Friday, May 25, 2018

IRISH DISTILLERS ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF TWO NEW METHOD AND MADNESS EXPRESSIONS

Irish Distillers, has announced the launch of two new expressions in its experimental Method and Madness range.

Method and Madness Virgin Hungarian Oak (46% ABV) is a single pot still Irish whiskey, which was matured in a combination of first-fill and re-fill American oak barrels, before being finished for 11 months in virgin oak barrels, felled in the Carpathian Mountain range in the North East of Hungary.
Method and Madness Virgin Hungarian Oak and 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe

Method and Madness 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe (56.1% ABV) is a single cask single pot still Irish whiskey, which was matured initially for 6 years in American oak barrels, before being re-casked into a Ruby Port pipes for a further 22 years.

First launched in 2017, the Method and Madness range, aims to push the boundaries of Irish whiskey through innovative releases, harnessing the creativity and fresh thinking of the masters and apprentices at the Midleton Distillery.

Commenting on the Method and Madness Virgin Hungarian Oak, Kevin O’Gorman, Master of Maturation at Midleton Distillery, said: “Our quest for uncommon casks has led us all over the world. We were especially intrigued by the Quercus Petraea from North East Hungary and the unique properties that it could add to our flavour repertoire as whiskey makers. At Midleton Distillery over the past few years, we have been experimenting with Hungarian virgin oak casks – a trial and error process that we are incredibly proud to have finally mastered. The result is a new first for Irish whiskey that continues to challenge perceptions of what the category can be.”

Commenting on the Method and Madness 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe, Dave McCabe, Apprentice Blender at Midleton Distillery, said: “Method and Madness 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe marks the realisation of a 22-year-old prediction from the Midleton Masters, which stated that the marriage of flavours between a single pot still Irish whiskey and a Port pipe will one day achieve balance. Billy Leighton, our Master Blender, and I have been carefully monitoring the slowly evolving flavours of this rare and exceptional cask as part of my training as Apprentice Blender. It gives us great pleasure to be able to present it as the perfect harmony between whiskey, Port and wood.”

Both the Method and Madness Virgin Hungarian Oak and 28 Year Old Ruby Port Pipe expressions, will be available later this month from specialist retailers in the UK, Ireland and France, for the respective RRP’s of €89.00 and €1,900.00.

Posted by Steve Rush