Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais

Irish Distillers, owner of the Midleton brand, has just announced the release of an unusual whiskey said to embody a harmonious blend of Irish and French luxury craftsmanship.

Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais, 48% vol., is a blended whiskey, a composition of single grain and single pot still whiskies, distilled in the 1980s., 90. They were matured initially in bourbon barrels in the 1970s and early this century, and then transferred for the last three years to French oak barrels harvested in the Tronçais forest.

Forêt de Tronçais is a forest established in the 17th century with the task of supplying oak for the shipbuilding industry. This forest is a kind of oak cultivation, respecting the requirements of the local ecosystem, fully renewable, cared for by French foresters in terms of full regeneration of exploited resources. This forest has been fulfilling its function for four hundred years and can serve as a model for similar forestry ventures around the world.

The whiskey, which has just debuted, is the result of a search and collaboration that began in 2017, when Midleton Distillery master distiller Kevin o'Gorman and his team traveled to France, where, among other things, they found rare and commercially sought-after T5 barrels, prized for their fine-grained oak and subtle aromas. According to the Irish, this particular oak, these barrels could add a new dimension to the Midleton Very Rare Irish whiskey.

Current edition Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais is the first bottling of a series to be bottled annually. According to the manufacturer, in its aroma we should find notes of oak, pears, caramelized apples, orange peel, beeswax, roasted hazelnuts, freshly roasted coffee and spices. On the palate, expect accents of fresh peppermint, sage, orchard fruit, orange peel, beeswax bathed in chocolate, sweet vanilla and spice.

Midleton Very Rare Forêt de Tronçais will soon be available through specialty aging liquor stores. Buying a single bottle will mean an expense of £4,400.

Although the described edition of Midleton is not yet in the offer of the House of Whisky Online, amateurs of rare Irish whiskies will find with us a set of interesting editions of the brand, including several versions of the Very Rare series. We invite you to visit.


[15.10.2023 / photo: Midleton Distillery]