Two New Additions to the Method and Madness Range from Midleton Distillery
I was over the moon to receive an invite to attend the Global Launch of two new expressions being added to the Method and Madness family.
Irish Distillers, has added two new and experimental, limited edition Irish Whiskeys to its METHOD AND MADNESS range; Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak and a 28-year-old Ruby Port Pipe Single Cask Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey.
First up is METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak. This whiskey, a single pot still distillate, was first matured in a combination of first-fill and re-fill American oak barrels, before finishing in the virgin Hungarian oak for 11 months.
METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak is bottled without chill-filtration at 46% ABV and is available in Ireland, the UK, Travel Retail Ireland and France, RRP €89.
The second aged release in the METHOD AND MADNESS series is a 28 year old Ruby Port Pipe, which is a single pot still Irish whiskey matured initially for six years in American oak barrels, before being re-casked into a Ruby Port pipe for a further 22 years.
METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe Single Cask is bottled at 56.1% ABV and available in Ireland, UK, Travel Retail Ireland and France, priced at RRP €1,900.
We all gathered in the centre of Dublin to taste these new expressions. First up was the Hungarian oak followed by the Ruby Port expression.
I have to bring up that the interval between the tastings we had Dave McCabe, Apprentice Blender at Midleton Distillery let us taste two experiments he is involved in mash’s that combined barley and oats and another combining barley and rye. The first that combined barley and oats was my favourite and they both tasted grand for only being about two years old.
My tasting notes:
METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey 46% Alc /vol, Finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak
Colour…Rich dark amber
Nose… A gorgeous aroma of baked bananas, spiced caramel sauce, the aroma of a long dead bonfire.
Taste… Fresh and ultra smooth, a summer walk in a pine forest, rich vanilla ice cream with toffee sauce, new sawn oak, this one is seriously scrumptious.
Finish… Medium finish, wood spice enters the arena, a comforting feeling is left in the palate.
METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 56.1% Alc/vol 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe
Colour…Rich auburn
Nose… A tropical fruit salad, you can almost feel the glow of the Caribbean sun, fresh creamy and exotic.
Taste… Madagascar vanilla ice cream, warming spices, port soaked ripe plums, layer upon layer of deep dark fruits waiting to be discovered.
Finish… Long and delightful, fruit, fruit and more fruit, spices dances on the palate.
Well, they are decidedly grand, a big hand has to go to Keven O’Gorman ( Master of Maturation) Billy Leighton (Master Blender) and Dave McCabe ( Apprentice Blender) plus all who were involved at Midleton in these two creations of Whiskey excellence.
