Midleton releases exclusive whiskeys

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard has launched two new rare, single cask, single pot still whiskeys from the Midleton Distillery, makers of the Jameson.

Both new expressions have been released under the Midleton brand, and created exclusively from individual casks for two specific customers – the new Irish Whiskey Collection shop at the recently opened Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport, and The Celtic Whiskey Shop on Dublin's Dawson Street.

Just 200 bottles of the Terminal 2 release were yielded from cask No 48709. This 19-year-old single pot still whiskey was laid down in November 1991 in a first-fill American bourbon barrel and has, in a new departure for the Midleton brand, been bottled at cask strength (53.7%abv). The whiskey has a dark, fleshy fruit character in balance with the underlying pot still spiciness.

The presentation box includes a portion of stave from the barrel in which the whiskey spent its life maturing. Each bottle is individually numbered and retails at €260.

The Celtic Whiskey Shop release was laid down in December 1996, also in a first-fill American bourbon barrel, and has been bottled at 46%abv. This slightly lighter style offers green apples and banana on the palate. Just 270 individually numbered bottles have been made available, retailing at €225 each.

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard CEO Alex Ricard says: “Connoisseurs of fine spirits have always eagerly awaited the annual vintage release of Midleton Very Rare, and with these new single cask, single pot still expressions, we are giving consumers more opportunities to experience the wonderful whiskey complexities of Midleton. Due to their rarity, we expect a high amount of interest.

About Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Pot Still Irish Whiskey is a style of whiskey that is unique to Ireland in general and to the Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, in particular and is regarded as the quintessential style of Irish whiskey.

Made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, which is then triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills, pot still Irish whiskeys are characterised by full, complex flavours and a wonderful, creamy mouthfeel. The inclusion of unmalted barley to the mashbill distinguishes pot still whiskeys from the more widely known malt whiskeys which use only malted barley and is a uniquely Irish approach to whiskey distillation.

Single Pot Still Whiskeys (whiskeys originating from a single distillery) were once the norm in Ireland and from the late 18th century to the early 20th century, pot still Irish whiskey was the most popular style of whiskey in the world. However, this style fell out of favour and the increasingly popular blended whiskeys, which combine lighter unmalted grain whiskey with the fuller flavoured pot still whiskey, led to the demise of pot still Irish whiskey. While pot still whiskey continues to be used as a key component in many well known Irish blend brands, by the turn of the millennium only two Single Pot Still whiskey brands had survived – Redbreast & Green Spot. However, in recent years, this style of whiskey has received positive attention from whiskey commentators and enthusiasts alike giving rise to a groundswell of interest and in the release of new expressions.

1 January 2011 - Felicity Murray