


We’re a veritable warehouse of rare whiskey knowledge. Why not start by indulging the senses with our in-depth tasting notes, discovering a rarely seen cask finish, or exploring new releases with the guidance of our Masters, and then raise a glass to the only source of Midleton Very Rare information you’ll ever need.
Step into the 1825 Room and let us open the doors of Midleton Distillery to you.

Introducing the fifth chapter of our Dair Ghaelach Collection— Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood. This annual release is a result of a six-year exploration by the Midleton Masters as they used their expertise and skill to better understand how to use native oak to mature Irish whiskey. Led by Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman, the two prerequisites for Dair Ghaelach were that the Irish oak must be sourced in a sustainable way, viable for the long-term and to craft a new and outstanding style of Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and those who have purchased a piece of this collection know we have achieved that.
For this release, Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood, our team worked with our forestry specialist partners to select Irish oak trees which had reached the end of their lifecycle to give them a new lease of life as a specialty cask for a rare Midleton Very Rare whiskey. Six Irish oak trees were specially selected from the grounds of Kilranelagh Estate by the team at Midleton Very Rare and our forestry specialist to create an extremely limited number of casks. These casks were filled with a specially selected range of fifteen-to-twenty-eight-year-old Single Pot Still whiskeys previously matured in American oak barrels.
Each iteration of the Dair Ghaelach collection takes inspiration from the flora and fauna of the particular forest, estate or wood which the oak is sustainably retrieved from, and this new cabinet which houses this special release takes inspiration from the unique landscape and native fauna of Baltinglass and the Wicklow mountains. Not only did the artist, David Rooney, take inspiration from the natural landscape, they encapsulated the hare, a frequent visitor to the estate and a powerful part of Celtic mythology and folklore. The hare has links to the mysterious Otherworld of the supernatural, and the Irish hare is native to Ireland and carbon dating of fossils show they were present in Ireland as far back as 28,000BC. In Irish folklore, the hare has links to Otherworld communities whose world was reached by mists, hills, lakes, ponds, wetland areas, cairns and mounds. Celtic people looked on the hare as a creature with supernatural powers, and was admired for its strength, speed and magical nature.
The pairing of the hare and the picturesque scenery, flora and fauna of Kilranelagh Estate with the great Irish oak used for this release is an homage to the history of this special area and brings whiskey collectors, connoisseurs and appreciators a truly special Irish whiskey from the pinnacle of Irish whiskey, Midleton Very Rare.
Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood is a testament to generations of mastery, care, and dedication to produce a whiskey which is as satisfyingly Irish as it is undeniably elegant.