Midleton Very Rare has unveiled the final chapter of its Dair Ghaelach collection, Kylebeg Wood. Dair Ghaelach simply means Irish Oak and the collection of is made up of Single Pot Still Irish whiskeys matured in Irish oak casks. With sustainability at the heart of this series, for each Irish Oak that became a cask, a new seed was planted in its place.
Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood has been finished in casks made from virgin Irish oak grown in Kylebeg Wood on the Ballykilcavan Estate, near Stradbally in Co. Laois. This oak comes from trees planted in the 1800s, so the history and stories contained within its wood are beyond what can even be imagined.
“With each bottling traceable to a single tree, Midleton Very Rare Kylebeg Wood offers a range of seven whiskeys bottled at cask strengths ranging from 55.4% – 56.1% ABV, all with the hallmark inspiration of fragrant woodland spices and a heightened intensity of rich wood tannins that allow the influence of the Irish oak to linger on the palate until the very end,” explained Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman.
“Once harvested from Kylebeg Wood, the resulting oak logs were separately packed and shipped to the Spanish region of Galicia and the Maderbar Sawmills in Barralla where, for more than fifty years, the same family has been working with wood,” added O’Gorman. “Here the oak was cut, using the time-honoured craft of quarter sawing before the resulting stave wood made the ten-hour journey from the sawmills to the Antonio Paez Lobato cooperage in Jerez, where they were laid out to dry naturally in the warmth of the Spanish sun.
“It took fifteen more months before these oak staves were ready to create 42 of the most special casks to be found anywhere in the world, each was then given a light toast to my own specifications before returning from Spain to be filled with a specially selected range of our finest single pot still whiskeys, previously matured in American oak barrels for between thirteen to twenty-five years.”
On the whiskey’s nose, fragrant woodland spices with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg come to the fore accompanied by aromatic oils and earthy pot still notes. Delicate hints of nectarine develop to create a zesty fruit note with dustings of white pepper. Additional aromas of dairy fudge and vanilla further accentuate the sweet nature of the whiskey. The palate is lead by pot still spices with a heightened intensity thanks to the rich wood tannins before subsiding to reveal velvety tones of caramel with sweet stewed apple and touches of orange peel. Dark chocolate with subtle notes of honeycomb and vanilla weave amongst the spices. The delightfully long finish finds the fruits and spices slowly fading, allowing the Irish Oak to linger until the very end.
Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kylebeg Wood is currently available across the globe for €310 per 70cl.
For more information, head over to Midleton Very Rare’s official website.
Earlier this month, Midleton Very Rare has introduced the first Single Cask whiskey crafted by Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman. In 1998, O’Gorman joined the Midleton family as a Distiller at the Midleton Distillery. In 2007, he earned the title of Master of Maturation and in 2020, he became Master Distiller. This whiskey is the first Single Cask to bear his name.
