Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition 70cl 56.1%

Midleton Very Rare Irish Chestnut Edition – A World First in Irish Whiskey

The first release in Midleton Very Rare’s new Rare Woods Collection, and the first Irish whiskey ever finished in Irish sweet chestnut. The wood comes from six sweet chestnut trees on the historic Cappoquin Estate, on the banks of the Munster Blackwater in County Waterford, home of the Keane family since 1735. Hand-picked by Midleton’s forestry, maturation and cooperage experts, the timber was air-dried for two years, then coopered into lightly toasted hogsheads.

Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman spent eight years on the project. A blend of light, medium and heavy single pot still styles, first aged in American oak bourbon barrels for between 12 and 19 years, was vatted together and laid down to finish in the chestnut casks, with the team nosing and tasting it every month until the balance was just right. It is bottled at cask strength and non-chill filtered, and presented in a gift box – a true collector’s bottle.

• Nose: Honey-drizzled red apple and caramelised orange peel, melted chocolate and toffee fudge, with woodland spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and sandalwood over rich, nutty undertones.
• Taste: Sweet orchard fruit and a hint of citrus, then waves of vanilla, chocolate shavings and soft wood tannins. Pot still spice builds to crushed black pepper and a gentle prickle of chilli, balanced by a full, textured body.
• Finish: Long, with the fruit slowly fading and the pot still spice and chestnut wood having the final say.
• What chestnut brings: A broader spice profile, deep caramel sweetness, firmer tannins and a distinctive nutty dryness compared with traditional oak.

Style: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey  |  Finish: Virgin Irish sweet chestnut hogsheads  |  ABV: 56.1% (cask strength)  |  Size: 70cl  |  Release: Limited edition, October 2026

Order online from Molloys for delivery anywhere in Ireland.