Midleton Distillery — County Cork Single Malt Whisky

Midleton Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery located in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. It was founded in 1975 and is currently owned by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. It is home to the world's largest pot stills currently in operation and produces the majority of Ireland's best-known whiskey brands, including Jameson, Redbreast, Green Spot and Midleton Very Rare.

History

Midleton's whiskey-making history dates back to 1825, when brothers James, Daniel and Jeremiah Murphy converted a former woollen mill and army barracks on the site into a distillery, eventually installing what was reputedly the largest pot still ever built, at over 31,000 gallons. The Murphy distillery later became the Cork Distilleries Company. In 1966, Cork Distilleries Company merged with John Jameson & Son and John Power & Son to form Irish Distillers Group, consolidating Irish whiskey production. To meet growing demand, Irish Distillers built a new, larger distillery immediately next to the historic site, and production moved there in July 1975 when the old distillery ceased operating. The original 1825 buildings were preserved and reopened in 1992 as the "Jameson Experience" visitor centre, now known as the Old Midleton Distillery. The modern New Midleton Distillery has since been expanded substantially, including a €200 million investment from 2010 that doubled capacity and added a new maturation facility at nearby Dungourney, plus a micro-distillery for small-batch and experimental releases. The Irish Whiskey Academy, offering courses to industry professionals and enthusiasts, opened on site in 2013.

Quick Facts

• Region: County Cork, Ireland
• Founded: 1975 (whiskey-making on the site dates to 1825)
• Owner: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
• Status: Active
• Stills: Three 75,000-litre copper pot stills (among the largest in the world) plus three column stills, with an additional small-scale micro-distillery

Core Range

Midleton's stills produce the spirit behind most major Irish whiskey brands rather than a single house range. Key expressions include Jameson Original (40% ABV), the flagship blended Irish whiskey; the Redbreast single pot still range (including Redbreast 12 Year Old, 46% ABV); the Green Spot, Yellow Spot and Red Spot single pot still whiskeys; Powers John's Lane and Powers Gold Label; and the annual, prestige Midleton Very Rare blended whiskey. The distillery also releases limited-edition and experimental whiskeys under the Method and Madness and Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy labels.