Irish Distillers, makers of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys, has unveiled a new single pot still Irish whiskey finished in virgin Mulberry Wood into its celebrated and innovative METHOD AND MADNESS range.
In a world first for Irish whiskey, the limited-edition release has been finished in White Mulberry Wood felled in central Hungary, where the local climate creates the perfect growing conditions. The wood is then harvested and air-dried for two years at the Kádár sawmills in Tokaj before being transferred to a cooperage in Budapest. The relatively high porosity and medium toasting of the exceptional Mulberry Wood casks impart elevated flavours of wood spices and enhanced toffee sweetness, along with a natural golden hue to the whiskey.
The whiskey, a single pot still distillate, was first matured in a combination of first fill and re-fill American Oak barrels, before being left to finish in 50-litre Mulberry Wood casks. Bottled at 46% ABV, the resulting whiskey is wonderfully complex with notes of smoked paprika, flavours of sweet toffee apple and a freshly cut wood character imparted from the virgin Mulberry Wood.
First launched in 2017, METHOD AND MADNESS continues to push the boundaries of Irish whiskey through innovative releases by harnessing the experience and creativity of the masters and fresh thinking of the apprentices at Midleton Distillery and Micro Distillery. Just as the spirit of exploration and experimentation has guided the collection to date, this new release was born out of trials dating back to 2019, when Midleton’s Wood Planning and Maturation Team Lead, Finbarr Curran, sourced the rare Mulberry Wood casks from Budapest.
Back in Ireland, the team at Midleton experimented with different whiskey styles and maturation times for the perfect marriage between liquid and cask. Just 50 litres in size and conducive to accelerated maturation, given the large surface-to-volume ratio, the Midleton Masters and Apprentices kept a close eye on the whiskey before finally settling on a finishing period of between three and eight months for a perfectly balanced wood contribution.
Finbarr Curran, Wood Planning and Maturation Team Lead, comments: “We are delighted to launch our limited-edition Mulberry wood finish, a world first for the category and the third world first in the METHOD AND MADNESS range. So far, our commitment to wood experimentation and maturation has taken us all over the world and led to the development of some of the most exquisite Irish whiskeys. It’s been a joyous journey of discovery and we look forward to continuing this exploration as we keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Irish whiskey.”
Anna Lazaridou, Maturation Research and Innovation Technologist adds: “With its unusual wood structure and small cask size, there’s no doubt that Mulberry Wood presented its challenges, with early trials failing. But in the ethos of the METHOD AND MADNESS range, our relentless dedication to trial and error has produced a beautifully balanced whiskey. And it’s with great pride that we share this with the world today.”
@METHODANDMADNESSWHISKEY
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Caramelised Toffee Apple.
Freshly Cut Wood.
Toasted Pine Nuts.
Sweet Pear.
Green Apple.
Smoked Paprika.
Deep & Mellow.
Lingering Fruits
Intense Wood Spice.
(OF WHICH INSTRUCTIONS ARE PART OF)
1. Promotion is run by Whiskey Club NI (Dillon Bass Limited), in collaboration with Andy Leitch.
2. Giveaway open to Northern Ireland residents aged 18 years and over, except employees, families, agents or anyone professionally connected with the parties involved.
3. By entering, you agree to be contacted by the parties involved about the giveaway and for the parties to use the information submitted for any purpose in connection with the promotion.
4. Giveaway starts on Tuesday 11th May 2021 and closes at midday on Tuesday 18th May 2021.
5. There is one prize – a Method and Madness Mulberry Casks Bottle & Gift Pack, including:
>>> 1x 700ml bottle of Method And Madness Mulberry Casks Irish Whiskey
>>> 2x whiskey glasses
>>> 1x Method And Madness t-shirt
>>> 1x Method And Madness marbling kit
6. Entry is by commenting as per the requirements on the giveaway social media post on Whiskey Club and @shandyleitch’s profile.
7. You can enter as many times as you like on both parties channels.
8. The winner will be drawn at random using a random number generator. Winner will be announced after the closing date/time mentioned above on the social media channels where the giveaway post has been posted. Winners will have 48 hours to accept prize after being contacted, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.
9. The winners may be asked to provide proof of ID – to verify age and residency – before they can be confirmed as the winner.
10. Prize is not transferable and no cash alternatives in whole or in part are available.
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12. Whiskey Club NI reserves the right to vary, alter or terminate this promotion due to unforeseen circumstances. The decision of Powers Whiskey NI is final and binding and no correspondence shall be entered into.
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