Presented in a hand blown Waterford Crystal decanter and displayed in a wooden cabinet made from reclaimed whiskey vats, there are just 70 bottles of Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Two in the world. Midleton distillery is the home of Jameson Irish whiskey as well as Redbreast, Powers and the Spot whiskeys, but they also release premium single pot still Irish whiskeys under their own label.

For Chapter One’s launch in February 2020, whiskey enthusiasts gathered from around the world in London’s Old Session House. The latest chapter of this renowned collection is adorned with the signature of our Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman. After months of exploration, O’Gorman crafted a balanced blend of rare and hand-selected single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys from Midleton’s exclusive inventory to create this truly special release. Since 1984, each Master Distiller of Midleton Very Rare uses their eye for detail, their passion for quality whiskey and their exemplary skill to create the pinnacle of Irish whiskey—our special vintage release.When a complex, balanced whiskey such as this one sits in the glass and heats up to room temperature, different flavor profiles and taste profiles are revealed on each fresh sip. We deliver to a number of international destinations including the USA. Please use the 'Change Location' link above for an estimate in your local currency or find out more about international delivery This time around, O’Gorman must guide us virtually on this séance with this most rare of spirits, presenting the tasting by video from Midleton Very Rare’s distillery grounds as we open our samples at home. Finally, it was rested once again in a bourbon cask, until finally being deemed to have reached peak perfection by Midleton’s current master distiller Kevin O’Gorman.

Single pot still whiskey is a style of Irish whiskey made by a single distillery from a mash of malted and unmalted barley in a pot still. he whiskey was then married and recasked into refill bourbon casks. Years later, it was recasked into port pipes and once again laid down to acquire further depth and complexity. The multi-layered finish rolls on for long moments. The spices wave their goodbyes, then the fruits, until you’re left to savor the toasted oak and barley. In the 1920s, a seven-year-old pure pot still whiskey was the company’s flagship brand. The new distillery, however, has added considerably to the range, producing an ever-expanding range of Jameson, Power’s, Midleton, Tullamore Dew and many more whiskeys.We then add our distilled water, which has been delivered all the way from the Degourney River in Midleton.

And so, one September day in 1975, production stopped at the old facility and moved a few hundred yards to the new one. A new chapter in Irish distilling history had begun. When the Old Midleton Distillery in County Cork closed its doors in 1975, after 150 years in business, several casks of trial whiskey innovations disappeared with it.When we add water to whiskey, it just opens up the flavors and aromas,” explains O’Gorman. “In this case, it becomes more fruity, again those toffee fudge notes.” Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Two was made, its makers say, in the world’s biggest copper pot still. Rich mahogany splashes into the glass, then a fruity bouquet hits the nose. Exotic spices, too, and a sweet whirl of caramel, toffee, and fudge. From the time the new stills took up the baton until only very recently, the Midleton Distillery was the only source of traditional pure pot still Irish whiskey, for many is the quintessential style of Irish whiskey. It forms the heart of the Jameson and Power’s blends and can be experienced in all its glory in the likes of Redbreast, Green Spot and Yellow Spot. They slumbered deep within their barrels for close to half a century – until their resurrection last year.

As part of the plan, Jameson’s Bow Street and Powers John’s Lane stills would fall silent, ending the era of whiskey distilling in Dublin, once the world’s greatest whiskey distilling city. It began its maturation journey in a selection of sherry and bourbon casks, where it was left undisturbed for 20 years. T Matured in lightly charred ex-bourbon American oak barrels, the Midleton Very Rare 2023 Vintage Release delights with decadent flavours and a tantalising aroma. The aroma, taste and finish of this whiskey will enliven the palates of those new to this collection while taking the seasoned whiskey collector on a journey through an exciting exploration of taste. The Silent Distillery Collection is described by Midleton Very Rare as “a unicorn whiskey,” part of a series of innovation trials, never to be repeated and – after these few bottles are gone – never to be tasted again.