The final chapter in Midleton’s adventure through their oldest available stocks. Distilled in 1975 at The Old Midleton Distillery, Chapter 6 is the final release, from the final stocks that have ever graced their warehouses.
Matured in a unique cask for the last part of it’s life that was crafted by hand from barrels of the previous Chapter releases, the bottle isn’t only the oldest whisky that Midleton has ever released by a whisky that is soaked in history, family, story telling and the unique touch that Midleton has always applied to its whiskies.
Desiccated coconut, old leather and wood that smells ancient. A lot of dark honey, malted biscuits, white chocolate and an abundance of stone fruits. Fresh peaches, lychee, blackberries and a whiff of caramelised chocolate. Crystalised ginger, a brief aroma of floral sage, dark chocolate flakes, rum and raisin ice cream and so much perfumed, sweet oak that morphs from gently sweet to indulgent and then into a little savoury.
The spice and slight dryness associated with single pot still whiskey is their at the start, but once you let the liquid adjust to your palate it starts to sing with all of these exotic layers.
There is so much lychee and mango that I’m blown away by it. The juicy fruit, the slightly woody skins, a degree of thirst quenching that I’d never associate with a whiskey this old. Then, much like the nose you get this combination of old leather things and fresh coconut. Never had that happen before. The older, leathery, rancio notes remind me of ancient leather jackets and belts that you find in parents and grandparents wardrobes. Old cigar boxes with their spicy aromas and tastes, balanced out with a little tang of black pepper, lemon rind and spicy ginger.
The coconut notes are quite ridiculous. It’s the aroma of coconut rum with an association of brown sugar and molasses.
Texturally it is so thick and rich with the tang of old oak as you move it around your palate.
More of those old leather and wood notes, just pulsing around your tastebuds and allowing some sweetness to push through the age of whiskey. Those sweet notes are in the realm of caramelised white chocolate, lemon oil, peanut brittle, sweet caramel and dark chocolate. Then you have the spice of the ABV and oak finishing off the experience for an extremely long finish that rivals any other old whiskey I’ve ever had the privilege to try. Some little flashes of more old leather, whiskey warehouse, Cognac, marinated raisins, black pepper and not a touch of dryness in sight, which again, given the age of this stuff is remarkable.
I’ve been lucky enough to try this whisky once before, at the Midleton Distillery during it’s launch back in March. As incredible an event as that was, this whisky is still, by far and away, one of the best things i’ve ever tried in my life.
The price tag is incredible and i’m not a millionaire, but If i was I wouldn’t think twice about buying this if that sort of cash was lying around. All of that aside, as a fan of most things that Midleton offer, this is a rich, layered, decadent style of whisky that just ticks all of my boxes in every single way possible.
Inscribed on the little box this came with is ‘the pinnacle of Irish whiskey’ and I can’t disagree with that in anyway possible.
