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.
Glen Moray hopes to temp whisky fans with the latest addition to its Xperience Collection, Forbidden Fruit. This novel single malt is finished in casks that previously held Calvados, the historic apple brandy of Normandy. The whisky continues the Elgin distillery’s long-running interest in cask experimentation. Forbidden Fruit follows earlier Xperience Collection bottlings Phoenix Rising,…
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The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning. The Chinkapin takes its position as the third…
The Luxe Review 
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.
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.
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Glen Moray hopes to temp whisky fans with the latest addition to its Xperience Collection, Forbidden Fruit. This novel single malt is finished in casks that previously held Calvados, the historic apple brandy of Normandy. The whisky continues the Elgin distillery’s long-running interest in cask experimentation. Forbidden Fruit follows earlier Xperience Collection bottlings Phoenix Rising,…
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The Isle of Raasay Distillery has introduced a new single malt matured exclusively in uncommon American oak. Chinkapin, or Quercus muehlenbergii, is a North American species traditionally used only as a finishing cask. At Raasay, it has been part of the distillery’s maturation programme from the beginning. The Chinkapin takes its position as the third…
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