Midleton Distillery Celebrates 200 Years With Japanese Oak Innovation

Summary:

• Midleton Distillery is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a limited-edition 28-year-old single pot still whiskey featuring its first-ever use of Japanese Mizunara oak.
• Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman selected five aged casks to create a whiskey with rich tropical fruit notes, soft oak tannins, and layered spices.
• Only 636 bottles will be released, priced at €1,500, available for pre-order and in limited quantities at select Midleton and Jameson distillery locations starting 16 December.

In celebration of its 200th anniversary, Irish heritage whiskey house Midleton Distillery is launching a limited-edition 28-year-old single pot still whiskey featuring a first-of-its-kind Japanese Mizunara oak influence for a Midleton Very Rare release.

Showcasing the distillery’s dedication to whiskey artistry, Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman oversaw the creation of the new expression. O’Gorman hand-selected five aged casks, including a bespoke whiskey previously matured in American oak and the rare Japanese Mizunara oak. The result is a whiskey of extraordinary depth, offering a taste of “exotic fruits of pineapple, peach, and apricot accompanied by caramelised sweet pear, intertwining with delicate, soft oak tannins and woodland spices of cinnamon and nutmeg,” as the house describes it. “The spices continue to build with notes of grated ginger peel, while the fruits remain constant throughout to create a wonderfully luscious, full-bodied whiskey with both depth and complexity,”

Reflecting on the significance of the milestone anniversary, Head of Archives Carol Quinn said, “We are marking the 200th anniversary of Midleton Distillery in the most appropriate way, by paying tribute to our rich distilling tradition which celebrates our history, our people, our brands, and our craft. Over the year, we delved into the company archive to bring our past to life, sharing with the world the cultural richness and ambition that have driven the distillery forward over two centuries. This release is shaped by that long legacy of innovation and dedication to quality, which has been the cornerstone of distilling at Midleton for generations.”

The Midleton Very Rare 200th Anniversary Edition is bottled at 54.7% ABV, with only 636 bottles available, priced at €1,500 (approximately $1,631). To mark the anniversary, each bottle comes in a beautifully crafted gift box bearing a commemorative stamp honoring the distillery’s historic milestone.

Pre-orders are now open via the Midleton Distillery Collection online for delivery from December 16 . It will also be available in limited quantities in-store at the Midleton Distillery Experience in Cork and at Jameson Distillery Bow St. in Dublin from December 16.