Method and Madness

Method and Madness was launched by Irish Distillers in 2017 as a home for experiments from the Midleton Distillery in County Cork. The name nods to the balance between Midleton's long distilling tradition and the freedom to try something new. Irish Distillers is part of Pernod Ricard.

The whiskeys are distilled at Midleton, including at its micro distillery, where the team can trial new grains and methods on a small scale. The core of the range covers the main Irish styles: a Single Pot Still, a Single Malt and a Single Grain, each given an unconventional cask finish.

The more adventurous releases are where the range earns its name. Buyers will find finishes in Japanese chestnut, Japanese cedarwood and mizunara oak, as well as an Oats and Malt whiskey that plays with the mash bill. Some single cask bottlings with hickory, maple wood and mezcal cask finishes were made exclusively for The Whisky Exchange.

At the top end sits a 33 Year Old finished in Japanese mizunara casks, drawn from Midleton's older stocks. Most bottles are produced in limited quantities, so availability and prices can change quickly.