.

Color

Amber and dark honey.

Proof

58.7% ABV

Pros

  • This is a dangerous bottle. It is so smooth you don’t feel the Cask Strength bottling until your head is swimming a bit.
  • Sometimes I crave that dry sherry finish on my Irish Whiskey and this knocked it out of the park.

Cons

  • At $160 bucks this is a steep price for the bottle.
  • This is a limited release. if you love it you may not be able to find it again.
BottleScorePrice
Redbreast Cask Strength97$100 / 750ml
High N’ Wicked The Wild Rover Single Malt Irish Whiskey97$160 / 750ml
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon96$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 12 Years96$70 / 750ml
Jameson The Distiller’s Safe95$70 / 750ml
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon94$45 / 750ml
Redbreast Lustau Edition92$65 / 750ml
Redbreast 1591$115 / 750ml
The Dubliner 10 Year89$70 / 750ml
Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year81$65 / 700ml
Jameson IPA Edition80$30 / 750ml
Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition Irish Whiskey80$125 / 750ml
Don Julio 194280$190 / 750ml
Basil Hayden’s75$35 / 750ml
Jameson Irish Whiskey75$25 / 750ml
John L. Sullivan Irish Whiskey72$25 / 750ml
Tullamore Dew Caribbean Rum Cask Finish Irish Whiskey72$30 / 750ml
Bushmills 10 Year Irish Whiskey72$50 / 750ml
Clyde May’s Original Alabama Style Whiskey71$35 / 750ml
Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey70$40 / 750ml
Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey70$20 / 750ml
Kirkland Irish Whiskey65$18 / 1500ml
Wellsley Farms Irish Whiskey65$28 / 1500ml
Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey62$65 / 750ml
Stillhouse Black Bourbon61$20 / 750ml
Jameson Orange55$30 / 750ml
Buffalo Trace55$25 / 750ml
Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey51$30 / 750ml
Knob Creek Small Batch49$35 / 750ml
Blade And Bow48$50 / 750ml
Proclamation Irish Whiskey44$30 / 750ml
The Temple Bar Irish Whiskey40$60 / 750ml
Redemption Bourbon 40$30 / 750ml
Natterjack Irish Whiskey35$35 / 750ml
Baha Founders Reserve30$65 / 700ml
Woodford Reserve29$35 / 750ml
Breaker29$65 / 750ml
Pure Kentucky28$35 / 750ml
Stranahan's27$60 / 750ml
Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey26$45 / 750ml
Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon Whiskey15$30 / 750ml
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey10$20 / 750ml
Hill Billy Bourbon9$20 / 750ml
Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey5$25 / 750ml
The Busker Irish Whiskey4$35 / 750ml
Kavanagh Irish Whiskey3$25 / 750ml
The Balvenie 14 Years Caribbean Cask1$100 / 750ml
American XXX Born Bourbon Whiskey1$25 / 750ml
Pops McCann0$40 / 750ml
Silkie Irish Whiskey0$30 / 750ml