Method and Madness 33 Year Old Mizunara

Method and Madness 33 Year Old Mizunara is the oldest Irish whiskey to be finished in the sought-after Japanese 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. The relatively low wood density and medium charring of the cask impart elevated flavours of nutmeg and vanilla to the single pot still distillate originally laid down for maturation in ex-bourbon barrels in 1988.

Just 252 bottles of METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask will be available

The whiskey was then refilled into this exceptional Mizunara cask for a further three years, resulting in a perfect harmony of spicy pot still and perfumed oak. Bottled at 52.8% ABV, just 252 bottles of METHOD AND MADNESS Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Japanese Mizunara Oak Cask will be available globally.

While the Mizunara Cask represents the generations of tradition and craftsmanship in which whiskey making and Japanese culture are steeped, the two younger expressions highlight the innovation and experimentation for which the distillery is renowned. Each of the single pot still distillates were first matured in bourbon and sherry barrels before a finishing period in Japanese Cedarwood Casks (ABV 48%) – a world first for the Irish whiskey category – and Japanese Chestnut Casks (ABV 48%), marking a new first for the industry.

Stunning packaging, designed by Swedish-Irish design team M&E, brings the influence of the different wood finishes to life on pack with a traditional black and gold label for the Mizunara and brightly coloured designs, inspired by the neon lights of Tokyo, for the Cedarwood and Chestnut releases.

Elevating the trademark METHOD AND MADNESS marbling, the labels feature traditional Suminagashi designs – a Japanese marbling method dating back to the 12th Century. Each of the three expressions is also adorned with a unique kanji, or character, from traditional Japanese calligraphy describing the wood type and age of the liquids.