At 50 Years, This Is The Oldest Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Ever Released

The sixth and final chapter of the Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection is finally hitting (select) shelves. With a 50-year age statement and $60,000 price tag, it’s the oldest single pot still Irish whiskey ever released. And after spending five decades aging in wood, it’s possibly the oldest — and among the most expensive — Irish whiskey ever put up for sale.

The Silent Distillery Collection pays homage to the Old Midleton Distillery, which operated between 1825 and 1975. Today, the modern Midleton facility is the distillery behemoth that crafts Irish whiskey brands, including Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, Greenspot, and Midleton Very Rare.

In the 1960s, as they faced a downturn in the whiskey market, several major Irish producers agreed to consolidate operations under a new company called Irish Distillers Limited — one of which owned the Old Midleton Distillery at the time.

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In 1975, the three producers who had merged under Irish Distillers Limited decided to build a new facility to conduct all their operations in one place. From there, production ceased at the Old Midleton Distillery, and was shortly started back up at the modern Midleton complex, which happens to be located next to the old distillery. Today the company operates as Irish Distillers under Pernod Ricard.

Starting in 2020, Midleton Very Rare began releasing annual, ultra-rare Silent Distillery bottlings. There have been five releases until now, with each release named as a sequential “Chapter,” making this final bottling Chapter Six. Previous releases in the series include 46-, 47-, and 49- year-old single pot still Irish whiskeys produced at Old Midleton, with each offering earning the title of the oldest single pot still whiskey ever sold, prior to its successor.

Irish single pot still whiskey is known for its use of both malted and unmalted barley, in addition to the requirement that it be pot-distilled by a single producer. The Silent Distillery series has featured peated single malt and blended whiskeys as well.

Midleton says this sixth release — also dubbed “The Last Drops” — “represents the very last drops to be released from the legendary Old Midleton.” That makes it the last whiskey released to have been distilled by Master Distiller Emeritus Max Crockett in the world’s largest pot still. The release also coincides with the 200th anniversary of the Midleton brand.

The whiskey in this 50-year-old bottling was originally aged across four different ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Whiskey from those four casks was married and then transferred to a custom cask, reassembled with staves from the previous five Silent Distillery releases.

Fast Facts: Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Chapter Six

ABV: 53%
Age: 50 years
Maturation: The whiskey spent the first portion of its aging cycle in four different ex-bourbon American oak barrels. After decades, remaining liquid from the barrels was married and transferred to a single, custom cask built under the guidance of master cooper Ger Buckley. This final aging cask was created using staves from the five previous Silent Distillery releases.
Availability: A limited number of bottles will be released via specialist retailers.
MSRP: $60,000

“Crafting a bespoke, one-of-a-kind cask for its final maturation, using wood from the Silent Distillery Collection’s original casks, embodies the heritage and craftsmanship that have been passed down through my family’s legacy at the distillery,” says fifth-generation cooper Ger Buckley, now Midleton’s master cooper overseeing the cask construction. “Working on the cask that would hold this once-in-a-lifetime whiskey, I found myself wondering if my coopering predecessors ever felt such pressure to preserve every last drop!”

Speaking exclusively to Food & Wine, representatives for Irish Distillers divulged that during preparation of the Silent Distillery Series, Buckley’s father’s cooper mark was found on the cask from Chapter Five. That means both father and son worked with the barrel that would ultimately become part of Chapter Six’s unique marrying cask.

“As for this exceptional whiskey, I feel an immense pride and excitement in unveiling these last, precious drops,” says Midleton Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman. “There is a balance of aged oak influence with fresh fruit notes that can be challenging to achieve in ultra-aged whiskeys, which I hope those lucky enough to enjoy it will find a remarkable surprise. I truly believe that we have encapsulated the essence of Old Midleton in this ultimate expression.”

According to tasting notes from the brand, the nose for the 50-year-old Chapter Six opens with dark fruit, malted barley, and forest honey. Dried tobacco, leather, and oak come next, before lingering aromas of burnt citrus peel, ginger, cocoa, and subtle black truffle.

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A first sip brings stone fruit, including peach and nectarine, followed by raisins and treacle. The finish is long and “showcases the range and spectrum of flavors ranging from crisp, elegant, and sweet notes, to the rich, earthy, and oak-driven nature of this timeless liquid.”

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is bottled at 53% ABV, or 106 proof. It comes in a unique, mouth-blown decanter made by Ireland’s House of Waterford. The bottles are housed in wooden cabinets designed by Irish master craftsman John Galvin.

Decanters will be available via a handful of specialist international retailers and carry a suggested retail price of $60,000.

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