Irish distillery partners with Fermanagh pub

Two Irish brands have come together in a new partnership to launch an exclusive rare Irish whiskey for St Patrick’s Day. One of Fermanagh’s oldest pubs, Blake’s of The Hollow has partnered with the Northern Irish arm of Irish Distillers, Dillon Bass and Midleton Distillery in Cork to release an exclusive 26-year-old Midleton Single Cask Irish Whiskey. Some 26 years in the making, the limited edition Midleton single cask release was hand selected by Midleton’s master distiller Brian Nation in collaboration with the pub’s owner Pat Blake. Bottled exclusively for the pub, this single cask release aims to showcase the quality of the single pot still style Irish Whiskey synonymous with the distillery. The whiskey has been distilled in traditional copper pot stills from a mash of both malted and unmalted Irish barley. Billy Leighton, master blender for Midleton Distillery, believes this specially produced single cask whiskey will be popular amongst both traditional and modern whiskey-lovers. Leighton said: “The Midleton name is synonymous with excellence in craftsmanship and this single cask release allows us to further showcase the quality of the single pot still style to whiskey connoisseurs, who eagerly anticipate opportunities to taste Midleton whiskeys. “This single cask Irish whiskey is made from malted and unmalted barley; triple distilled in Midleton’s copper pot stills, the whiskey has been left for 26 years to mature in a first fill Bourbon barrel, creating an incredibly smooth and well-balanced whiskey.” The whiskey features notes of cedar wood incense and toasted oak, nutmeg spice and black pepper, along with mild zesty fruit notes, sweet toffee and vanilla elements of the oak. It is said to be ‘delicately sweet’ with citrus peel, tropical fruits and soft vanilla and a mild peppery note. The Victorian bar in the Blake’s complex in the hollow of Church Street in Enniskillen dates back to 1887. The pub bottled its own whiskey until the 1960s, with ‘white label’ bottles bearing the brand’s name and logo alongside the licensee’s name. Today, Blake’s continues to stock an extensive range of classic Irish whiskeys in its bars. Blake said: “Blake’s is one of the oldest pubs in Co. Fermanagh, with visitors and locals gracing our doors for over 125 years. Irish whiskey has always been a passion for us, and we’ve seen an uptake in interest from a whole new generation of whiskey lovers over the last number of years. “There is a proud history of whiskey bonding at Blake’s and releasing an exclusive Irish whiskey in partnership with an iconic brand like Midleton has been a lifelong dream of mine. I love that I have been able to fulfil this dream with a collaboration with Midleton and Brian, Billy and the team at Midleton Distillery. I’m very much looking forward to hearing what our customers think of this release and I will definitely be raising a toast to this very exciting project.” The Single Cask Midleton Whiskey retails at £690 per bottle and is available at Blake’s of The Hollow in Enniskillen.