For all the sleek lines and chic lighting of the Midleton Visitor Experience, it is a site of huge historical importance. And not just for whiskey. The iconic maker holds huge significance for the local Midleton community, too. As we arrived at the vast distillery complex, our driver shared his own story.
“I was born in that house,” he pointed to the old distillery cottage that welcomes you into the grounds. As we got out of the car he waved his phone at us, showing us black-and-white photos of his family sitting on the downstairs windowsill. Did he know Barry Crockett, Midleton’s master distiller emeritus, who was born and raised there? “Oh yes,” he responded. They were a couple of years apart at school. “We all used to play in the distillery, climbing on everything. There was no health and safety then.”
His recollections paint a picture of a very different time at Midleton. While more than 100,000 visitors stream through the gates each year and the towering, greenhouse-like Garden Stillhouse crafts the likes of Jameson, Redbreast, and the Spot Whiskeys, it wasn’t always this way.
Plenty in the local community recall the Old Midleton Distillery. Operational from 1825 to 1975, its old stone buildings and vast still (Although not operational, it still holds the title of being the largest of its kind in the world. It’s a high point of the tour.) were renowned for its extraordinary Irish single pot still whiskeys. Today it houses the visitor experience.
Since 2020, its legacy has been celebrated through the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection, a series of ‘Chapters’ that have told the story of this remarkable maker. With the passing of time, stocks have dwindled. And with the launch of Chapter Six, the very last drops are about to be sent out into the world.
It’s not a coincidence that this extraordinary launch coincides with Midleton’s 200th anniversary. And no one feels the weight of this more than Kevin O’Gorman, the current master distiller. He follows in the footsteps of Brian Nation and Crockett himself, who created Midleton Very Rare back in 1984.
O’Gorman was musing on the significance of it all on his drive over to the distillery on launch day. “You just feel very privileged,” he explains. “I’m lucky that I’m the master distiller during this particular year. Nobody’s ever going to get a chance again in 200 years. It’s an honour.”
As current distillery custodian, he sees himself as “taking the baton” from his predecessors — and nothing illustrates this quite as much as the nurturing of Chapter Six.
It was distilled back in 1973 and 1974, not long before the Old Midleton Distillery fell silent. Initially filled into ex-bourbon American oak barrels, they were identified early as having huge potential for long ageing.
“When I joined in 1998, I remember doing my first tour of warehouses,” O’Gorman recalls. Dennis McSweeney was the warehouse supervisor at the time, and he took the new recruit into warehouses A1 and A2. “These are the old warehouses going back to the 1860s, and there were these casks just over there in the corner. The precious liquid from the old distillery.” What would go on to become Chapter Six was among them. “I remember thinking, ‘wow, these are special’.”
They were nurtured through the decades, checked on repeatedly to make sure the liquid inside had the best chance of achieving its vast potential. And then, following the launch of the Silent Distillery collection, their purpose came into view. They were held back until they reached 50 years of age, holding the title of oldest single pot still ever released.
Master cooper Ger Buckley and his team had a part to play. He recoopered casks from the first five Chapters to create a unique, bespoke barrel to hold these final drops for a finishing period. No mean feat given that earlier chapters made use of an ex-sherry butt as well as bourbon barrels, testing the skill of the coopers to make sure the staves fitted together just right. In a charming twist, Buckley pointed out the old cooper’s mark, a bit like a signature, on one of the oldest staves. It was his own father that had raised that cask all those years before. He added his own mark, as did his apprentice. It’s a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ project,” Buckley said, clearly touched by the tangible legacy it represents.
The wood story continues to the packaging, too. Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is presented in a mouth-blown Waterford decanter, held within a cabinet designed by celebrated craftsman John Galvin. He combined six rare woods, five of which had previously featured in the collection. The sixth is a striking blue bird’s eye maple. The cabinet is embellished with an elegant 18ct gold-plated trim, with reclaimed oak from Irish whiskey vats adding more detail.
O’Gorman seems genuinely moved by the release. “I suppose in some ways there's sadness too,” he sighs. “These are the last drops from the old distillery. There’s no more. That’s it. Yes, we do have some lab reference samples, but apart from that, this is really it.”
One question remains: what is it actually like? We were lucky to be among the group that was able to taste Chapter Six — and it is mesmerising. The nose opens with an abundance of dark fruits, ahead of intricate earthy, leathery, and herbaceous notes. The palate comes alive with juicy stone fruits and deep tobacco spices. It feels surprisingly lively for a whiskey aged for five decades. While an uplift of chilli brings a heat towards the finish, it sits well within the oily texture. It is a triumph that lingers on and on.
Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six could be seen as a bit of an artefact. A relic from the old warehouses, released at 50 years because it happens to align with Midleton’s 200th anniversary. But it’s so much more than that. It is a whiskey as storied as the place that birthed it, with the vibrancy and expressiveness that’s a rarity in these older whiskeys. If you have the means, this is a whiskey to crack open and really savour. Don’t let those final drops go out into the world to just sit on a shelf.
Tasting notes for Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six:
Nose: Initially quite dark and brooding, with black cherry, raisin, and blackcurrant notes set within an earthy espresso and sandalwood backdrop. With time, florals emerge, alongside dried orange peels and liquorice.
Palate: Surprisingly vibrant, with mouthwatering apricot and juicy peach filling the palate. Caramel and linseed oil develop alongside a herbaceous theme with sage and rocket leaf. A chilli-chocolate note comes through at the very end, injecting a zip of heat through the oily texture.
Finish: Long and meandering, with toasted oak, nutmeg, and pot-pourri florals.
