Midleton Very Rare Whiskey: A Collector’s Item (8 Best Bottles)

What’s unique about the exquisite Midleton Very Rare range of single pot still Irish Whiskeys? 

Crafted at the New Midleton Distillery in Ireland, this collection showcases the expertise of three master distillers – Barry Crockett, Brian Nation and more recently Kevin O’Gorman. 

Each bottle is presented in a one-of-a-kind packaging and represents the rich history of Irish whiskey. 

Discover the best Midleton Very Rare whiskeys to buy now, a glimpse into the iconic Midleton Distillery and its whiskey collections. 

Also, find out if you should invest in Midleton Very Rare whiskey and an exciting way to invest in any whiskey cask (through Whiskeyvest).

An Overview of the Midleton Very Rare Whiskey

Midleton Very Rare Whiskey is a premium blended Irish whiskey produced by the Midleton Distillery since 1984. 

It’s a limited edition bottling released once a year and considered one of the finest Irish whiskies. 

A few key characteristics:

• Each bottle is a blend of rare, hand-selected single pot still and single grain Irish whiskies, aged for 12-20 years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. 
• Every bottle comes in a wooden display case and is individually numbered and signed by the Master Distiller to guarantee quality and authenticity.
• The flavor profile is characterized by notes of vanilla, honey, spice, and fruit, with a smooth, creamy finish.

Midleton Very Rare whiskey can be enjoyed on its own or in prepared cocktails.

8 Best Midleton Very Rare Whiskeys To Buy in 2023

If you’re looking for the finest from Midleton, you must try some of these limited edition blends of single grain Irish and rare single pot still whiskeys:

1. 2017 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,365)

2. 2014 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($2,017)

3. 1994 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,342)

4. 1998 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,996)

5. 2022 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($278)

6. 2006 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($2,071)

7. 2020 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($931)

8. 2016 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($681)

1. 2017 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,365)

The 2017 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey is characterized by a smooth and balanced flavor profile with notes of vanilla, caramel, fruit, and gentle spice. A long, creamy finish enhances these notes. 

This vintage was produced with some of Midleton’s oldest whiskies, including a 26-year-old single pot still whiskey and a 32-year-old grain whiskey. 

2. 2014 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($2,017)

The 2014 release was the first from Emeritus Master Distiller Brian Nation.

This whiskey has a fusion of fresh fruit, coconut, teak, varnish and ginger aroma notes. The palate has a hint of concentrated citrus juice, vanilla, toffee, and orchard fruit. 

3. 1994 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,342)

Here’s a whiskey with a delicate balance of fruit, gentle spice, root ginger, and oak, with notes of vanilla and honey on the nose. A smooth and elegant palate follows with decadent flavours of rich fruit, honey, and almond notes. 

4. 1998 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($1,996)

The 1998 Midleton Very Rare Whiskey has an aroma note of stewed apples and brown sugar. The palate has a spicy, caramel, charred oak taste and a buttery, chewy mouthfeel. This exclusive whiskey was matured in a first-fill Sherry butt before bottling.

5. 2022 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($278)

The Midleton Very Rare 2022 Vintage release, crafted by Kevin O’Gorman, offers a fruit-forward aroma with hazelnut, brown sugar, white pepper, and a grated nutmeg note. The palate is lush and sweet with hints of orange zest, crème brûlée, cereal, root ginger, clove spice, and the taste of fresh citrus notes. The finish has a polished antique wood contribution from the American oak barrels.

It is the latest addition to the renowned collection of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys. Crafted by the Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman, this is a blend of whiskeys aged 12-33 years.

6. 2006 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($2,071)

The whiskey has a unique aroma, with notes of ripe fruit, charred oak, vanilla, and honey. It is complex and layered on the palate, with macerated pears, caramel, and clove spice tasting notes. The finish is sweet, oaky, and smooth.

7. 2020 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($931)

Here’s a whiskey with a sweet, crisp nose with notes of vanilla, strawberries, orange zest, and hay notes. The palate has crème brûlée, grated nutmeg, red apple, and cinnamon tasting notes. It’s followed by a smooth, spicy finish with white pepper notes.

8. 2016 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey, County Cork, Ireland ($681)

The 2016 vintage has a nose of sweet fruit, yellow banana, and fresh citrus notes. The palate has vanilla, clove spice, and hazelnut flavors, followed by a smooth, sweet, nutty finish. 

About The Prestigious New Midleton Distillery

The New Midleton Distillery was built alongside the Old Midleton Distillery in the mid-1970s by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. It was an effort to consolidate production and improve the efficiency of the many distilleries they owned in Ireland at the time. 

When Midleton Very Rare launched in 1984, the new distillery had only been open for about 10 years. So the initial Very Rare vintages actually contained whiskey from the Old Midleton Distillery (now a visitor center called the Jameson Experience). 

The New Midleton Distillery is one of the largest distilleries in Ireland, capable of producing up to 64 million liters of spirit per year. It’s also one of the most modern distilleries in the world — its production areas are linked through fiber-optic networks.

Aside from Midleton Very Rare, the distillery produces various whiskeys, including Jameson, Redbreast, and Powers.

Over the years, it has won many awards for its whiskeys, including the prestigious World Whiskies Awards and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. 

In addition to producing whiskey, the distillery is also committed to sustainability and hopes to become carbon-neutral by 2026 — they’re on track to become the first and largest carbon-neutral distillery in Ireland. 

The 2023 Midleton Very Rare vintage will even come in a new, recyclable collector’s box, replacing the previous wood box — perfect for the seasoned whiskey collector. 

A Quick Look at the Other Whiskey Collections from Midleton

Over the years, Midleton has released multiple single pot still whiskeys in addition to Midleton Very Rare. We’ll list some of the finest below:

1. Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy

The Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy is a single pot still Irish whiskey matured only in American bourbon barrels. Single Pot Still whiskey is a truly distinctive Irish whiskey style found only at the Midleton Distillery, Co Cork. 

The whiskey is named after Barry Crockett, the Emeritus Master Distiller at the Midleton Distillery, as a tribute. It is the first time since John Jameson that Irish Distillers named a product after a Master Distiller.

2. Midleton Dair Ghaelach

Led by the current Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman, this single pot still Irish whiskey collection is aged in virgin Irish oak casks from certain Irish forests. The whiskeys in the Dair Ghaelach collection include Grinsell’s Wood, Bluebell Forest, Knockrath Forest, and Kylebeg Wood.

3. Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection

This collection, a 47-year-old blend of two whiskeys, honors the iconic Old Midleton Distillery that no longer produces whiskey. The whiskey produced here has achieved legendary status for collectors, making the rare bottlings extremely sought after. The Rare Silent Distillery collection includes three releases: 

• Chapter One: A peated Single Malt whiskey aged for 45 years
• Chapter Two: A Single Pot Still Irish whiskey matured for 46 years, capturing the distinctive flavors of the classic Old Midleton style
• Chapter Three: The last of a 47-year-old blend, and comes in beautiful, bespoke, mouth-blown decanters by Waterford Crystal

Fun Fact:

In 2023, the brand introduced Midleton Very Rare The Pinnacle Vintage NFT, the rarest single bottle of this iconic blend ever made. It’s also the very first Irish Whiskey available on BlockBar.com – the world's first D2C (Direct to Consumer) NFT Platform for wines and spirits.

Should You Invest in Midleton Very Rare Whiskey? 

Midleton Very Rare whiskeys come in limited quantities (less than 2,500 cases a year), which should appeal to any seasoned whiskey collector. 

The value of these whiskeys is determined by their rarity, age, and condition, as well as the brand’s reputation.

Most vintages appreciate over time. For example, the 1998 Midleton Very Rare Vintage Blended Irish Whiskey has surged by 235% since May 2022 to $2,696.

Midleton Very Rare has a history of being auctioned for steep dollar numbers: 

• A bottle of the 2020 Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery 45-year-old whiskey was auctioned off in 2022 for $52,000 at an Irish Whiskey Auctions Event.
• In 2021, the 1984 Midleton Very Rare vintage sold for about $1,900 on the Whisky.Auction platform. 
• In 2021, 37 bottles of Midleton Very Rare whiskey (1984-2020) sold for about $45,600 at Christie’s.

Now, it’s a smart idea to invest in whiskey casks instead of bottles because:

• They improve with age. That’s not the case when bottled. Once whiskey goes in a bottle, it stays the same permanently (unlike your Bordeaux-style proprietary red wine, for instance!)
• Have more liquidity. When you want to sell your cask, you have multiple options, including blending, bottling, or additional aging.
• They deliver bulk value. Say you invest in a whiskey cask for $1,500. Each cask holds roughly 266 bottles - which means each bottle is worth about $6, giving it plenty of room to appreciate in value before it is sold.

But what’s the easiest way to invest in whiskey casks?

Invest in Investment-Grade Whiskey Casks Through Whiskeyvest

Whiskeyvestallows you to invest in rare whiskey barrels like that blended scotch whisky, straight bourbon whiskey or single malt scotch whisky you may have your eye on. Whiskeyvest makes buying and selling casks simple and secure.

• There are no middlemen involved — so Whiskeyvest passes the savings along to you.
• Your casks will be fully insured and stored in a temperature and humidity-controlled bonded warehouse to ensure optimal aging.
• You own your Wild Turkey 12 Year Old, blended malt scotch whisky or any other whiskey and can receive a sample bottle from your cask once a year.
• You can schedule a visit to see your cask in person.
• The Whiskeyvest team will recommend a hold time depending on the cask. When your cask reaches maturity, they will arrange to sell it on your behalf.
• Don’t want to sell your cask? Have it bottled and delivered to you, whether you live in Cape Town, South Africa, Christchurch, New Zealand, or New York, USA.

So, why wait?Explore more about Whiskeyvest and speak to an expert to know more.