Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood
The Dair Ghaelach (or “Irish oak”) series is the result of a six-year exploration into using native oak to age Irish whiskey. Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood is the fourth and most recent addition to this collection.
Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood is finished in casks made from Irish oak grown in Kylebeg Wood on the Ballykilcavan Estate in County Laois.
Aged for two years in Irish oak, this special whiskey is imbued with the flavor of Ireland. Its unique story is told in each sublime sip – a story of native oak in harmony with classically rich, spicy single pot still Irish whiskey. This is a whiskey like no other – as satisfyingly Irish as it is undeniably elegant.
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Tasting Notes
Nose
Fragrant woodland spices with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg to the fore accompanied by aromatic oils and earthy pot still notes. Delicate hints of nectarine develop to create a zesty fruit note with dustings of white pepper. Additional aromas of dairy fudge and vanilla further accentuate the sweet nature of the whiskey.
Taste
Fortified by the Irish Oak, the pot still spices lead with a heightened intensity thanks to the rich wood tannins before subsiding to reveal velvety tones of caramel with sweet stewed apple and touches of orange peel. Dark chocolate with subtle notes of honeycomb and vanilla weave amongst the spices.
Finish
Delightfully long finish with the fruits and spices slowly fading, allowing the Irish Oak to linger until the very end.
The Dair Ghaelach Collection
Kylebeg Wood and the Walsh Kemmis Family
The fourth chapter of the Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach series takes us to Kylebeg Wood on the Ballykilcavan Estate in County Laois.
Situated amidst rolling fields of barley, the native Irish woodland has been managed carefully and in tune with nature by the Walsh-Kemmis family since 1639 – that’s through 13 generations.
Kylebeg Wood, or An Coill Beag in Irish, translates to “little wood.” In this little wood, native Irish oak was planted in 1820 to replace trees that were felled for shipbuilding during the Napoleonic Wars.
Close to Nature
Today, David Walsh-Kemmis manages the majestic oak in Kylebeg Wood. He uses a “close to nature” forest management system.
Under David’s supervision, seven trees were carefully felled to produce the finest Irish oak hogsheads for the latest chapter in the Dair Ghaelach series. The place where these trees once stood is now occupied by newly planted saplings. Much of the forest area on the estate is designated as a Natural Heritage Area. Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaleach Kylebeg Wood release pays tribute to the people, flora, and fauna of this beautiful part of Ireland.
The Journey from Oak to Cask
Once harvested, the oak logs were shipped to the Maderbar Sawmills in Barralla, Spain where the same family has been cutting wood for whiskey barrels for over 50 years. They cut the wood using the time-honored craft of quarter sawing.
Next, the staves made the ten-hour journey from the sawmills to the Antonio Paez Lobato cooperage in Jerez, where they were laid out to dry naturally in the warmth of the Spanish sun. 15 months later, the Kylebeg oak staves were worked into 42 casks, and each was lightly toasted.
Finally, the oak casks for Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood came to Midleton Very Rare, where they were filled with a range of 15- to 28-year-old single pot still whiskeys previously matured in American oak barrels.
Nosed and tasted every month, Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman, Master Blender Billy Leighton, and Blender David McCabe kept a vigilant watch on the spirits. After two years, they decided the Irish oak influence had struck a perfect balance with the single pot still character.
And there you have it – Kylebeg Wood is the first Irish whiskey to be matured in Irish oak from County Laois. It’s as individual as it is irresistible.
Tree 1: 55.6% ABV Tree 2: 56.1% ABV Tree 3: 56% ABV Tree 4: 56% ABV Tree 5: 56% ABV Tree 6: 55.4% ABV Tree 7: 55.9% ABV
