Midleton Very Rare has launched Irish Chestnut Edition, a limited-edition whiskey finished in casks crafted entirely from Irish sweet chestnut sourced from a single Irish estate. The release, unveiled on 8 October 2026, marks the inaugural expression in the brand’s new Rare Wood Collection.
The whiskey draws on Irish sweet chestnut trees grown on the historic Cappoquin Estate in County Waterford, home to the Keane family since 1735.
Nearly a decade in the making, the project began in 2017 when six carefully selected Irish sweet chestnut trees (Castanea sativa) were harvested from the estate’s managed woodland overlooking the Blackwater Valley.
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The timber was then crafted into casks through natural seasoning and traditional coopering in Spain. The casks returned to Ireland, where a marriage of light, medium and heavy style Midleton Single Pot Still whiskeys, originally matured in first-fill and refill bourbon barrels, were finished in the chestnut casks for a further five years.
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The brand claims it is the first whiskey in the world to be finished in casks crafted entirely from Irish sweet chestnut wood sourced from a single Irish estate.
Irish sweet chestnut is naturally more porous than traditional oak. This encourages greater interaction between spirit and cask while demanding significantly higher maturation losses.
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READ THE STORY“Wood has always played an essential role in shaping the character of our whiskeys, but with Irish sweet chestnut we saw an opportunity to explore something entirely new,” said Kevin O’Gorman, master distiller at Midleton Distillery. “When we filled these casks, we couldn’t know exactly how Irish sweet chestnut would influence the whiskey, but what we discovered was something genuinely distinctive, a richness, texture and complexity unlike anything we’d experienced before.”
Sir Charles Keane of Cappoquin Estate said: “For generations, our family has cared for these woodlands with the responsibility of passing them on in good health to those who follow.”
Limited to 800 case equivalents globally, the whiskey is released worldwide from 8 October 2026 with an RRP of €440 (£382 / $511). It is bottled at natural cask strength of 56.1% ABV.
According to the official notes from the brand, the whiskey reveals rich layers of honey-drizzled red apple, caramelised orange peel, melted chocolate and toffee fudge, with warming woodland spices and nutty undertones.
Midleton Distillery is part of Irish Distillers, the Pernod Ricard-owned producer that also makes Jameson and Redbreast.
