Showing posts with label Method and Madness Batch 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Method and Madness Batch 2. Show all posts

Method and Madness Batch 2 Review

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“You Can Play With Madness”

Whisky Review # 822

Country: Ireland
Brand: Method and Madness - Batch 2
Distilled at: Midleton Distillery, Cork - Bottled: 2017
Type: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation:  Ex-Oloroso and Ex-Bourbon finished in French Chestnut Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price: Around US$ 75 (July 2019)
Buying Advice: 😀An interesting Spicy Whiskey with a reasonable P/Q ratio.

Colour:

Light Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Varnish and Wood Polish are the first impressions. They fade away over time however so be sure to give this Whiskey enough time in the glass. There's a Creamy, Waxy feel to the Nose and you can certainly notice the Virgin Chestnut Oak. It's still Young of course but the Alcohol is reasonably well integrated. A few Spices and Herbs are around as well. The Chestnut Oak gives an interesting touch to this Pot Still Whiskey.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Porridge, Vanilla, Apricot filled Puff Pastry, Mixed Dried Fruit and Nuts, Wax, Orange Peel, Peach, Milk Chocolate, Wood Shavings, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mint, Butter and Fresh Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Brown Sugar Toffee, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Bounty Candy Bars, Pineapple, Red Apple, Dusty Earth, Wet Newspaper, Pepper and a faint hint of Leather.

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Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Dry and quite Spicy. The French Oak is quite noticeable again and so is the Alcohol. Palate (and Finish) are a little on the Thin side.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Toffee, Mixed Dried Fruit and Nuts, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Oak, Citrus Peel, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Aniseed and Fresh Herbs.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Wet Paper, Stewed Apples, Banana Ice-Cream, Dry Earth, Nutmeg and a hint of Varnish and Wood Polish.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and quite Spicy. Increasingly Dry towards the end. The Alcohol provides a little kick. The relative Youth of the Spirit becomes more noticeable at this point. I find Toasted Cereals, Toasted Oak, Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Stewed Fruit like Apples and Pears, Wet Stones, Herbal Tea, Espresso, Bitter Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, Licorice and Mint.

Drinking Advice:

I added some Water and on the Nose you will get extra Fruity - & Floral notes. The Spicy notes are enhanced and mellowed at the same time. I liked it a lot better this way so my advise is to add a few drops of Water.

Rating: 84

Nose: 22 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5  - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good (especially with added Water)

Conclusion:

Method and Madness is a Brand name developed by Masters and Apprentices of the Midleton Distillery in Cork in order to experiment with innovation, creativity and anything else out of the ordinary. This Batch 2 was finished in casks made of Chestnut wood from the Isere region in France.

Pot Still Whiskey is different as it consists of both Malted and Un-malted Barley. This usually creates a very Spicy Whiskey and that's certainly the case here. I found that a few drops of water really benefit this Method and Madness. It seems to bring everything into place and provides more balance. It's a pity that this is a relatively Young Spirit. A few years extra maturation before finishing would have done a world of good. The Virgin Chestnut Oak Finish is certainly interesting although new Oak will always give you this Varnish/Wood Polish note that might not be to every one's liking. I'm not really a huge fan of the smooth Irish Whiskies. This rocky Pot Still Madness caught my attention though after adding a little bit of Water. Slainte!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      July 29, 2019

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