RRP: €55,000
The 49-year-old limited edition expression is the penultimate opportunity for whiskey lovers to experience the Silent Distillery collection crafted from the old Midleton Distillery.
The Cask, The Whiskey, The Coming Together
The Old Midleton Distillery fell silent many years ago, but its spirit survives. It endures in the hearts and minds of the people who work there. It lives on in the cobbled yards, in the old buildings, the original pot stills and aged oak casks. Casks like the one our Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman, selected to marry the distillates that for almost half a century have been maturing to perfection, undisturbed in a quiet corner of the old distillery.
Originally distilled by Max Crockett, then watched over by his successors – first by his son, Barry, then by Brian Nation and finally by Kevin O’Gorman – this notable liquid demanded a final nurturing in an equally notable cask. Trusted with its selection, O’Gorman chose an ex-bourbon cask originally imported from the United States. Made from American oak, it was repaired by Ger Buckley’s father in the mid-1970s and to his day proudly bears the Buckley mark. A true testament to the cooper’s skill, through rain and shine it’s stood the test of time, not leaking ones in 50 years.
So it is that the coming together of wood, whiskey and masters of their craft creates Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Chapter 5, an Irish Whiskey as unique as it is special.
Silent Distillery Chapter 5
Tasting Notes
Taste
Opens with a vibrant medley of stone and citrus fruits, enhanced by the pot still whiskey’s luscious and silk-coating texture. The oak’s tannins slowly build, adding notes of herbal tea and dark chocolate, while the spices arise, and ginger perfectly complement the sweet undertones of salted caramel and toffee apple.
Nose
Delicate hints of fruit at first, with peach, apricot and dates to the fore. Notes of sugar glazed almonds, worn leather and antique wood add to the complexity. Indulgent sweet tones of treacle toffee, vanilla essence and heather honey work in harmony with the earthy woodland aromas and light dusting of white pepper which quietly linger in the background.
Finish
A lingering finish in which decades of ageing has developed intense and rich flavours, leaving the pot still spices and fruits to have the final say as the oak slowly fades.
52.4% ABV, 700ml
The Wood at the Heart of our Whiskey
For hundreds of thousands of years, wood has helped shape the forever unfolding story of humankind. It’s fuelled the fires that give warmth and light. It’s offered shelter and comfort.
It’s cooked food and made water pure. From the sailing ships that transported the first explorers on their voyages of discovery to the musical instruments that sooth us, from a sheet of paper to boxes, barrels and chests, ‘universally beautiful’ wood is one of nature’s greatest and most enduring gifts. And sometimes it’s most surprising.
Take the part wood has played in helping our Master Distillers age the older collection of Irish Whiskey. Wooden casks are at its heart, each one with its own unique character, defined by its history and liberated in each new release including this, the fifth release from Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection.
The Penultimate Expression of Silent Distillery
The Brilliance Shines Through
Just as the liquid and the cask chosen to finesse it to perfection are special, so too is the decanter created to cherish it. Uniquely designed to mark the release of this limited edition, each one is traditionally mouth-blown before the final refinements and flourished are added by the specialist craftsmen and women of Ireland’s world-renowned House of Waterford.
Paying meticulous attention to detail as they finish, etch and polish by hand, their individual skills mean each decanter is subtly different but still the artistry and brilliance that are synonymous with the Waterford name shine through.
The Perfection of a Passion
John Galvin is a master craftsman with a passion for wood. A passion too for precision engineering and highly considered, contemporary design. And, in a fusion of all three, John and the team at his award-winning workshop have crafted the perfect cabinet for the fifth release in the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery collection.
Each one is handmade from tiger brown oak burr. Much prized by furniture makers and woodworkers since the 19th century, the wood is quarter sawn, creating distinctive rays and flecks of white and red which some say resemble a tiger’s markings – hence its name.
To complement the tiger oak, each cabinet is dressed in a premium Sulky Antiqued white leather that has been vegetable tanned. Final flourishes include detailing in sterling silver as well as oak reclaimed from whiskey vats.