Origin: Cork (Ireland)
Type: Irish Single Grain Whiskey
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and virgin oak
Chillfiltered: No
Added colouring: No
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Average price: € 60.00
Official website: www.methodandmadnesswhiskey.com
Vote: 84/100
Midleton is a true colossus of distillation in Ireland, the largest distillery on the island of jade, which produces, among others, the famous Jameson, and that under the hat of the multinational drinker Pernod Ricard brings together several labels, thanks to the two plants owned, next to each other, for the distillation of grain and malt.
Midleton’s importance is such that it has also founded academic courses on distillation, which have been training new minds and whiskey enthusiasts since February 2013.
From this experience was born, in 2017, Method and Madness, a micro distillery within Midleton’s giant distillery, where students and teachers experiment their skills, first with gin and, from 2020, also with whiskey.
Innovation and research are at the heart of their production which, living up to its name (Method and Madness, inspired by a line from Hamlet), does not fail to produce unconventional bottlings, also in their modern and attractive packaging.
In the whiskey portfolio you find the three key expressions, single grain, single malt and single pot still, declined in different ages and refinements that do not fail to experiment with casks, as well as a recent mix of rye and malt, all under the guidance of Master Distiller Brian Nation.
Here I am dealing with single grain, a NAS that starts from ex-Bourbon first fill casks and then moves on to virgin Spanish wood casks, all from the classic triple distillation and without colouring or chillfiltration.
Tasting notes
The nose has a full-bodied wood spice, nutmeg and cinnamon punctuating an alternation of warm and herbaceous tones, where vanilla, pear and walnuts intertwine with cereal and floral notes of rose and propolis. Virgin wood guides the aromas in an ordinary but not dull profile.
In the mouth it is creamy and spicy, cinnamon and cloves with a definite contribution of black pepper dancing on a body of fruit (pear, apple, grapefruit), cereals, nuts and sugar paste. Undertones of vanilla, cinnamon, ginger biscuits and a hint of green tea. Wood shavings.
Fairly long finish of spices, cereals, vanilla, grapefruit, green tea.
More interesting on the palate than the nose would suggest, a classic single grain with some intriguing hints, crisp enough to be playful and fun. An artfully created amusement that is a pleasure to drink.