Midleton Very Rare 2023 Vintage Release Irish Whiskey

Midleton Very Rare is the crown jewel of Irish whiskey — an annual vintage release that enthusiasts wait for every year. This is the 2023 edition, the 40th in the series and the third created by Midleton’s Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman, who hand-selects a small number of exceptional casks from the distillery’s most treasured reserves to compose each year’s blend. Every bottle is individually numbered and carries his signature, so you are holding a true collector’s release rather than a standard pour.

It is a marriage of aged single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys, matured in lightly charred ex-bourbon American oak barrels. The nose is layered and inviting: orchard fruits of nectarine, ripe melon, green apple and apricot, lifted by the gentle spice of fresh ginger and cracked pepper, then rounded out with vanilla, honeycomb and a whisper of roasted coffee from the oak. On the palate it turns lusciously creamy, the pot still spices weaving through soft floral and camomile notes, before a long finish where oak tannins and antique grain whiskey have the final word.

Bottled at 40% ABV, this is a whiskey to savour slowly. Pour it neat, add a single drop of water if you wish, and give one of Ireland’s benchmark whiskeys the unhurried attention it deserves.