For the Men’s Journal Spirits Awards, a team looked for top bottles of liquor in various categories, with Irish whiskey being a prominent focus. Year after year, a standout winner has emerged: Redbreast Single Pot Still Whiskey has consistently been named the best overall Irish whiskey, a remarkable feat considering the growing number of distilleries crafting both classic and innovative brands in Ireland.

This year, the accolade goes to Redbreast 18 Year Old, as highlighted by contributor Stinson Carter. The whiskey’s rich and complex flavor stems from its unique maturation process, which involves aging in three types of barrels: ex-bourbon barrels, oloroso sherry casks, and ruby port casks. This combination imparts a delightful range of flavors, offering sweet notes of chocolate and dark berries paired with savory hints of leather and tobacco.

Unlike many popular Irish whiskeys such as Jameson, which often blend pot still and grain whiskey, Redbreast is made exclusively from pot still whiskey, utilizing a mash of both malted and unmalted barley, and is distilled three times in large copper pot stills. Although this labor-intensive method may not be the most efficient, it creates an extraordinary depth of flavor.

Grain whiskeys, in contrast, are produced using continuous column stills that optimize efficiency and quantity, allowing major brands to lower costs through blending. Redbreast retains the traditional craft of single pot still whiskey, a heritage that dates back far in Irish distilling.

Despite its high quality, many have yet to discover Redbreast, as it has only been available in the United States since 2008. Since its introduction, it has garnered appreciation from Men’s Journal readers, bartenders, and whiskey enthusiasts nationwide.