Redbreast 27 Tasting

dennislhopkins

Just opened a recently acquired bottle of Batch 1/2019, first release. I could spend hours with Glencairn in hand, just on the nose. It's unbelievable! It is all about darker and/or tropical fruits (raspberries, cherries, dates, blood orange, papaya, guava), sweetness (maple sugar, butter creme frosting), and the casks! Oh, the Oloroso sherry and Spanish Ruby Port notes. This stuff is cask strength, 54.5 ABV, and is pretty potent on the nose. Spent 30 minutes just smelling and swirling. I wanted to give this exquisite nectar time to open up with air at room temperature. On the palette it's spicy, rich, oily, mouth coating, sweet, and the tropical fruit (especially papaya and maybe guava) just screams out at you!! Long finish. The sweetness and fruitiness just goes on and on. Alcohol content pretty strong on first taste. Not as much on second taste. A few drops of water softened the alcohol on the nose, really made that fruity and butter creme/XMAS cake smell come out. Ditto the palette. 3 drops really opened up the richness and complex tastes and aromas for me. This is nothing short of a magnificent, succulent dram. I only allowed myself 25 ml, but I savored it for an hour. I've enjoyed some magnificent old drams (Glenfarclas 25, 30 and 40; Glengoyne 25 and 30, Bruichladdich Black Art 25) to name just a few. This is the only "old" cask strength bottle in my inventory, and consequently is unique unto itself. I think it is worth every penny of the $500 USD it cost me, especially the lasting slow pleasure when measured out 25 ml at a time.