Whiskey News: Midleton Release Most Expensive Irish Whiskey

Key Details

• Whiskey Name: Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection: Chapter One
• Distillery: The Old Midleton Distillery
• ABV: 51.2%
• Age: 45 years
• Type: Peated Single Malt
• Website: https://www.midletonveryrare.com/en-EN/the1825room/sign-in
• Price: €35,000

Today, Irish Distillers unveiled the most expensive Irish whiskey ever. The previous title belonged to J.J. Corry’s ‘The Chosen’, a 27 year old single malt released in November 2019 at around £6,500. Midleton must have looked at that price tag and said “hold my whiskey”. Just over 3 months later, they’ve produced Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection: Chapter One, at €35,000.

The above picture I took while walking down the old Midleton Distillery maturation room, where they still mature casks, and where the Midleton 1825 members club casks are matured.

There will be a yearly release until 2025, with the whiskey ranging from 45 to 50 years of age. It’s no coincidence they’re running to 2025, the 200th anniversary of the Old Midleton Distillery opening in 1825. What exactly is a Silent Distillery? One that has shut its doors and no longer distils, leaving only unreleased or experimental “unicorn” whiskies maturing in the cellars.

Chapter One is limited to 48 bottles worldwide. I’d expect the rest of the series to be similarly tiny.

It’s a 45-year-old peated single Irish malt, distilled in 1974 under master distiller emeritus Max Crockett (father of Barry Crockett, Master Distiller 1981-2013), a year before the original distillery closed in 1975. It was part of a series of innovative trial batches and was never repeated, and Midleton has no commercial peated single malt in its range (Jameson, Redbreast, Spot, Powers, Paddy, Method and Madness). It was matured in a third-fill sherry cask and is bottled at cask strength (51.2%) in handblown Waterford Crystal decanters, each individually numbered, displayed in a wooden cabinet by Irish designer John Galvin.

Tasting notes provided by Brian Nation, current Master Distiller:

Nose

The first impression is very rich with deep, dark spices on a satisfying antique oak base. An earthy note of freshly cut peat, along with chamois leather, is lifted by a twist of grapefruit. The very old sherry wine seasoned hogshead cask contributes a touch of ripe honeydew melon and red berries, as well as the sweet spices of toasted oak.

Taste

Instantly rich, with the initial peppery spices slowly softening as the influence of the malted barley shows through. Liquorice root, barley sugar and honey bring some sweetness, just given a little edge by a touch of sherbet, all build on a solid foundation of toasted oak.

Finish

The rich spices and malted barley are slow to fade.

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