Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Chapter Six review: I taste final, fabulous release from Ireland’s oldest whiskey collection

50 years in the making, Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is an ultra premium whiskey that represents the very last drops bottled from the Old Midleton Distillery. 

It’s the culmination of the six-year Silent Distillery project that began in 2020, a collection that honours the legacy of the historic facility, which operated from 1825 to 1975. 

As such, it’s the oldest Irish pot still whiskey yet, having spent five decades in oak. 

Shaped by four generations of Midleton Master Distillers, this storied 50-year-old now enters the world of whiskey retail with grace, grandeur, and a £55,000 price tag.

The Luxe Review was invited to sample this remarkable expression, at an exclusive tasting in Midleton’s historic warehouse A2, a space which itself dates back to the 1860s. I can confirm that this is indeed a whiskey of extraordinary character…

A farewell toast to Old Midleton

To understand the significance of Chapter Six, you need to look back to the Old Midleton Distillery, which first fired up its pot stills in 1825. For 150 years, it produced Irish whiskey coveted around the globe, before its final pot still, the largest ever created, and dubbed the seventh wonder of the whiskey world, fell silent in 1975. 

From those remaining casks was drawn the Silent Distillery Collection, a series of six releases spanning from 2020 to today.

Each Chapter has sought to showcase the dwindling drops of Old Midleton’s final stock. Now, Chapter Six marks the final hurrah, history in liquid form and a spiritual swan song for traditional Irish pot still whiskey. 

Chapter Six marks the final hurrah, history in liquid form and a spiritual swan song for Irish whiskey lovers…

Chapter Six is also the final release to have been distilled by the forefather of modern Irish whiskey, Master Distiller Emeritus Max Crockett. Over the decades, the liquid has enjoyed the aegis of three subsequent Master Distillers – Barry Crockett, Brian Nation, and most recently, Kevin O’Gorman.

Distilled when Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ first topped the charts, and Spielberg’s Jaws broke box office records, from a mash bill of barley and malted barley, this single pot still whiskey has spent most of its life in American ex-bourbon oak barrels. 

After releasing Chapters One through Five, O’Gorman was left with four refill bourbon barrels in his warehouse. “So we got those four casks, some of them quite low in level, as you might imagine, after 50 years and angel’s share – two in particular were quite low – and put those casks together,” he recounts.

“We came up with the idea that it would be wonderful to take the stays from the previous five Chapters and create one special marrying cask.”

It fell to Master Cooper Ger Buckley to assemble this one-of-a-kind container.

“Working on the cask that would hold this once-in-a-lifetime whiskey, I found myself wondering if my coopering predecessors ever felt such pressure to preserve every last drop!” notes Buckley.

The result was a unique cask, rendered neutral through age, in which the whiskey found final harmony.

Of course, any exceptional liquid deserves an exceptional presentation. Each decanter is mouth-blown and hand-polished by artisans at the House of Waterford Crystal. It stands in a cabinet designed by John Galvin, an Irish master woodworker who hand-selected six rare woods, each symbolising the six chapters, anchored by a brilliant blue Bird’s Eye maple.

The cabinet also features 18ct gold-plated accents, with an embroidered leather interior, and oak reclaimed from aged Irish whiskey vats.  

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six was given a spectacular send off at the Midleton Distillery last week, where luminaries gathered in black tie, to celebrate the end of an era. It was finally time to taste.

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six tasting notes

Bottled at cask strength 53% ABV, Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six has a deep, dark mahogany colour.

On nosing, Chapter Six announces itself with aromas of dark fruits, black cherries and black currants, as well as more nutty scents, plus chocolate, and worn leather.

On the palate, the liquid bursts with flavour – not something I’d necessarily expect from such an ultra-aged expression. 

This is a lively 50-year old, determined to celebrate its golden anniversary in style. Vibrant, and fruity, it tastes of orange, and raisins, caramel toffee, and chocolate,  with peppery pot still spice. The mouthfeel is luscious and waxy. I was expecting astringency, but found little. Left to evolve in the glass, it reveals layer after layer of flavour.

The finish is also long and generous. Just as well, as I didn’t want my dram to end. I nosed those last drops for an age.  

Priced at £55,000 (€60,000 / $60,000), Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six isn’t so much a whiskey as a time capsule, a masterclass, and a fond farewell all at once. It’s limited to 225 bottles. There will never be more.

Midelton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter 6 is available via the Midleton Collection website and select high-end retailers in the UK.