Irish Distillers releases Midleton single pot still range

Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard is to release 10 Single Pot Still single cask whiskeys under the Midleton brand, as part of efforts to rejuvenate the niche Irish whiskey category.

Around 1,850 bottles of Midleton’s new single pot still whiskeys have been produced

The new releases follow the launch of the brand’s first Single Pot Still single cask exclusive at the Celtic Whisky Shop in November 2010, which saw the retailer sell out of its limited bottle.

All 10 bottles in the new collection have been matured in ex-bourbon casks, which were laid down between 1991 and 1999, and will be available exclusively in Ireland, France, Germany and the UK.

Barry Crockett, master distiller at Midleton Distillery who announced his retirement last week, said: “The Midleton brand name is synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship and the extension of the Single Pot Still single cask releases has allowed us to further showcase the quality of the Single Pot Still style to whiskey connoisseurs, who eagerly anticipate opportunities to taste Midleton whiskeys.

He added: “The response to the release of cask #71578 in 2010 was phenomenal, so I anticipate a similar reaction this year and look forward to discussing each cask with Single Pot Still whiskey advocates.”

Each expression is presented in a premium bottle and gift box, similar in design to Midleton Very Rare. Around 185 bottles is available for each single cask expression.

Irish Distillers is keen to grow its footprint in the still relatively small single pot still category, with the investment of €300 million in expanding Midleton Distillery’s production capability and capacity. With brands such as Redbreast and Green Spot it plans to take advantage of an anticipated overall Irish whiskey category growth of 61% between now and 2016.