Redbreast vs Yellow Spot: Discover the Better!

Discover the differences between Redbreast vs Yellow Spot in this in-depth comparison and decide which Irish Whiskey is better for You!

Redbreast 12

• Nose: Vanilla, caramel, ginger, orange peel
• Palate: Ripe fruit, citrus, sherry, baking spice, oak
• Finish: Baking spice, red fruit
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Neat
• Similar to: Glenfiddich 12

Taste:

The nose brings a rich vanilla note, followed by caramel, a touch of ginger and a tad of orange peel.

On the palate, the Redbreast feels remarkably creamy with a rich texture that invites you to chew it.

Flavor brings ripe fruit up-front, followed by hints of citrus, sherry wine and a good hit of oak.

Finish is long, bringing pleasing warmth, along baking spice and dried fruit.

Is it good?

Redbreast 12 is a fantastic whiskey better than many famous single malt Scotch whiskies.

It strikes a perfect combination between sweet and spicy notes in an incredibly creamy body.

This whiskey drinks nicely neat and doesn’t need neither water nor ice and much less chaser as it goes down dangerously easy.

The price tag seems a bit high but you won’t remember it after a few rounds.

Redbreast 12 facts:

• The Redbreast is made from malted and unmalted barley.

• Triple-distilled in copper pot stills to later be aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry wine casks. Oloroso is a dry and aromatic style of sherry wine made in Spain renowned for being delicious.

• 96 points from Whisky Advocate.

• Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition on four separate occasions.

• “Irish Whiskey of the Year” at the Irish Whiskey Awards in 2013.

Yellow Spot

• Nose: Ripe fruit, caramel, barley
• Palate: Fruity notes, toasted barley, baking spice
• Finish: Baking spice, ripe fruit, oak
• Alcohol content: 92 proof (46% ABV)
• How to drink: Neat
• Similar to: Green Spot

Taste:

The nose is incredibly aromatic, rich in ripe fruit and caramel, along a touch of toasted barley.

On the palate, the Yellow Spot has a full and buttery feel, coating the mouth completely.

Flavor brings more fruity notes, with hints of peach, banana and apricot up-front, followed by toasted barley and a tad of baking spice.

The finish has a medium to long length, rich in cinnamon and nutmeg notes that linger, with more of those sweet fruity notes and just a bit of oak.

The Yellow Spot has a drying effect conveniently making you drink more of it.

Is it good?

This whiskey is absolutely delicious, with not one off-putting note and no warmth making it supremely drinkable.

It drinks beautifully neat, with no need of adding water or ice. Don’t mess with it.

Yellow Spot facts:

• Yellow Spot is aged for 12 years in a combination of American ex-bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. Malaga is a sweet wine that is made with Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel grape varietals.

• 2016 “Irish Whiskey of the Year” by Whisky Advocate.

• 2016 Gold in the Wizards of Whiskey.

Redbreast vs Yellow Spot: Price comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Whiskey	Price
Redbreast 12	$70
Yellow Spot	$115

Redbreast 12 vs Yellow Spot: Which is better?

The Yellow Spot is better than the already good Redbreast

Whiskey	Redbreast 12	Yellow Spot
Nose		✅
Body	✅	✅
Palate	✅	✅
Finish	✅	✅
Value	✅	✅

• The Yellow Spot is better by a nose. But is it better enough to justify the lofty price gap. That’s tough to answer as the value of money is something relative.

• We can safely say that the Redbreast is a champ in terms of value, as its current price and its tasting notes make it a steal over comparable 12 year old whiskeys.

• The Yellow Spot might seem a bit pricey at first, but I assure you that once you taste it you will see that it is worth every penny.

What do Redbreast and Yellow Spot have in common?

They are both made in the Old Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland. This distillery is property of Jameson, which in turn is owned by Pernod Ricard from France.

That does not mean they are the same whiskeys in different bottles as they all went through different maturation processes; but they are made using the same malts and pot stills.