
Midleton Very Rare 2023
Midleton · Midleton Distillery
The 2023 vintage continues the Midleton Very Rare tradition of showcasing the distillery's remarkable range of pot still and grain whiskeys. Master Blender Kevin O'Gorman's selection emphasizes restraint over intensity, creating a whiskey where every element has space to breathe. It rewards those who approach it slowly.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Delicate honeyed cereals open with fresh peach and vanilla. A subtle green cut grass note adds brightness, while floral rosewater lingers just beneath the surface. Time in the glass reveals gentle almond and a wisp of oak.
Palate
Silky and refined, with buttery grain character meeting stone fruit and a suggestion of cocoa. The mid-palate broadens into caramel and woody spice, balanced by a gentle ethereal quality that keeps the whiskey light on its feet.
Finish
Measured and elegant, trailing off with vanilla, peach, and a last touch of honey.
- Distillation
- Triple distilled in copper pot stills (pot still component); column distilled (grain component)
- Maturation
- Matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
- Single Pot Still
- No
- Chill-Filtered
- Chill filtered
Food Pairing
Seared scallops with brown butter and hazelnuts
Blended each year by Midleton's master blender from a reserved selection of pot still and grain whiskeys drawn from the vast Midleton maturation warehouses in County Cork, the Very Rare series has been an annual expression of Irish whiskey craftsmanship since 1984.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment

Old Forester Statesman Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Old Forester
Statesman is the overlooked sibling in the Old Forester range, but it may be the most complete expression they offer at this price. The extra proof carries deeper barrel influence without tipping into harshness. A bourbon built for contemplation, not cocktails — though it handles both admirably.

Glendronach 12 Year Old Original
GlenDronach
GlenDronach 12 is a benchmark for sherry-matured Highland malt at this age and price. The distillery's commitment to genuine sherry cask maturation — no shortcuts, no finishes — is evident in the depth and cohesion of the palate. If you want to understand what patient sherry cask aging does to spirit, start here.

Don Julio Añejo
Don Julio
Don Julio Añejo remains one of the most reliable entry points into aged tequila. The 18-month maturation in American white oak strikes a balance between barrel influence and agave character that many longer-aged expressions lose. It's a study in how restraint in aging can produce a more honest result than ambition.

Hayman's London Dry Gin
Hayman's
Hayman's London Dry is a gin that trusts its botanicals rather than burying them. Fifth-generation distiller Christopher Hayman keeps the recipe honest — ten botanicals, no gimmicks, no barrel resting. It's the kind of gin that makes you wonder why anyone needs twenty botanicals when ten, chosen well, do the job this effectively.

Waterford Ballykilcavan Edition 1.2 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Waterford
Waterford's radical transparency — tracking each whiskey back to a single barley farm — is more than marketing. The Ballykilcavan farm's Laois limestone soils produce a distinctly mineral, structured malt that rewards careful nosing. This is terroir you can taste.

Waterford Bannow Island Edition 1.0 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Waterford
Waterford's Single Farm Origin series is the most radical expression of terroir in Irish whiskey today. The Bannow Island edition — sourced from a single farm on Wexford's coast — delivers a transparency of character that makes you taste the land. If you've ever wondered whether barley provenance matters, this is your proof.

Glendalough 13 Year Old Mizunara Oak Finish
Glendalough
The mizunara oak finish transforms what would already be a solid aged Irish single malt into something genuinely distinctive. Mizunara is notoriously difficult to work with — it leaks, it warps — and Glendalough's decision to use it as a finishing wood rather than primary maturation was smart. The result is a whiskey that bridges Irish approachability with Japanese aesthetic restraint.

Kilbeggan 21 Year Old Limited Release
Kilbeggan
Twenty-one years of patience have produced an Irish whiskey of uncommon refinement. The oak integration is masterful—present but never domineering. This is a contemplative pour for evenings when you want the glass to hold your attention.