Whisky Focus - Three New Method And Madness Japanese Cask Finished Whisky's

Ahead of St. Patricks Day 2022, Irish Distillers has unveiled a trio of single pot still whiskeys created under their innovative and experimental whiskey brand Method and Madness.

As always, as is the nature of the Method and Madness whisky brand, they are offering whiskey enthusiasts something a little different and off the beaten track of what we have seen before from the Irish whiskey maker, on this occasion Irish Distillers creative team's continued quest for uncommon casks led them to Japan, they connected with the esteemed Ariake Sangyo cooperage in Miyazaki. Working alongside these expert coopers, the team was able to procure a selection of rare and precious casks and ship them back to the Micro Distillery at Midleton, Co. Cork, for the final finishing phases of these three new whiskey releases.

First up, the oldest and the most expensive in this trio of releases is the Method and Madness 33 Year Old Japanese Mizunara Oak Finish, and this was no quick finish, the already mature single pot still whiskey spent three years finishing in the Japanese Mizunara Oak sourced from the Hokkaido region in Northern Japan, where the temperate rainforest creates the ideal growing conditions for the oak used for barrel production.

Irish Distillers tells me that the relatively high wood density and medium charring of the cask has imparted elevated flavours of nutmeg and vanilla to the single pot still distillate originally laid down for maturation in ex-bourbon barrels in 1988. The whiskey was then refilled into this exceptional Mizunara cask for a further three years, resulting, they say, in a perfect harmony of spicy pot still and perfumed oak.

The Method and Madness 33 Year Old Japanese Mizunara Oak Finish has been bottled at cask strength, 52.8% ABV, only 252 bottles will be available globally and as you can imagine you will need deep pockets if you want to taste this one, it has an RRP of €3,000.

Next up is the no age statement Method and Madness Japanese Cedarwood Casks Finished expression, a world first for the Irish whiskey category. Initially matured in bourbon and sherry barrels before undergoing a finishing period of over 13 months in Japanese Cedarwood Casks, these cedar barrels are more traditionally favoured for the maturation of Japanese Sake.

The cedar logs are sourced from the Kyushu region in southern Japan, where the warm wet conditions create a particularly fragrant and porous wood which they tell me has given the whiskey a unique flavour profile of herbal tea, caraway seeds and clove spice alongside a delicate fruit finish.

The Method and Madness Japanese Cedarwood Casks Finished has been bottled at 48% ABV, bottle numbers have not been revealed except to say it will be available in limited quantities, it has a RRP of €95.

Completing the trio of Method And Madness Japanese Cask Finished Irish pot still whisky's is the Method And Madness Japanese Chestnut Casks Finished expression, similar to the Japanese Cedarwood Casks Finished expression the Chestnut Casks Finish was initially matured in bourbon and sherry barrels before undergoing a finishing period of over 13 months in the Japanese Chestnut Casks, another world first for Irish whiskey.

The Japanese chestnut wood used by Irish Distillers for this expression was sourced  from southern Japan, where the rocky terrain and abundant rainfall make for a relatively high wood density which they tell me has imparted notes of liquorice and lingering spice with flavours of orange zest and cooling menthol.

The Method and Madness Japanese Japanese Chestnut Casks Finished has been bottled at 48% ABV, bottle numbers have not been revealed except to say it will be available in limited quantities, it has a RRP of €95.

I haven't tasted any of the Japanese trio so I cant comment on their quality but the short official tasting notes for them all are below. The Method And Madness Japanese wood finished trio will be available from specialist online whisky retailers such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
 

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