Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six: tasting the last drops

There are rare whiskies, and then there’s this. Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is the final release from the Old Midleton Distillery – a series-capping drop that’s as much about legacy and lore as it is about the liquid. 

Bottled to mark the distillery’s 200th anniversary, Chapter Six stands tall as the oldest single pot still Irish whiskey ever released – and the last liquid ever to emerge from a site that has produced some of Ireland’s finest spirits for 150 years.

What is the Silent Distillery Collection?

Let’s rewind. In 2020, Irish Distillers launched an ambitious six-part series to honour Old Midleton Distillery, which operated from 1825 to 1975. Each annual release would showcase the exceptional whiskey still maturing from the days before the distillery fell silent. Each would be older than the last. And each would draw on the skills of Midleton’s craftspeople, past and present.

Now, in 2025, the series comes to a close with Chapter Six: a 50-year-old single pot still whiskey, the oldest of the lot, and the final drops to ever be released from Old Midleton.

The Complete Collection – Chapters One to Five

We’ll briefly run through the previous chapters for context. 

Chapter One (2020): A peated single malt aged in a third-fill sherry butt – the first Midleton Very Rare single malt ever. An opening statement if ever there was one.

Chapter Two (2021): A 46-year-old single pot still aged in a refill bourbon barrel, showcasing classic Old Midleton character with depth and finesse.

Chapter Three (2022): A 47-year-old single pot still created from two casks – one sherry, and one bourbon – married to perfection.

Chapter Four (2023): A 48-year-old blend of pot still and grain whiskey, matured separately and married for 48 days. Nuanced and elegant.

Chapter Five (2024): A 49-year-old single pot still aged in ex-bourbon – the penultimate drop from Old Midleton.

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six was distilled in 1973 and 1974 by master distiller emeritus Max Crockett (a name that looms large in Irish whiskey history), the whiskey began its life in bourbon American oak barrels. Those early casks were quickly identified as being ideal for long maturation – and long maturation they got. 

Over the next five decades, the whiskey was carefully watched over by three successive Master Distillers: Barry Crockett (son of Max), Brian Nation, and now Kevin O’Gorman.

What’s particularly special about Chapter Six is the final finishing period. After decades in American oak, the whiskey was moved into a custom-made marrying cask for six months. 

And not just any cask – this one was built by master cooper Ger Buckley and his team, using staves from each of the five previous Silent Distillery chapters. It’s part sculpture, part time capsule. Buckley’s own cooper’s mark is carved into the wood, alongside the mark of his father – and his apprentice. A multi-generational signature on a cask like no other. Buckley gets emotional talking about it. 

O’Gorman does too, reflecting on his childhood growing up on a farm in North Cork. Being part of this moment is an honour for all of us, but for him, it’s particularly special and he recognises the fortune of being the master distiller during this particular year. “Nobody’s ever going to get a chance again in 200 years,” he said. And he’s right. The baton has been passed for the last time.

Presentation Worthy of the Liquid

When a whiskey like this hits the shelves (well, plinths), you expect impressive packaging. Chapter Six wasn’t spared any expense. Each bottle is a mouth-blown decanter from Ireland’s House of Waterford – hand-finished, etched, polished, the whole nine yards. It’s housed in a bespoke cabinet by designer John Galvin. 

He’s used six different rare woods – one from each of the previous chapters – and added a final flourish with blue bird’s eye maple for Chapter Six. It’s finished with 18ct gold plating, hand-cut leather, and oak reclaimed from old Irish whiskey vats. Frankly, if the whiskey wasn’t inside, we’d still want one.

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six review

I was lucky enough to taste this whiskey on Thursday night, in one of the beautiful old warehouses at Old Midleton Distillery in the company of O’Gorman, Buckley, and a host of grateful whiskey lovers. 

This is a whiskey with both gravitas and levity – fresh and vibrant despite its age, with none of the heavy-handed oakiness that can sink older whiskies. How many times have I talked about the tropical, stone fruit qualities of spirit from Midelton once it reaches Very Rare age and beyond? It’s there in spades and so defining. But there’s also darker fruits here, herbal complexity, and even the elusive rancio elements that I haven’t tasted in a while. The texture is oily and mouth-coating, the finish long and evolving.

O’Gorman himself summarised: “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”. That balance has been achieved in spades. Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is spectacular, simply. It says a lot that the privilege of having the opportunity to taste it was quickly surpassed by the privilege of actually tasting it. 

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six is bottled at 53% ABV and has an RRP of £55,000. A lot of money. But some would argue whiskey like this priceless. You can expect to see it at Master of Malt in the future. Congratulations to everyone at Midleton. I can’t think of a finer way to mark 200 years. Sláinte!

Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six tasting notes:

Nose: It opens with floral honey, raspberry, maraschino cherry, and damson liqueur. The fruitiness then moves into the vibrant tropical fruit characterful of Midleton at this age, as well as some flamed orange peel, like the kind you’d drop in an Old Fashioned. Then, caramel shortbread and peanut brittle. There’s some rancio complexity, like truffles and mushrooms, a little cured meat, maybe, plus charred wood, like the remnants of a bonfire. 

Palate: So big and characterful from the off with ripe nectarines, marmalade, and mango making it a juicy palate. Flavours of brown sugar, cakey vanilla, and sultanas brought to mind my mum’s Rock Cakes. The occasion might be getting to me a little. Nostalgia is ripe in this room and it’s a powerful flavour. The notes continue to cascade across an oily, vibrant palate well balanced by classic pot still richness, one that’s gingery and peppery and potent even after all this time. There’s blackcurrant, earthy dunnage funk, toffee pudding, more stone fruit, garden herbs… it just keeps going. If I had a bottle and several hours I could probably write a page of tasting notes. 

Finish: Incredibly long and still so luscious. The lighter sweeter fruits linger, apricot, banana and mango, with warm gingerbread and a little flinty minerality. 

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