There are bottles you buy to drink, and there are bottles you buy because they represent something — a moment caught in glass, a distiller's signature left on the year. Midleton Very Rare sits squarely in the second camp, though it would be a crime to leave it unopened. The 2019 vintage release continues a tradition started by the late, great Master Distiller Barry Crockett in 1984: each year, a single expression is assembled from the finest pot still and grain whiskeys maturing in the vast Midleton warehouses in County Cork. No two vintages are alike. That's the whole point.
At £475, this is not an impulse purchase. It's a considered one. And having spent time with this bottle, I can tell you it earns that consideration. Midleton Very Rare has always been the quiet aristocrat of Irish whiskey — never shouting, never chasing trends, simply arriving each year with the confidence of something that knows exactly what it is.
Tasting Notes
What I can say with certainty is that this sits in the rich, rounded tradition of Midleton's pot still style — that distinctive Irish combination of malted and unmalted barley that gives the house its creamy, almost waxy backbone. The 2019 vintage, assembled under the watch of Master Distiller Brian Nation, draws from carefully selected casks to create something that feels both familiar and singular. At 40% ABV, it's bottled at a gentle strength that favours approachability over intensity — a decision that suits the elegant character Midleton has always pursued. This is whiskey that rewards patience and attention rather than demanding them.
The Verdict
I've long believed that Midleton Very Rare is one of the most underappreciated luxury whiskeys in the world. While collectors scramble for allocated bourbons and sherry-bombed Speysiders, this sits on the shelf radiating quiet authority. The 2019 vintage is a worthy addition to the lineage — polished, assured, and unmistakably Irish in its DNA. It carries the weight of its heritage without being burdened by it.
Is it worth nearly five hundred pounds? That depends on what you're after. If you want peat smoke and fireworks, look elsewhere. If you want refinement — the kind that comes from decades of institutional knowledge applied to a single bottle — then yes, absolutely. This is Irish whiskey operating at the top of its craft, and I'd score it an 8 out of 10 without hesitation. It loses nothing for being gentle; gentleness, here, is the point.
Best Served
Pour this neat into a proper Glencairn, or if you prefer, a thin-walled tulip glass. Give it twenty minutes to open after pouring — Midleton rewards those who wait. A single drop of cool, soft water will coax out hidden layers if you're inclined, but I'd suggest trying it unaided first. This is an after-dinner whiskey, best enjoyed when the table has been cleared and the conversation has slowed to something honest. A square of dark chocolate with sea salt makes a fine companion, but the whiskey needs nothing beyond your full attention and an unhurried evening.
