Midleton Very Rare 爱尔兰甜栗木桶版：17–24 年原酒再收尾 5 年，The Whiskey Wash 给出 10/10

They say drinking whiskey outside can make it taste different, but tasting Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut in the very forest where its casks began their journey was an experience I’ll never forget.

I was invited by Irish Distillers to visit Midleton Distillery, meet the people behind this remarkable release, and travel to the Cappoquin Estate in County Waterford, where the Irish chestnut trees were sourced. Surrounded by the people who helped create this whiskey, alongside the owner of the land where the trees had grown, everyone was visibly giddy about just how incredible it was.

The use of chestnut wood to mature Irish whiskey began at Midleton in 2011, with the wood used to finish some early Method and Madness releases. This gave the Midleton team an idea: what if they could use this interesting wood for an older, rarer release? And what if they could source domestically grown sweet chestnut rather than buying it from France or Spain?

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The Story Behind Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut

Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut is bottled at a cask strength of 56.1% ABV and combines single grain and single pot still whiskeys aged between 17 and 24 years. Initially matured in a mix of first-fill and refill ex-bourbon casks, the whiskey then underwent a five-year secondary maturation in bespoke, 250-liter Irish sweet chestnut hogsheads that have had an extraordinary journey of their own.

The rarity of these casks cannot be overstated. We were told a tale by Eric Ryan (Maturation & Innovation Specialist) before tasting the final whiskey:

“Throughout Ireland’s history, it was said that a squirrel wouldn’t touch the ground if it went from the north to the south due to the amount of forest that existed in all of Ireland.”

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READ THE STORY

Ireland’s history has been marked by devastation in many forms, including the destruction of its forests. Chestnut trees are believed to have been introduced by the Normans, but centuries of conflict over land, foreign rule, the clearing of forests for income and the demands of warfare all contributed to the loss of Ireland’s woodland.

At one point, Ireland became a major importer of staves for cask production, having lost so much of the woodland it once possessed.

It’s worth pointing out that Irish whiskey regulations allow producers to mature whiskey in casks made from different types of wood. Unlike Scotch whisky, oak isn’t a legal requirement.

From Irish Chestnut Trees to Midleton Whiskey Casks

The wood sourced for this release came from the Cappoquin Estate, 2,000 acres that have been held by Sir Charles Keane and his family since 1735 in west Waterford.

A parcel of Irish chestnut was located by Paddy Purser, who has been involved in developing Midleton’s Dair Ghaelach program with Kevin O’Gorman, using virgin Irish oak to finish select Midleton Very Rare releases.

The trees were felled on November 29, 2017, before being sent to Galicia, Spain, to be sawn into staves. They were then transported to Jerez, where Tonelería Antonio Páez Lobato turned them into casks.

Chestnut is significantly more tannic than oak and is also much more porous, resulting in a lower density. Consequently, seasoning this wood required much more monitoring than oak.

The staves dried much more quickly, but because of the porous nature of the wood, they had to be sprayed with water throughout the process to prevent cracking and other issues. Given the rarity of domestically sourced Irish chestnut, taking care of these staves was particularly important.

The seasoning process lasted around 15 months in Spain.

Once the moisture levels had dropped to around 16%, the staves were expertly assembled into casks, toasted rather than charred, and shipped back to Midleton.

There, they were cared for under the watchful eye of Derek Cronin, the first new cooper at Midleton in 45 years, who took over from the legendary Ger Buckley. Derek is now responsible for monitoring and maintaining more than 2,000,000 casks at Midleton Distillery.

Derek now has Ger’s cooper’s mark in his possession. For those of you who read my article on Midleton’s 200th anniversary last year, Ger and his family’s story is one of the most emotional and romantic you’ll ever hear in whiskey.

The mature whiskeys were then transferred into these 250-liter chestnut hogsheads for what ended up being a five-year secondary maturation.

Within the first year, the whiskey had taken on a huge amount of color and flavor, before eventually plateauing under the watchful assessment of both Kevin O’Gorman (Master Distiller) and Eric Ryan (Maturation & Innovation Specialist).

How Chestnut Wood Influences Midleton Very Rare Whiskey

When it comes to the single pot still components, we’re looking at a combination of three styles: light, medium and heavy/traditional.

One thing worth keeping in mind is that these variations use the exact same ingredients of malted and unmalted barley, but are collected at different cut points during distillation.

The heavy/traditional style uses a much wider cut, which the distillery only produces for two to three weeks a year. That wider cut brings in congeners that benefit from longer aging. As a result, this heavier style is highly sought-after and tends to be used for more premium and older releases in the range.

An incredible detail that demonstrates just how porous chestnut wood is: Midleton would typically expect an evaporation loss of around 12% over a five-year period. Once the aged whiskeys were placed into the chestnut casks, they lost 29% over those five years.

Tasting Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut at Cappoquin Estate

After a fully immersive day of seeing these chestnut casks, touring the old distillery, having in-depth talks with Eric Ryan and Derek Cronin, and trying some remarkable whiskey, we got to be part of one of the greatest moments I’ve ever experienced in whiskey.

We were driven to the Cappoquin Estate in west Waterford, passing Mark Zuckerberg’s newest purchase, a castle, along the way. Ironically, he really enjoys his privacy.

Arriving at this stunning estate on a warm day with the most subtle chill in the air, we were given pairs of Wellington boots to help us through the undergrowth, along with some fresh apples taken directly from the estate’s trees.

We stepped through a tightly packed forest illuminated by delicate orange neon light, where we were greeted by a gentleman and his woodturning tools. His name was John, and he showed us his carefully developed skills as he carved these beautiful wooden drinking cups.

After a wonderful chat and seeing his work, we continued until a small break in the trees revealed Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman standing beside the twin coppice that once held two of these rare Irish chestnut trees.

The stump was adorned with a bottle of Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut, and the entire group was giddy with excitement, still processing the history and knowledge we’d gained throughout this journey.

The whiskey is excellent. There’s no other way of describing it, and you can see my review below for an in-depth breakdown.

One point that has to be made is that I’ve never experienced a launch event where everyone was so excited. This wasn’t just a brand-new product, but something that had taken almost a decade to release. Something that had distillers, maturation experts and coopers wearing mile-wide smiles.

I can only hope that the excitement of the group I was part of mirrored what we saw, heard and tasted as we were walked through this remarkable journey of domestic whiskey production.

Midleton Very Rare Sweet Irish Chestnut Review, 56.1% ABV

Color: Heavy gold.

Nose: Waves of warm honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, toasted coconut, banana bread, chocolate spread, chocolate orange and apple blossom.

Palate: Orange bitters, caramel, crisp red apples, dark chocolate with orange, toasted wood and floral vanilla.

Finish: Warm honey on toast, salted caramel, baked cereals, bitter orange, sultanas, wet oak, poached pears and nutmeg.

Comments: In some ways, it’s a classic example of Midleton Very Rare, with welcoming sweetness and classic single pot still spice notes. However, the influence of the chestnut and this five-year additional maturation has brought fresh apples, chocolate in many different forms, and salted caramel to the forefront, while showing off those warmer, sweeter, delicate notes that make Midleton Very Rare such a special whiskey.

The weight and texture of this whiskey are exceptional. The way the finish builds and builds once the liquid has left your tongue leaves you both craving more and thinking so much more about what you’re tasting.

A first of its kind. A special project. Something that has left the whiskey makers so visibly happy that it’s impossible not to get drunk on their excitement alone.

Score: 10/10

A Thank You to the Midleton Very Rare Team

A special thanks has to be given to so many people who made this one of the most interesting, immersive and community-driven projects I’ve experienced, with nothing but pure passion and creativity at its heart. A nearly decade-long project that I was fortunate enough to be invited to experience.

A massive thanks to the tour and distillery team: Mike, Eric Ryan, Derek Cronin and Kevin O’Gorman. Thanks also to Paddy Purser for chatting with us about Irish forestry, and Sir Charles Keane for letting us explore his land and dine at his incredible house.

And finally, thanks to the marketing team and ambassadors who were present throughout the trip: Alice, Gaele and Ciaran, as well as Judi and Maia from M+C Saatchi, who kept a group of very excitable whiskey fans together as we traveled through this experience and became a special little community, some of the first people to taste this truly remarkable whiskey.