Dining

Only 636 Bottles: Midleton celebrates bicentennial with 28 year old Mizunara-influenced whiskey

Midleton Very Rare 200th edition

Marking its 200th anniversary, Midleton Distillery has unveiled a special 28 year old whiskey that introduces Mizunara oak to the celebratory series for the first time. The timber is prized for its spicy, fragrant influence and its notoriously difficult cooperage.

The limited-edition bottling concludes a year of celebrations recognising two centuries of whiskey-making at the Co. Cork facility, which was founded by the Murphy family in 1825.

Midleton describes the expression as a tribute to its lineage and its mastery of single pot still whiskey. For this bottling, Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman selected liquid from all three single pot still styles produced at Midleton.

“The Mizunara Oak cask brings a vibrant, layered flavour that perfectly complements the liquid and legacy of the brand,” says O’Gorman.

Five casks underpin the final whiskey, including a Mizunara puncheon filled more than six years ago with spirit that had already spent time in American oak.

This was blended with first- and second-fill American oak casks to create a balanced structure, one that carries both the familiar vanilla, toffee and honeyed notes of Midleton’s mature stock and the sandalwood and fruit that Mizunara is known to impart.

Reflecting the milestone, the bottle ships in a specially designed gift box featuring an illustration of the distillery, and its pot stills, along with a commemorative 200th-anniversary stamp.

Only 636 bottles will be offered, underlining its rarity.

Special 28 year old whiskey introduces Mizunara oak to the Midelton anniversary series for the first time…

Midleton Very Rare 200th Anniversary Edition tasting notes

The liquid opens rich and bright, with notes of  pineapple, kiwi and lemon zest, supported by sandalwood, vanilla, heather honey and gentle pot still spice. Polished wood emphasises its long maturation.

On the palate, official tasting notes detail layers of exotic fruit – pineapple, peach, apricot – interlaced with caramelised pear, soft oak tannins, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger peel.

The finish is reportedly long and lingering, with oak and spice slowly giving way to a fruity farewell.

The Midleton Very Rare 200th Anniversary Edition has an ABV of 54.7% and is limited to 636 bottles.

Priced at £1,220 (€1,500) it’s available via the Midleton Distillery Collection online, with limited in-store availability from December 16 at the Midleton Distillery Experience in Cork and Jameson Distillery Bow St., Dublin.  

Explore a range of Midleton whiskies from The Whisky Exchange here.

Redbreast Irish Whiskey Moscatel Wine Cask Edition adds Mediterranean influence to Iberian Series

Redbreast Irish Whiskey has looked to the fortified wine traditions of southern Spain, for the fifth release in its Iberian Series, the Moscatel Wine Cask Edition. For more than a century, Redbreast has been closely associated with the single pot still tradition, a style that defines much of Irish whiskey’s historic identity. Produced at Midleton…

Taylor’s releases celebratory 50 year old cask-matured Single Harvest 1976 Port

Aged in oak for 50 years, Taylor’s Single Harvest 1976 Port is the latest addition to the brand’s prestigious collection of  long-aged, cask-matured port.   Drawn from a single year’s harvest and matured in oak, the liquid boasts a copper-amber colour in the glass, with aromas of gingerbread, Seville orange, marzipan and soft caramel. On the…

Karen Gillan fronts Compass Box Hedonism 2026 limited edition Scotch whisky

Actor Karen Gillan has been unveiled as The Muse for Scotch whiskymaker Compass Box, gracing the label art for the company’s upcoming 2026 Hedonism release.  A fan favourite in blockbuster franchises such as Doctor Who (Amy Pond), Guardians of the Galaxy (Nebula) and Jumanji (Ruby Roundhouse), Gillan has become one of Scotland’s most recognisable international…

Unknown's avatar

About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and Editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Good Housekeeping, Louder Sounds, StereoNet and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter/X, Tiktok and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK