Irish Distillers recently unveiled the second Midleton Very Rare annual vintage to be released by Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman.
For the 39th edition in the range, O’Gorman and the team of whiskey makers at Midleton Distillery in County Cork sourced the liquid from what’s described as some of the finest whiskeys in the distiller’s inventory.
The Midleton Very Rare legacy began more than four decades ago when the masters of yesteryear began setting aside small amounts of what they felt was exceptionally performing whiskey for a new luxury offering in the world of Irish whiskey.
Drawing from Midleton’s ‘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 that is Midleton Very Rare’s 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 drew on his experience of both distillation and maturation to maintain a significant contribution from the single grain whiskeys in the inventory. And allowed the pot still component to express itself within the delicate blend.
“As with any Midleton Very Rare Vintage, we start the search for our perfect components many months in advance, in a bid to create the luxurious, balanced aroma and taste profile for which this annual release is renowned,” O’Gorman said in a prepared statement.
“Drawing predominantly from our historic A2 warehouse, we have selected a blend of whiskeys that work together beautifully – from superb grain whiskeys dating back to 1989 with beautiful floral and rosewater notes, to some truly wonderful pot still whiskeys from 2009 that offer a delightful fruit element with citrus.”
O’Gorman began the search for what he felt was the perfect blend from Midleton’s inventory in the summer of 2021. His team sampled whiskeys from hundreds of casks that have been set aside over many years for potential inclusion in a Midleton Very Rare annual vintage.
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O’Gorman then worked with three prototypes that all offered something unique, settling on his ultimate selection after taking all three home for a weekend of final tasting and consideration.
“We were delighted to create three incredibly strong liquids for consideration, all worthy of becoming a Midleton Very Rare annual vintage,” O’Gorman said. “In the end, I kept returning to the vintage we are launching today, a stunning whiskey bursting with notes of fruit and citrus, a palate of caramelized red apples, orange zest with luscious, sweet, decadent waves of crème brûlée, and culminating in a rich and lasting finish.”
Blender Deirdre O’Carroll said that the annual Midleton Very Rare vintage is not only a unique opportunity to re-nose some of the finest whiskeys in their inventory, but also to consider which distillates and casks they should place into warehouse A2 for forward planning.
“This is an extremely enjoyable experience knowing that some of these casks that we’ve put aside may be selected as part of a vintage many years from now,” he said.
Bottled from a single vatting this January, and clocking in at 40% ABV, Midleton Very Rare 2022 will be available in the coming months in the USA, Canada, Global Travel Retail, Europe, Australia, and Asia for the suggested retail price of €200.
For more information, check out https://www.midletonveryrare.com/en-EN/midleton-very-rare-vintage-release.
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