METHOD AND MADNESS UNVEIL EXCLUSIVE WHISKEY TRILOGY INSPIRED BY JAPAN!

Irish Distillers has unveiled an exclusive collection of Single Pot Still whiskeys, each finished in rare Japanese casks as the Masters and Apprentices behind METHOD AND MADNESS continue to combine tradition with innovation for a world class taste experience!

The limited-edition series features three showstopping Single Pot Still whiskeys including a 33-Year-Old finished in Japanese Mizunara oak for three years, and two other perfectly balanced expressions, finished respectively, in Japanese Chestnut and Japanese Cedarwood casks for over 13 months.

Sitting at the head of the collection, the 33-Year-Old Mizunara is the oldest Irish whiskey to be finished in the sought-after Japanese oak sourced from the Hokkaido region in Northern Japan, where the temperate rainforest creates the ideal growing conditions for the oak used for barrel production. The relatively low wood density and medium charring of the cask impart elevated flavours of nutmeg and vanilla to the single pot still distillate originally laid down for maturation in ex-bourbon barrels in 1988.

Just 252 bottles of METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask will be available

The whiskey was then refilled into this exceptional Mizunara cask for a further three years, resulting in a perfect harmony of spicy pot still and perfumed oak. Bottled at 52.8% ABV, just 252 bottles of METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask will be available globally at an RRP of €3,000 (700ml).

While the Mizunara Cask represents the generations of tradition and craftmanship in which whiskey making and Japanese culture are steeped, the two younger expressions highlight the innovation and experimentation for which the distillery is renowned. Each of the single pot still distillates were first matured in bourbon and sherry barrels before a finishing period in Japanese Cedarwood Casks (ABV 48%) – a world first for the Irish whiskey category – and Japanese Chestnut Casks (ABV 48%), marking a new first for the industry.

Stunning packaging, designed by Swedish-Irish design team M&E, brings the influence of the different wood finishes to life on pack with a traditional black and gold label for the Mizunara and brightly coloured designs, inspired by the neon lights of Tokyo, for the Cedarwood and Chestnut releases.

Elevating the trademark METHOD AND MADNESS marbling, the labels feature traditional Suminagashi designs – a Japanese marbling method dating back to the 12th Century. Each of the three expressions is also adorned with a unique kanji, or character, from traditional Japanese calligraphy describing the wood type and age of the liquids.

The Japanese Cedarwood expression is characterised by notes of eucalyptus and fresh botanicals, imparted by the exquisite cedar barrels traditionally favoured for Sake maturation. The cedar logs are sourced from the Kyushu region in southern Japan, where the warm wet conditions create a particularly fragrant and porous wood giving the whiskey its unique flavour profile of herbal tea, caraway seeds and clove spice alongside a delicate fruit finish.

Equally magnificent, the Japanese chestnut wood also hails from southern Japan, where the rocky terrain and abundant rainfall make for a relatively low wood density imparting notes of liquorice and lingering spice with flavours of orange zest and cooling menthol. METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Cedarwood Casks and METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Chestnut Casks will be available in extremely limited quantities at the RRP of €95 (700ml).

Sprung from the minds of Masters and Apprentices, METHOD AND MADNESS is a whiskey that pays heed to tradition while exploring the unordinary. As the team’s continued quest for the uncommon cask led them, this time, to Japan, they connected with the esteemed Ariake Sangyo cooperage in Miyazaki. Working alongside these expert coopers, the team was able to procure a selection of rare and precious casks and ship them back to the Micro Distillery at Midleton, Co. Cork, for the final finishing phases of these three exceptional whiskeys.

Bringing these exceptional whiskeys to life has been a joyous journey of discovery, whilst working with each of the new wood types has continued to test and challenge our whiskey making skills. Whilst we were confident we could apply tried and tested maturation methods for the Mizunara Oak Cask, the porosity of the Cedar and Chestnut wood – or Sugi and Kuri in Japanese – presented new challenges which required close observation to achieve the perfect balance of contribution.

It’s an honour to share this first-of-its-kind collection as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Irish whiskey making.
– Eva O’Doherty: Distiller at the Micro Distillery

This truly exceptional trilogy represents not only our ambition and far-reaching partnerships with some of the world’s best cooperages, but three individual triumphs in skill and innovation – the ethos which continues to drive the METHOD AND MANDESS collection.

It’s with great pride that we share this with the world.
– Finbarr Curran: Wood Planning and Maturation Team Lead

METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask is available now from specialist retailers in Ireland, France, UK, USA and global travel retail.
METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Cedarwood Casks and METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Finished in Japanese Chestnut Casks will follow in late March.
The whiskeys will be available exclusively via the Whisky Exchange in the UK and distributed by Castle Brands in the USA from September 2022.

methodandmadnesswhiskey.com

@methodandmadness

METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt!

Irish Distillers is continuing to push the boundaries of Irish whiskey with the launch of METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt – the first aged experimental distillate created at the company’s innovation hub in Midleton, the Micro Distillery!

Masterfully created by Irish Distillers’ next generation of innovative whiskey makers, METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt is a distillate-driven Irish whiskey, bursting with floral notes and a spicy character.

Available from September 20th in Ireland, the UK, Dublin Airport and online at the RRP of €95!

The combination of rye with malted barley amplifies the whiskey’s naturally wide spectrum of flavours and aromas to evoke notes of lemon balm, white pepper, chilli flakes and toasted wood with a lingering finish of spiced fruit.

This release was hand-crafted in the Micro Distillery under the care and creativity of Distiller Katherine Condon, who originally joined Irish Distillers as part of the company’s Graduate Distiller Programme in 2014. The whiskey represents the young team’s fearless and relentless approach to trial and error.

First experimenting in the lab to discover the ideal ratio of 60% rye to 40% malt, Condon and the team then took advantage of the Micro Distillery’s manual processes, trailing varying rates of reflux and distillation to achieve the perfect crisp yet spicy flavour.

The METHOD AND MADNESS journey first began six years ago when the Micro Distillery opened its doors with a mission to further support the resurgence of Irish whiskey, drawing on research into wood influences and cereal mixes, historic mash bills from the Irish Distillers Archive and the restless curiosity of its craftspeople.

Driven by a desire to create whiskey that paid heed to tradition while searching for the new and extraordinary, the Micro Distillery team double-distilled a mash of rye and malted barley and left it to mature in ex-bourbon American oak barrels.

Distillers Katherine Condon and Eva O’Doherty

It has been an honour to be part of the Micro Distillery team from its inception in 2015 to today, sharing the first ever drops of whiskey produced there with the world.

We have been inspired by the innovators in Irish whiskey who came before us. In turn, we have questioned tradition and challenged convention to follow their inspiration and drive the Irish whiskey category forward for a new generation of creators, consumers, and indeed, suppliers”, she explains.
– Katherine Condon: Distiller

Condon drew inspiration from the personal notebooks of John Jameson III dating back to 1857, where the inclusion of rye was recorded in various mash bills.

While this whiskey has been maturing, we have not rested on our laurels. We have continued in earnest to experiment with new mash bills. It is a great privilege and responsibility to help shape the future of Irish whiskey, and METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt represents the first in an incredible pipeline of innovation from this distillery.
– Eva O’Doherty: newly appointed Distiller at the Micro Distillery

Bottled at 46% ABV, the limited-edition METHOD AND MADNESS Rye and Malt Irish Whiskey will be available from September 20th in Ireland, the UK, Dublin Airport and online at the RRP of €95

Finish: Fading Fruits, Lingering Spice, Cereal Malt & Barley

methodandmadnesswhiskey.com

@methodandmadness

METHOD AND MADNESS Mulberry Wood!

Irish Distillers 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.

METHOD AND MADNESS Mulberry Wood is available to purchase online now and on shelf in Ireland and Finland from tomorrow at an RRP of €95

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.

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.
– Finbarr Curran: Wood Planning and Maturation Team Lead

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.
– Anna Lazaridou: Maturation Research and Innovation Technologist

METHOD AND MADNESS Mulberry Wood is available to purchase online now and on shelf in Ireland and Finland from tomorrow at an RRP of €95.

See it on YouTube

Finish:
Deep & Mellow.
Lingering Fruits
Intense Wood Spice.