
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.
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