Midleton Very Rare 2022 celebrates excellence

Irish Distillers has unveiled the eagerly awaited second Midleton Very Rare annual vintage to be released by Master Distiller, Kevin O’Gorman.

For the 39th edition in the renowned and highly collectable range, O’Gorman and the team of highly skilled whiskey makers at Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, once again enjoyed the pick of the finest whiskeys in the distiller’s inventory.

The Midleton Very Rare’s legacy began over four decades ago when the then masters, ever keen to create exemplary expressions, begun setting aside small amounts of exceptionally performing whiskey for a new luxury offering in the world of Irish whiskey. Today, Midleton Very Rare is globally renowned as the pinnacle of Irish whiskey.

Drawing heavily from Midleton’s much-coveted ‘A2’ traditional stone warehouse dating back to the 1860s, O’Gorman and his team selected a blend of single pot still and single grain whiskeys from the inventory to create a whiskey worthy to carry the name of Midleton Very Rare for the latest annual vintage.

Featuring whiskeys aged between 12 and 33 years matured in lightly charred first fill and refill ex-bourbon American oak barrels, O’Gorman continued to draw on his wealth of experience of both distillation and maturation to maintain a significant contribution from the excellent single grain whiskeys in Midleton’s inventory, while once again allowing the pot still component to express itself within a delicately blended vintage.

Beginning the search for the perfect blend from Midleton’s inventory in summer 2021, O’Gorman and the Midleton team sampled whiskeys from hundreds of casks that have been set aside over many years for potential inclusion in a prestigious Midleton Very Rare annual vintage.

Focusing on a small collection of casks considered to be at their optimal moment for selection, O’Gorman then worked with three prototypes that all offered an experience worthy of the pinnacle of Irish whiskey, only settling on his ultimate selection after taking all three home for a weekend of final tasting and consideration.

O’Gorman describes Midleton Very Rare 2022 as “a stunning whiskey bursting with notes of fruit and citrus, a palate of caramelised red apples, orange zest with luscious, sweet, decadent waves of crème brûlée, and culminating in a rich and lasting finish.”

Bottled from a single vatting during January 2022 at 40 percent ABV, Midleton Very Rare 2022 will be available over the coming months in the US, Canada, Global Travel Retail, Europe, Australia, and Asia at the RRP of €200.