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Is Midleton made by Jameson?

No. Midleton Whiskey is made by Irish Distillers at the same distillery at which Jameson whiskey is made. Jameson and Midleton are both owned by Irish distillers which in turn is owned by Pernod Ricard, the French drinks conglomerate.

The current Midleton Distillery is considered the new distillery.

It was built alongside the Old Midleton distillery in 1975 to make room for the creation of Irish distillers, which at that time was made up of John Jameson & Son, John Power & Son, and the Cork Distilleries company. Jameson whiskey is the most successful Irish whiskey brand in the world. Midleton VR is believed by many to be the most prestigious. The newest brand on the Midleton distillery site is the Method and Madness single pot still, single malt and single grain whiskey range.

Who is the Midleton Master Distiller?

The Midleton VR range was introduced in 1984 by the then master distiller Barry Crockett. The series was continued and developed by the next master distiller Brian Nation. The current master distiller is Kevin O’Gorman who now carries on the legacy of all three master distillers with Midleton VR. Kevin O’Gorman started working at Irish Distillers in 1998.

What type of whiskey is Midleton Very Rare?

Midleton Very Rare (or Midleton VR) is a Single Pot Still whiskey. This is a style of whiskey that is native to Ireland and is a mix of malted and unmalted barley. Midleton is one of the most important whiskeys in Ireland and is a complex and flavorsome whiskey that is highly collectible. It is distilled in the Midleton Distillery, in the town of Midleton in Co Cork and is one of the six whiskey brands owned by Irish Distillers.

These six brands are Jameson, Midleton, Redbreast, Powers, Method & Madness and the Spot whiskey range which includes Yellow Spot, Green Spot and Red Spot.

Paddy whiskey is also distilled at Midleton but it is now owned by Sazerac.

What type of casks does Midleton Very Rare use?

The casks that are used to produce Midleton whiskey are predominantly bourbon casks and sherry casks. Ex bourbon casks are sourced in the United States and brought to Ireland to be used in maturation here. Midleton is matured initially in ex-bourbon and then transferred to sherry casks to be finished.

Sherry casks and virgin sherry casks are sourced in Spain. American oak and European oak are from the same species but they have a different affect on the whiskey maturation.

What is the best Midleton whiskey to buy?

The Midleton whiskey brand has a number of releases. Each year they release an annual Midleton Very Rare edition for that year. They also release a series of Irish oak matured bottles called the Dair Ghaelach series.

They offer exceptional single cask releases on an occasional basis, such as the vintage Silent Distillery series as well as the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy release.  Silent Distillery is an extremely rare series.

How much is Midleton Very Rare worth?

The value of Midleton Very Rare rises every year. The annual release is very popular with drinkers and collectors all over the world and many people vie to purchase it on release. Due to the fact that it is a limited release, the value rises as people then sell it on the secondary collector’s market and in auction rooms.

At release it normally sells for around €200-€250 but on the secondary market it can make many multiples of that and often sells for thousands of euro.  

The oldest bottles from the 1980s tend to be the most expensive and most sought after. Each new release or development of the range creates new interest in the whiskey.

What is the Midleton Silent Distillery collection?

The Midleton Silent Distillery collection is one of the oldest Irish whiskey releases. A silent distillery is one that has stopped producing whiskey and has been closed. The Old Midleton Distillery closed in 1975 and was replaced by the new Midleton distillery in the town.

Therefore, any of the whiskey that still exists from the old distillery is very valuable.

In 2021 and 2022 Irish Distillers released two exclusive bottlings, called Chapter 1 and 2, both using whiskey distilled around 45 years ago in the Old Midleton distillery.

Matured in bourbon and sherry casks, one is a superior single pot still that is extremely rare and very expensive and the other is a single malt peated whiskey. All Midleton whiskies are released as a limited edition.

Is Midleton a good whiskey?

The Midleton Very Rare range is an excellent whiskey series and is considered to be one of the highest quality whiskey releases in Ireland to date. It is made up of mostly single pot still Irish whiskey matured in bourbon and sherry casks. It uses French and American oak in its maturation.

The whiskey bottlings in the Midleton range receive consistently excellent reviews and have been awarded many top accolades in the global whiskey industry.

Where is Midleton Distillery?

Midleton distillery is located in the town of Midleton in Co Cork in the southeast of Ireland. It is 23 kilometres from Cork city and is connected to the county capital by a train line as well as frequent buses. It is a major tourist attraction as well as being the largest whiskey producer in the country.

It has a large visitor centre, shop and restaurant that welcomes visitors seven days a week.

What does Midleton Very Rare taste like?

Midleton VR is a complex whiskey with wonderful layers of aroma and flavour on the nose and on the palate. It is matured initially in ex bourbon barrels before being finished in sherry casks. It is a sweet, honeyed whiskey that is triple distilled and therefore very smooth.

It has lots of vanilla, coffee, fudge and oak layered amongst a pot still spice, lots of black pepper, malt and dried fruit. Of all the heavy pot still whiskeys, Midleton VR is considered to be one of the most exciting.

Is Midleton VR a collector’s item?

Yes, since Midleton VR was first marketed as a limited edition release in 1984, collectors have sought to capture every bottle in the range. They are attracted not only to its providence as a fine Irish whiskey, but also to the complex flavour profile that includes green apple, dark chocolate, vanilla and oak.

Is Midleton Scotch or Irish?

Midleton is an Irish whiskey and specifically a single pot still whiskey. Unlike many Scotch whisky releases, Midleton is triple distilled and made from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley.

What is the ABV of Midleton Very Rare?

Generally, Midleton VR is bottled at 40% ABV. However, special editions such as the Barry Crockett Legacy is bottled at 46% and the special edition Pearl 30th Anniversary Edition is bottled at 53.1%.