Irish Distillers today announced the appointment of Kevin O’Gorman as its new Master Distiller at Midleton Distillery in Cork.
O’Gorman will succeed Brian Nation, who has served as Master Distiller since 2013.
Nation is set to take on the role of Master Distiller at a startup distillery in the US.
As part of his new role O’Gorman will be 'responsible for protecting the rich heritage of the world’s most famous Irish whiskeys, ensuring the quality of all new pot and grain distillates produced at Midleton while supporting future innovation,' the Jameson owner said.
Master of Maturation
A Cork native, O’Gorman is a Technology graduate from The University of Limerick and holds a Diploma in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling. He is a master craftsman having started his career in Midleton in 1998, working as a distiller under the tutelage of Master Distiller Emeritus Barry Crockett.
From there he moved to Maturation where he honed his skills under then Master of Maturation Brendan Monks before assuming the role of Master of Maturation on Brendan’s retirement in 2007.
Commenting on the appointment, Conor McQuaid, Chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers, said: “Kevin’s exceptional leadership and talent as Master of Maturation has impressed the whiskey world ever since he took on the role in 2007."
"We know that he will continue to impress as Master Distiller, an evolved role which will see him lead both distillation and maturation at Irish Distillers," he added.
Innovation
O'Gorman successfully continued the ongoing innovation in maturation that has made Midleton famous, while working with the team in facilitating spirit options for new brands like Method and Madness and brand extensions in the Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, Midleton Very Rare and Spot range, the company said.
In his previous role, O'Gorman spent much of his time travelling the globe to source only the highest quality casks from world renowned cooperages, while overseeing the full maturation process across the portfolio.
“Since starting my career in Irish Distillers in 1998, I have been lucky to learn from masters like Barry Crockett and Brendan Monks about the intricacies of the whiskey production, from grain to glass," said O’Gorman.
"Of course, Brian Nation and I have also worked very closely together on distillation and maturation for the past 10 years and he will be missed by all his friends at Midleton Distillery."
© 2020 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
