Irish Distillers has unveiled the final chapter in its prestigious Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection—a 50-Year-Old Single Pot Still Irish whiskey marking the conclusion of one of the rarest whiskey collections in the world.
First launched in 2020, the Silent Distillery Collection has featured whiskeys aged 46 to 49 years, all originally distilled at the now-closed Old Midleton Distillery, which operated from 1825 to 1975. Chapter Six, just released, represents the last remaining drops from this historic distillery, issued to commemorate its 200th anniversary.
Initially matured in American oak bourbon barrels, the whiskey was later transferred into a bespoke cask created by fifth-generation Master Cooper Ger Buckley and his team. This unique cask was crafted from staves taken from the previous five chapters of the collection—meticulously disassembled and reassembled to form a final vessel symbolising the legacy of Silent Distillery.
“To create a one-of-a-kind cask for the final maturation using wood from all five previous releases was a once-in-a-lifetime honour,” said Ger Buckley.
“As I worked on this cask, I often wondered if my predecessors ever felt this level of pressure to capture every last drop.”
Described as “remarkably vibrant” for its age, this 50-year-old whiskey offers a vivid balance of fresh orchard fruit, earthy dried tobacco leaf, and antique oak. It was originally distilled by Max Crockett in the world’s largest pot still, and matured over five decades under the care of three Master Distillers: Barry Crockett, Brian Nation, and most recently, Kevin O’Gorman.
Presented in a hand-blown, etched, and polished Waterford crystal decanter and housed in a bespoke wooden cabinet designed by Irish craftsman John Galvin, Chapter Six is bottled at 53% ABV.
Fewer than 250 bottles of Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six are available, priced at €60,000/£55,000, through the Midleton Collection website and select specialist retailers in Ireland, the UK, and the USA.
