Method and Madness Single Pot Still Finished in Chestnut Casks

Nose: Apple, sherry, spices, orange peel and some lovely fragrant dusty wood aromas. There are trace notes of licorice and mint in the background. The nose is quite pungent and there is a distinct prickle from the alcohol, even though it's below 50% abv. Over time the nose settles and broadens and a very nice buttery quality develops. This is a delight to nose. Palate: Very big arrival - sweet, dense, dark fruits - a sugary background but it's not simple sweetness, the sugars are brown sugar and coffee crystals with a malty and almost molasses quality. Rich, warm and encompassing. Glace fruits, caramel, malt and baked bananas with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar come out in the development. The texture is mouth-coating and comforting, like a soft blanket. Finish: Medium/long. Spicy baked fruits. With water the aftertaste becomes more malty and gains just the right level of sweetness. I tasted the Method & Madness Single Malt a few months ago and enjoyed it very much. This pot still expression is every bit as good - maybe even better. It's oily, rich and nutty with layered complexity and it has an aura of completeness about it that makes it very satisfying. I could drink this regularly. Adding just a drop of water does it no harm, but don't add too much. The nose loses the prickle and melds together more but most interesting is a smoky note that appears out of nowhere on the palate. I'm not sure if I prefer this whiskey neat or slightly watered (just half a teaspoon is enough) - both ways are enjoyable. Sadly it's out of stock in Australia at the moment and we probably won't see another allocation. When it was available it was AUS$125 (about US$70) which in this case I would call a genuine bargain - I wish I'd bought a bottle when it was around. If you see this, grab it - highly recommended. Tasted from a 30ml sampler - my thanks to @Soba45 for the tasting dram. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)

It appears I am always to be drawn to the multi-barrel, special casking whiskies of the world. They call to me like a Siren's song and I am lost at Sea. Initial Sherry sweetness on the nose and a promise of fruity something with a dull wood scent in the background. On the tongue drunk neat there is a vapor mist and proof burn commensurate with the ABV. But this only lasts for the first 2-3 sips and then it seemingly disappears. There is but sweetness and quality wood at first. But over time the dram then becomes a very corn-like bourbon sweetness parade without the vanilla and then stony fruits tend to join in. A few ice chips and the taste mellows a good deal with the sweet still most prominent but a range of subtle tastes emerge from herbal to fruity. After swallow the oily finish goes through a long series of stages and after a few minutes a not unpleasant aftertaste coats the tongue, as if you've been mouthing a hard candy. It occurs to me this is the telltale product of the Chestnut casking. There is a slight Menthol quality to it but it is more subtle Minty. I like this whiskey very much and will likely raise the rating after I've spent some decent time with it. There are three versions here in PA so doubtless they will each come to rest in the collection, which is now approaching 60 bottles. Retirement has revealed many things to me and Whisk(e)y appreciation is among the the finer points. It helps me to count my many Blessings. Edit 10/4/21: Raised the rating from 3.75 to 4.25 stars after serious tasting with a few Bourbon/Whisky lovers in the family and getting their impressions as well. $75 at the PLCB

I've refined my tasting approach to pour, wait a bit, smell, taste neat spit out (if the first dram of the session to acclimatise my palate to the alcohol), wait for a bit, smell, taste neat and consume, add a few drops of water (dependent on the whiskey) repeat, wait consume more often with food. I find the method seems to really get the most out of what the whiskey has to offer. It paid off in spades with this one. I'm a BIG fan of the Midleton distillery. With the demise of Glendronach and to a certain degree Laphroaig it's moved to the top spot in my preferred distillery list. The diversity of offerings from the Spot, the Redbreast, Powers and now Method and Madness ranges (plus more) each quite different from the other.. it's almost like a few distilleries rolled into one which given it's history I guess it is. Anyhow the nose on this one was beautiful. Cacao (I paired with chocolate cake leftovers from the cake we were making for my 5 yr old sons birthday), ginger, sherry, chestnut, caramel and more. On the first couple of tastings I was disappointed but over time it opened up the spicy oakey caramel chestnut flavors coming to the fore. Now this is not a perfect whiskey by a long margin. Even with time and attention it's young and slightly harsh on the aftertaste but it has one unique quality... it's unique and interesting. I took a punt and grabbed a bottle and although I don't regret it for the $70USD price I wouldn't grab another. Definitely worth a try, maybe a buy.

This is the last of the Method & Madness bottles I picked up on clearance, and as I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, all of them are worth it on clearance. I actually prefer the oaky, wood shavings character of the Single Grain to the vanilla apple sweetness of the Single Malt, but they’re both pretty good at half price. My feelings about the line are similar with this the Single Pot Still. In other words, if I had paid $74.99 for this, I’d be disappointed, but I didn’t. I paid $37.50, and this is fantastic at that price. Even at $50 this might be good, but it’s just a bit much for $75. They’re making intriguing whiskies that are just a little too expensive for my taste. As far as how it drinks, this seems to combine the best of the Single Grain and Single Malt. There’s a nice oak aroma with an underlying vanilla sweetness with a cinnamon coating. The palate is apple pie all the way with an apple sweetness and a doughy quality with clove coming through on a medium finish. I was saving this for last because this is supposed to be the best of three, but whereas I gave the Single Grain a higher rating for surprising me, this one was supposed to be the best of bunch and it lives up to that. I probably won’t pick up any of these again, but I have one bottle of Single Malt left and three of Single Grain because at half-off, who wouldn’t stock up on these?

It’s a very nice whiskey. But I am a bit Old School when it comes to Irish whiskey. It’s a bit to sweet for me and lacks the complexity of Redbreast 12 cask strength or even Writers Tears double oak. I gave it 4 stars because it is good and certainly will please the ‘modern’ drinker. But once this bottle is done I doubt I’d buy another - but again it’s just me. It is a terrific whiskey- just too sweet for me. EDIT: several months later. Dropping it to 3. Hasn’t grown on me. Much to sweet. Cloyingly sweet 2ND EDIT... its now been several months since my last edit and things have changed. over time, opened bottles and palates change.. I have since knocked off this bottle and bought another. it was now much more complex and less sweet. this is a good example of the beauty of whiskey and never to pour a bottle down the drain. I opened my second bottle and will let it sit capped on my shelf for a few months.... I am now changing my rating back to it's original 4.

Smell- banana candy First sip, sweet, caramel, bananas foster Second sip, hit with a wham of smokiness and chestnut, that disappeared quickly (and that smoky hit didn't return on subsequent sips) 3rd sips onward- sweet and smooth with a great mouthfeel and a woody finish. Overall I really enjoy this. Not sure it's quite worth the price point ($74 in Pa), but I would definitely drink again Edit: adding subsequent tastes 2 months later. This is seriously a damn fine pour. I have enjoyed this more each time I taste it. It is smooth,oily and rich. All if the finishing adds a lot of character that improves over time.