To date, I’ve not found a Redbreast whiskey I’ve not liked and the Lustau Edition is no exception. This edition was released towards the end of 2016 and was born from a collaboration between the Bodegas Lustau and Midleton Distillery.

Bodega Lustau is a sherry producer in Jerez, Spain. The vineyard’s history dates back to 1896 when Don José Ruiz-Berdejo founded it. To create this edition, the whiskey is initially matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks for about 9-12 years. It is then additional matured for one more year in hand selected sherry butts from the Bodegas Lustau.

Tasting Notes
Nose: sherry, oak, fig and spices
Palate: cinnamon, sherry and spices. It is slightly sweet with a bit of bite.
Finish: creamy, smooth with slight ending notes of sweetness and spices

This is a great tasting whiskey! I enjoyed and appreciated the uniqueness the Lustau casks added to the final product. You will find that there is a good amount of bite to the whiskey but the sweet notes brought out by the sherry casks help balance that bite. In other words, it is sweet but not to the point where it is overpowering.

If you are wondering how this release compares to other Redbreast releases, to me it doesn’t. It’s very different than any other Redbreast I have tasted. It is beautifully made whiskey.

The whiskey is balanced, smooth and super creamy. I have nothing bad to say about this product. I enjoyed it from start to finish and think it’s an excellent choice to try for those who have never tried this brand before.

I will go on a limb and say that I enjoyed the Lustau edition more than the Redbreast 12-year. If you’ve had Redbreast before and for some reason you didn’t enjoy it, I think you’ll feel differently about this edition. I highly recommend trying.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.