Diary of a Weekend in Cork, June 2005

Day 1: Dublin to Cork Day 1: Checking out the Nightlife in Cork Day 2: Cork to Blarney Day 2: The Midleton Jameson Distillery Day 2: A Visit to Historical Cobh Day 2: Night out in Cork City Day 3: Cork City Gaol Day 3: Fota Wildlife Park Day 3: Homeward Bound - Cork to Dublin

Day 2: 18 June 2005, Jameson Midleton Distillery

The Old Midleton Distillery
From Blarney, the plan was to go to Cobh and visit the heritage centre and other sights in Cobh. However, while on the road we iscovered that we were also on the road to Midleton. So we kept going and decided to go check out the Old Midelton Distillery . Midleton is only about 14 km from Cork City and the road is great - straight all the way. The Distillery is signposted all the way to Midleton. However, once we got to Midleton town, the signs vanished. We drove straight through the town and just after we passed the turn, we seen the sign Left for Jameson Distillery. We made the turn - just about. For anyone else who is going, the turn is just passed the 'PoundWorld' shop on the main street.

The grounds of the distillery are very well maintained. The buildings are really old grey stone buildings with red windows. The Jameson distillery is actually the old distillery; no longer in use anymore. There is a new distillery to the rear of the old one - but it's not included in the tour. The only way to see the old distillery is by a guided tour, which is great. The entrance fee was Euro8.50. Very good value when you factor in the complimentary glass of Jameson at the end! We were shown around by a lovely lady called Debra. She was fun, friendly and very knowledgeable.

There was a lot to learn. How whiskey is made, the different types of whiskeys, the difference between Irish, Scotch and Bourbon, and more. Once the tour is over, there is an opportunity to do a whiskey tasting. Sample the 4 Irish whiskeys; Paddy, Jameson, Bushmills and Powers. Compare these with Scotch Johnny Walker Red Label and American Bourbon Jim Beam. At the end of the tasting, each participant receives a certificate. At the distillery, they also produce a whiskey called Middleton Rare which is supposed to be the best Irish whiskey available. It is 26 years old and retails at approx Euro 500.00 Not for the faint hearted.

Once the tour is over, everyone is offered a complimentary glass of Jameson. All three of us sampled it but we wouldn't consider ourselves whiskey connoisseurs by any stretch of the imagination so we asked a few of our fellow visitors what their opinions were. The verdict was that if you are a whiskey drinker - it's fantastic. You can enjoy it a lot more after seeing the whole process from start to finish. Overall, a highly recommended tourist attraction and a definite must for anyone visiting Midleton / Cork.

If you fancied staying in Midleton, call us on our toll free numbers above to enquire about rates at the Midleton Hotel & Spa on the main road into Midleton from Cork City. The Midleton Park Hotel & Spa was recently awarded 4 star RAC accreditation and is ideal for business or pleasure, offering luxury guest rooms & award-winning restaurant as well as all the fantastic beauty treatments you would expect at the Spa Club!!