PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Midleton Very Rare has been Irish Distillers’ annual vintage release since 1984, a blend of the finest single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys, and each year it is a snapshot of what the Midleton team can do. The 2025 edition is a milestone: it honors the 200th anniversary of Midleton Distillery, founded in 1825, and it is the most complex vintage yet. For the first time in the collection’s history, six different distillate styles were brought together, each representing generations of craftspeople who have shaped the Midleton legacy. The whiskeys span four decades.
Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman hand-picked three styles of grain whiskey for this blend: Midleton’s signature grain whiskey, plus a rare 22-year-old select batch grain whiskey, made from a mash bill of barley and malted barley, and an equally rare 21-year-old grain whiskey, sourced from the historic A2 warehouse. Both aged in refill American whiskey barrels, which let the sweetness and butterscotch of the distillate come through. The blend also features an increased pot still contribution, matured in first-fill barrels, which adds “deep spice and stone fruit” and structure. After blending, the team created three initial prototypes before settling on the final blend. It comes in a recyclable gift box illustrated with the distillery, its iconic copper pot stills, and a commemorative 200th-anniversary stamp.
The producer’s notes describe a nose that “opens with sweet waves of caramelised apple, toffee fudge and vanilla, while the subtle herbal and floral notes of freshly picked garden mint and lavender slowly build over time, complementing the woodland spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.” The palate is “textured layers of sweet honeycomb with soft fruits and delicate herbal undertones,” with “white pepper with a mild hint of chilli oil” alongside “citrus and orchard fruits,” and decadent “treacle, toffee, vanilla, and sugar glazed fruits.” The finish is “rich and lingering,” with the fruits fading to leave “the oak and pot still spices with the final word.” Tastings.com scored it 94 Points and awarded it a Gold Medal, describing “oaky aromas of cinnamon, yellow apple, nutmeg, and cornbread” and a “round, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body” with a “toasty oak, dried apple, and peanut shell finish,” calling it “spicy, nutty and toasty, a warm and fun Irish Whiskey to share.” It also won Gold at the 2025 Irish Whisky Masters. For collectors, it’s a commemorative bottle with a clear place in the series. For drinkers, it’s a rich, sweet-and-spicy Irish whiskey with the soft honeyed character of old grain whiskey and the spice of pot still.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 is produced by Irish Distillers at Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland, under Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman. It is a blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys spanning four decades, combining six distillate styles for the first time in the collection’s history. The grain whiskeys include Midleton’s signature grain, a 22-year-old select batch grain made from barley and malted barley, and a 21-year-old grain, all matured in refill American whiskey barrels from the historic A2 warehouse, with an increased contribution of single pot still whiskey from first-fill barrels. Presented in a recyclable gift box marking Midleton’s 200th anniversary. Bottled at 40% ABV / 80 proof, 700ml.
Tastings.com — 94 Points, Gold Medal (June 2025):
“Golden amber color. Curious, oaky aromas of cinnamon, yellow apple, nutmeg, and cornbread with a round, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a warming, complex, medium-long toasty oak, dried apple, and peanut shell finish. Spicy, nutty and toasty, a warm and fun Irish whiskey to share.”
Gold Medal — The Irish Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business), 2025
Midleton (official tasting notes):
“Nose: Opens with sweet waves of caramelised apple, toffee fudge and vanilla notes, while the subtle herbal and floral notes of freshly picked garden mint and lavender slowly build over time, complementing the woodland spices of cinnamon and nutmeg thanks to the rich influence of the American oak. Taste: Textured flavours of sweet honeycomb with soft fruits and delicate herbal undertones. White pepper with a mild hint of chilli oil work in tandem with the nuanced taste of citrus and orchard fruits while the sweet nature continues to build with decadent flavours of treacle, toffee, vanilla, and sugar glazed fruits. Finish: Rich and lasting. The fruits begin to softly fade, leaving the oak and pot still spices with the final word.”
Nose
Golden amber. Caramelized apple, toffee fudge, and vanilla lead, with garden mint, lavender, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Palate
Textured sweet honeycomb and soft fruits, with white pepper, a hint of chilli oil, citrus and orchard fruit, treacle, toffee, and sugar-glazed fruit.
Finish
Rich and lingering, with fading fruit and a final word of oak and pot still spice.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Style | Blended Irish Whiskey — Single Pot Still & Single Grain, Vintage Release |
| ABV / Proof | 40% ABV / 80 Proof |
| Blend | Six distillate styles over four decades, including 22-year-old and 21-year-old grain whiskeys |
| Maturation | Refill American whiskey barrels (grain); first-fill barrels (pot still) |
| Distillery | Midleton Distillery — County Cork, Ireland (founded 1825) |
| Master Distiller | Kevin O’Gorman |
| Occasion | Midleton Distillery’s 200th anniversary |
| Presentation | Recyclable gift box with 200th-anniversary stamp |
| Critics | Tastings.com 94 · Gold, Irish Whisky Masters 2025 |
| Style / Identity | A commemorative, rich, sweet-and-spicy Irish whiskey blending decades-old grain with pot still |
| Aromas & Flavors | Caramelized apple, toffee fudge, honeycomb, mint, lavender, cinnamon, nutmeg |
| Bottle Size | 700ml |
Enjoy neat or with a few drops of water, to open the herbal and floral notes.
Bottle Size: All bottles are 750ML/700ML unless otherwise noted.
21 and Over: Adult Signature Required
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