The people behind Redbreast Irish Whiskey have been quietly building something over the last several years, and it has everything to do with Spain. Their Iberian Series, a collection of limited releases that lean heavily on casks sourced from the sun-drenched corners of the Iberian Peninsula, just got a new addition. It is called the Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Edition, and it marks the fifth chapter in a story that has turned into one of the more interesting ongoing projects in the Irish whiskey world.
Every bottle of Redbreast starts life in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. That much has been true for a long time. But the Iberian Series takes that foundation and pushes it further by seeking out very specific types of sherry casks for finishing. In this case, Master Blender David McCabe and his team at Midleton Distillery turned to Moscatel wine casks, sourced from a bodega in Málaga, Spain, that has been in operation since 1880.
That bodega is called Bodegas Quitapenas, and it is currently run by a fifth generation of the same family. Marta Suárez Prieto and her cousin Víctor Suárez Onrubia oversee the operation today, carrying forward a winemaking tradition that stretches back nearly a century and a half. The casks they provided for this release are European Oak hogsheads that were seasoned with Moscatel wine for a full two years before they ever made the trip to Ireland.
Once those casks arrived at Midleton Distillery in County Cork, they were filled with a specially selected batch of Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. The liquid inside had already spent time maturing in ex-American whiskey casks and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Then came the final step, a finishing period of sixteen months in the Moscatel casks from Málaga. The result, bottled at 46% ABV, is a whiskey that leans noticeably toward citrus and Mediterranean character while still keeping the pot still backbone that Redbreast drinkers know well.
The flavor profile reads like a walk through a warm climate market. There is fresh tangerine on the nose, along with twisted orange peel and a soft herbal quality that brings chamomile tea to mind. Nutmeg and cedarwood show up as quiet supporting notes. As the whiskey develops on the palate, the influence of the wine-seasoned oak becomes clear through vanilla, floral honey, and sugar-glazed fruits. And because this is still a pot still whiskey at heart, there is a layer of spice underneath it all, black peppercorn and clove working in the background to keep things grounded.
The relationship between Midleton Distillery and Iberian cask producers did not start yesterday. McCabe and former Master Blender Billy Leighton have spent decades building connections with winemakers and cask producers across Spain and Portugal. Those relationships are the engine behind the entire Iberian Series, and each new release is essentially an invitation for whiskey drinkers to explore a different corner of that region through the lens of Irish pot still whiskey.
"The launch of Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Edition is a celebration of Redbreast's heritage, craftsmanship, and incredible legacy dating back to the late 1800s," said Master Blender, David McCabe. "The use of Spanish Moscatel-seasoned casks is a tribute to Redbreast's historic ties to sherry and fortified wines, and our appreciation for the incredible people across the region, including Marta and her family at Bodegas Quitapenas, which was founded in 1880. Their remarkable family heritage inspired the richness and depth of this expression."
That sentiment was echoed on the Spanish side. "It has been a great honor to work with David and his team at Midleton on the launch of Redbreast Moscatel Wine Cask Edition, which pays such a wonderful tribute to our rich family history," said Marta Suárez Prieto of Bodegas Quitapenas. "Along with my cousin Víctor, we have taken great care to season the casks perfectly, to ensure the new expression is infused with wonderful flavor notes of sweet honey, dates and caramelized fruits alongside gentle herbal, floral and citrus tones."
There is something worth paying attention to in how both parties talk about this whiskey. It is not just a distillery picking up interesting casks at auction or through a broker. There is a genuine collaboration happening, where the bodega seasons specific casks to a specific standard, knowing exactly what the whiskey maker on the other end is going to do with them. That kind of intentional partnership tends to show up in the final product, and it is part of what has separated the Iberian Series from the flood of cask-finished whiskeys that have hit the market in recent years.
Redbreast itself carries significant weight in the whiskey world right now. The brand claims the title of the world's most awarded single pot still Irish whiskey, a distinction backed by results from eight major global blind tasting competitions in 2025 alone. Those competitions include the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the World Whiskies Awards, the International Wine and Spirit Competition, and several others. That kind of consistent recognition across multiple judging panels is not something that happens by accident.
For anyone unfamiliar with the term, single pot still whiskey is a style unique to Ireland. It uses a mash bill of both malted and unmalted barley, distilled in traditional copper pot stills. The unmalted barley gives the whiskey a distinctive creamy, spicy texture that you simply do not get from single malt or grain whiskey. It is a style that nearly disappeared during the twentieth century, and Redbreast has been one of the key brands responsible for bringing it back into the conversation.
The Moscatel Wine Cask Edition is recommended neat or over ice, which makes sense given its complexity. At $109.99, it sits in a range that is accessible enough for someone who wants to try something outside their usual rotation but still signals that this is not an everyday pour. It is available through the brand's website at RedbreastWhiskey.com, and given the limited nature of previous Iberian Series releases, it would not be surprising to see it move quickly.
Midleton Distillery, where all of this comes together, recently marked two hundred years of distilling in 2025. That is a milestone that very few operations in the world can claim, and it puts the work McCabe and his team are doing into a longer historical context. The distillery sits in County Cork and is operated by Irish Distillers, which itself was formed back in 1966 through a merger of three historic Irish whiskey houses: John Power and Son, John Jameson and Son, and Cork Distilleries Company. Irish Distillers became part of the Pernod Ricard family in 1988, which opened the door to global distribution and the kind of investment that allows for projects like the Iberian Series to exist.
The broader trend here is worth noting. Whiskey drinkers have become more curious and more willing to explore expressions that push beyond the familiar. Cask finishing, when done well, offers a way to add genuine complexity and character to a spirit without losing its identity. The Iberian Series has been one of the better examples of this approach in the Irish whiskey category, and the Moscatel edition seems designed to reward drinkers who appreciate nuance and are willing to sit with a glass long enough to let the layers unfold.
Whether someone has followed every release in the series or is just now hearing about it, the Moscatel Wine Cask Edition offers a clear entry point into what Redbreast is doing at the intersection of Irish tradition and Spanish winemaking heritage. It is a bottle that tells a story about two families, two countries, and a shared appreciation for doing things the slow, careful way.
