Midleton Distillery Experience — Attraction in The Municipal District of East Cork

Disappointing Experience at Midleton Distillery –

As an enthusiast who has enjoyed distillery tours across Ireland and beyond, I had high expectations for our recent visit to Midleton Distillery, the historic home of Jameson. When a group of 11 friends came to visit, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share an authentic Irish whiskey experience. Unfortunately, my expectations were profoundly unmet, and I left feeling quite disappointed.

My love for distillery tours stems from a multi-sensory immersion: the captivating combination of sights and distinctive smells (even the less pleasant ones like the raw mash), the profound understanding gained from witnessing the production process firsthand, the tactile experience of grains sifting through my fingers, and the invaluable knowledge imparted by a knowledgeable guide. The true epiphany, for me, is when all these sensory inputs culminate in the final taste, bringing the entire journey to a satisfying conclusion. It's crucial to understand, however, that Midleton Distillery, despite its reputation, does not offer this kind of immersive experience.

Our tour began with a brief, approximately five-minute video, which set a somewhat impersonal tone. We were then led on a rushed journey through a series of old buildings that, to my dismay, are no longer actively used for whiskey production. Our guide, while polite, delivered snippets of information and gestured towards plaques on the walls. The pace was so swift that there was little opportunity to properly read or absorb the information before being hurried to the next point. While I appreciate historical architecture, Ireland boasts countless old buildings; without the context of a working distillery, much of what we saw felt like an uninterpreted exposition. Indeed, had I not been on other, more informative distillery tours, I would have struggled to understand the significance of the structures before us. It wasn't until we reached the bonded storehouse that we finally encountered any actual whiskey, offering a fleeting glimpse and scent of the aging process, though this stage of production inherently offers less to actively observe.

The standard tasting session that followed was pleasant enough, but the true saving grace of our visit was the extended tasting with Cassie. She was a revelation, patiently answering our questions and offering genuine insights into the world of whiskey and Jameson's rich history, a stark contrast to the earlier "running tour." While she admittedly mentioned our extended session was only supposed to be half an hour, we had already been with her for an hour before we were moved on – a testament to how much we valued her expertise and the depth of information she provided.

In fairness, the staff throughout the distillery were kind and the overall space was aesthetically pleasing. However, what we experienced felt largely like an overpriced building exposition, punctuated by a few tastes of whiskey.

While I deeply respect Jameson's products and their heritage, based on this experience, I cannot recommend the Midleton Distillery tour to anyone seeking a genuine, immersive understanding of whiskey production. For those accustomed to comprehensive, sensory-rich distillery tours, Midleton falls far short of delivering on those...

Went to Ireland on a 10 day trip. We went to a number of distilling/brewing experiences in Dublin proper (Jameson, Roe & Co, Teeling, Guiness) and to the Bushmills distillery but we wanted to see the factory itself so made the track out (we drove from one end of Ireland to the other in a clockwise manner so this was added as part of our trip with a rental car). One thing to keep in mind is that this place can get very busy, so plan ahead as far as getting tickets (and be careful, there are resellers selling tickets, be sure you check with them directly first to make sure you aren't paying a premium if you don't want to). Parking can be a challenge (we parked about 3 blocks away as parking in the lot itself is packed and we had what would be considered a larger car). Another thing to consider is what type of experience you want. This is one of the largest distilleries in Ireland so they have a few to choose from (we did the tour with a flight of whiskey, so it can be had without the whiskey flight which is what I did (my wife let me taste some of the greatest hits so to speak). One thing to keep in mind is that the Irish whiskey industry has gone through some highs and lows with consolidation and what not. You are touring (like Guiness as well) the "old" distillery. The new distillery is not part of the tour we took (it's an industry complex within site of the "old" distillery we did tour). So you are taking more of a history lesson on how whiskey used to be made and not how it is made in present day. We luckily had a chance to see a different distillery where we could see the sights and smells of whiskey being produced which isn't something you really get to see a lot of.

Seeing how whiskey used to be made at one of the biggest distilleries in Ireland was something that I would recommend you come out to see. It's a much different experience than they have at the Jameson tour in Dublin proper (which is there to get the tourist who doesn't have the time or means to get out to Middleton). They produce a number of whiskeys here as well as offer different options for purchase you really can't find elsewhere. If you are planning a trip, I would keep in mind how many bottles you want to lug back with you before going crazy and buying 5 bottles at the first distillery you visit (everyone seems to have distillery exclusives and even the duty free at the airport has some items that are hard to find elsewhere). You could easy buy a dozen bottles if you aren't careful (I think we ended up with 6 or 7 between the two of us, with about half being duty free purchases).

The tour starts in the visitor center then moves you around where the whisky used to be produced. It's about 75 minutes, that takes you through a guided tour where they walk you through the process from grain to bottle. There are a number of options depending on what experience you want from a short one to an all-day option where you get a full behind the scene look.

Once you are done, they have a pretty extensive gift shop at the end with lots of options for whiskey (a ton of whiskey likely won't find elsewhere) with ages and prices to fit quite a few different tastes. They also have a cafe you can grab a snack on your...

*Pro tip - Do not go to the actual distillery, you need to go to the Jameson Experience and make sure the directions take you through town and when you arrive it should be a old building with obvious signs you are at a touristy place.

Our GPS took us to the actual Midleton Distillery where they brew their whiskey today. Our tour was at 16:45, we were already going to be a few minutes late, but when we arrived and saw a bunch of workers also leaving, we knew that something wasn't quite right as we approached the modern building. One worker noticed straight away that we were tourists and directed us to where the tours were actually at. He was very kind and helpful!

When we finally arrived, we were more than 15 minutes late and shared our apologies. The hosts were so nice and said it happens all the time and we hadn't missed too much because the tour was about 90 minutes long anyway. We got a quick behind-the-scenes walk through the property and joined up with the group. Funny enough, after a few minutes, another group joined us (undoubtedly in the same predicament that we were in).

The tour was REALLY good, we learned about the history of the building and the process specific for making Jameson, as well as their other whiskeys and spirits. The buildings we went into were either brand new or original. When we visited I'm August 2023, they were in the middle of a restoration and expanding their existing operations (see pictures). There was a lot of construction cones, signs, etc. but when we got there most of the workers had left for the day.

We saw the distillery copper pots and their new testing/experimental facility that they use to train 2 apprentices a year. Towards the end of the tour, they took us to the barrel room and it was pretty cool to see how they store hundreds of barrels of whiskey. Our guide, Brian was excellent at engaging the group and keeping the excitement in his tone throughout his presentation. He told us that the whiskey evaporates at 2% a year, and since by Irish law, they have to let it age in a barrel for at least 3 years, they automatically lose 6% of whiskey to the "Angels" (the happiest Angels that there is). He was able to show us, using barrels with a clear front panel how much each barrel loses over time. He also had jokes about the cows and pigs being the happiest in Ireland because they get the leftover barley and hops.

The tasting was also very good, as they provided a half-shot of American whiskey and Scotch whiskey as comparison to the Jameson Irish whiskey. He had us pause and consider the notes (smell and taste). Lastly, they dropped us off at the tasting room/bar and gift shop and we could have a Jameson drink (and pay for extra if we wanted). While we sipped, our bartender Joe was very nice and told us how Brian is the sansay of tour guides, has taught them all and is quite good at what he does. We also got to talking with another bartender, Conor and he gave us some recommendations for places in town that we could visit for dinner.

Overall, we really liked this experience and even after a long day, it was one of our favorite tours we've ever done for beer/whiskey!

For more recommendations and tips from our Ireland trip......