MIDLETON VERY RARE SILENT DISTILLERY COLLECTION CHAPTER 6

THE LAST DROPS FROM OLD MIDLETON DISTILLERY

This is the story of Old Midleton Distillery, a place like no other where, over 200 glorious years, the art and alchemy of distilling Irish whiskey has been honed to perfection.

However, it’s also the story of the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery collection and its final chapter. Born from a unique liquid that has lain in a quiet corner of the old distillery for five decades, the collection’s last hurrah is our oldest ever release. It celebrates as well as elevates all the complexities, virtues and handcrafted qualities of a classic Single Pot Still whiskey.

A fitting tribute to Max Crockett, Master Distiller and forefather of a truly iconic Irish whiskey in the making.

FROM FIRST TO LAST

The year 2025. A milestone on the journey for Old Midleton Distillery. It heralds the unveiling of the very last whiskey created from the very last barrel aged in this special place. It also marks 200 years since the Murphy brothers – James, Daniel and Jeremiah – first acquired an abandoned woollen mill on the banks of the Dungourney River. Their imaginations fired by a relaxation of the Excise Act, the brothers saw an opportunity in the market for whiskey.

The site’s original stills were last used in June 1975 and, while much has changed since those pioneering days, echoes of the past like the old Distiller’s Cottage, the giant water wheel and the gargantuan pot still continue to exert a powerful influence.

So too do memories of the people who have always been the old distillery’s beating heart.

Men like Barry Crockett who, as a young man, began his journey to becoming a Master Distiller by checking the quality of the barley brought into the distillery by local farmers. Only the very best made it past Barry’s critical eye. Tutored by his father Max, himself a Midleton Master Distiller, Barry went on to learn more precious skills and over the years he has brought together the finest raw materials, the most advanced techniques and a dedicated team of craftspeople to create what he describes as ‘an orchestra in perfect harmony’.

“Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is a whiskey whose excellence is shaped by so many extraordinary factors. From the characteristics of the now incredibly rare single pot still distillate style created back in Old Midleton, to the 50-year maturation process under the care of my predecessors and I, to a one-of-a-kind final marrying, this whiskey has been looked after like no other. Max, Barry, Brian, Ger and I, alongside the Midleton Distillery family past and present, have been a team over many decades, protecting and nurturing this liquid to achieve its peak. While there is a sense of sadness as the Old Midleton Distillery and the Silent Distillery Collection reach a close, I know they would all agree that it has been an extraordinary privilege to be part of the creation process.”

Kevin O’Gorman – Master Distiller

THE SUM OF THE PARTS

2025 also marks 50 years since the cask of whiskey at the heart of this, the sixth and ultimate release in the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery collection, began its journey to fruition in a secluded corner of the historic old A2 warehouse. Along the way its distinctive nose, taste and finish have been further enhanced by adding specially reserved measures of whiskey drawn from previous Silent Distillery chapters.

For its final ageing, this a once-in-a-lifetime fusion was decanted into a cask purpose-made by Midleton Master Cooper, Ger Buckley, and his team. Fittingly crafted from wood and staves taken from the collection’s original casks, it’s a finishing touch that delivers a Single Pot Still Irish whiskey that has evolved over the decades.

As unique and as carefully considered as the whiskey itself, each glass decanter is individually mouth-blown using time-honoured skills that have been handed down over hundreds of years. Once blown, the decanter’s elegant lines are refined and its final flourishes added by the specialist craftsmen and women of Ireland’s internationally acclaimed House of Waterford.

To commemorate the sixth and final release, master craftsman John Galvin has carefully chosen and combined six woods – a tiger brown oak burr, a lacewood, an elm burr, a tamo ash and a walnut burr. One of each of the woods took pride of place in the cabinets created for the first five chapters in the Silent Distillery collection. The sixth and perhaps the most outstanding wood of all is a stunning blue bird’s eye maple.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE

Opens with decadent notes of dark fruits and malted barley drizzled with forest honey. Earthy aromas of dried tobacco leaves combine with worn leather and antique oak to produce an intricate assortment of flavours that recalls five decades of ageing to perfection. Burnt orange peel and grated ginger deliver vibrant crisp notes alongside subtle hints of black truffle, cocoa aromas and mild nutty undertones.

TASTE

Stone fruit notes to the fore with flavours of peaches and nectarines. Indulgent notes of treacle and whiskey-soaked raisins build over time. Oak tannins work gently in harmony with the pot still spices giving balance to the rounded and luscious texture of this wonderfully complex whiskey.

FINISH

Exquisitely long finish that showcases the range and spectrum of flavours ranging from crisp, elegant and sweet notes to the rich, earthy and oak driven nature of this timeless liquid.