Over the last five years we have well and
truly been riding the Irish whiskey renaissance wave, and those waves look set to get even bigger and bolder, with around 20 whiskey distillery's now in production and another dozen in various stages of planning and construction. Not only does Irish whiskey continue to be one of the most
exciting categories in the dramming world, it’s also the one experiencing the
most growth, and for very good reason.
Embracing the past but very much
looking to the future, it’s not just the ever-growing gang of new kids on the
block that are now driving the category forward. The big established brands have
kicked away those cobwebs of complacency and are now well and truly giving the
newbies a run for their money, with regards to innovation and the targeting of
a new generation of whiskey consumers.
In addition to its plethora of its heritage
driven brands, such as Jameson, Redbreast, Green Spot and Powers, Irish Distillers
have well and truly grabbed the reins of innovation at its Midleton Distillery,
with the launch of its new experimental Method and Madness series.
Method and Madness, is a celebration
the creativity of Midleton’s whiskey masters and its fresh talent of apprentices.
Taking inspiration from the famous Shakespearean quote, "Though this be
madness, yet there is method in ’t "the series is designed to reflect a next
generation Irish spirit brand with a measure of curiosity and intrigue,
while honouring the foundation of innovation and experimentation grounded in
the generations of expertise at the Midleton Distillery.
 |
| Midleton Master Distiller Brian Nation and Apprentice Distiller Karen Cotter |
Method and Madness Single Grain
Finished in virgin Spanish oak casks
Nose: Madagascan vanilla pods, sugared almonds, strawberry jam tarts, pencil shavings and poly cement (Airfix) glue.
Nose: Madagascan vanilla pods, sugared almonds, strawberry jam tarts, pencil shavings and poly cement (Airfix) glue.
Palate: Cinnamon and clove infused
honey, Butterkist salted caramel popcorn, cherry cough drops and a wisp of something
menthol-esque.
Finish: A tenacious and teasing, full
throttle thrill of a lingering finish.
Method and Madness Single Malt
Finished in French Limousine Oak casks
Nose: Grilled peaches, McVittie’s digestive biscuits, pink marshmallows and Luxardo maraschino cherries.
Palate: Baked spiced apples, cinnamon infused poached pears, Waitrose treacle tart and toasted oak.
Finish: A fabulously feisty ‘n’ spicy, long linger-ette of a finish.
Nose: Grilled peaches, McVittie’s digestive biscuits, pink marshmallows and Luxardo maraschino cherries.
Palate: Baked spiced apples, cinnamon infused poached pears, Waitrose treacle tart and toasted oak.
Finish: A fabulously feisty ‘n’ spicy, long linger-ette of a finish.
Method and Madness Single Pot Still
Finished in French Chestnut casks
Nose: Clove infused orange oil, uncooked
fruit cake mix, dried mango, red liquorice laces and a glug-ette of soy ginger
sauce.
Palate: Fried
plantain, tropical fruit trifle, poached pears, green tea, Dentyne cinnamon
chewing gum, toasted oak, Turkish delight, retro white candy cigarettes and a
good pinch of mixed spice.
Finish: A
rich and rewarding finish, that provides the perfect highlights package, to what
was delivered so well on both the nose and palate.
In addition to this trio of stunningly
sipsational releases, Method and Madness have also launched a limited edition
31 Year Old Single Grain Irish whiskey. We’re yet to sample this one, but when
we do you’ll be the first to know.
After sampling the first three
bottlings in the series, its abundantly obvious that there’s
also some genius amongst the madness at Midleton, and we’re very much look
forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves next.
