I tasted the Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition 40th anniversary whiskey and it’s magnificent

By any measure, this 40th anniversary Ruby Edition from high-end Irish whiskey brand Midleton Very Rare, is an exceptional liquid.

Crafted by all three Midleton Master Distillers – Barry Crockett, Brian Nation and Kevin O’Gorman – it’s a unique summation of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys, spanning four decades, artfully finished over nine months in a ruby port cask. 

Only 550 bottles will be released, each priced at €20,000. It’s a fitting tribute to the Midleton Very Rare legacy, albeit one few will be lucky enough to experience.

Midleton Very Rare annual whiskey releases are highly regarded in their own right. This edition is a step above, being equal parts a combination of Midleton Very Rare expressions, as originally laid down over four decades. 

It was current Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman (pictured above) who was charged with delivering a defining final touch, finishing this extravagant blend in a ruby port cask (“I felt that was the right choice,” he confides), and it’s this which bequeaths the liquid its distinctive fruity character.

That finishing port pipe is European oak, seasoned with white and red wine, before soaking up two years worth of ruby port, prior to being shipped to Midleton.

Current Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman who was charged with delivering a defining final touch…

The Luxe Review was invited to an exclusive tasting of this landmark release, at the Midleton Distillery, in Cork, Ireland. Not only did we sample the Ruby Edition, but we were also treated to a tasting of all three of its component parts, in the Midleton A2 warehouse, giving even greater insight into this exquisite release. 

It was back in 1984, that Barry Crockett was inspired to create ‘the finest Irish whiskey ever made’. Sourcing premium ingredients, and utilising the most advanced techniques available at the time, he unveiled the very first Midleton Very Rare release.

Barry Crockett joined current Master Distiller O’Gorman for the big 40th anniversary reveal.

Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition tasting notes

The Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition is a complex dram that rewards the time taken to savour it. Cask strength, and bottled at 53.1% ABV, the whiskey has a deep golden hue, and on the nose offers blackberry jam and raspberries, with a floral undertone, and perhaps the scent of whiskies enjoyed over 43 years past.

On the palate, I noted dark fruits and even darker chocolate, with hints of roasted banana, almonds, and familiar pot-still spices. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, and it has a languid, unhurried finish.

It is, in no short order, rather magnificent.

The liquid is presented in a bespoke crystal decanter, hand crafted by Waterford Crystal at its factory in Ireland. It features a four-point crystal to represent the four decades of Midleton Very Rare, and is packaged in a ruby case, within a wooden cabinet.

Priced at €20,000 a bottle, the Midleton Very Rare 40th anniversary Ruby Edition is now available in the UK, Ireland, Northern Ireland, USA, Australia, Singapore, Persian Gulf, Hong Kong, Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Netherlands, Global Travel Retail.

Midleton Very Rare Ruby Edition one-of-one 

And there’s more: a special iteration of the Ruby Edition, one-of-one, taken from the 550 bottle run, is up for auction on BlockBar.

Irish Distillers has partnered with Keanes Jewellers in Cork, well known purveyor of high-end jewellery and luxury watches, to create a single, spectacular NFT-protected bottle.

This unique vessel boasts hand engraved 18-carat solid gold on both the neck and stopper, with thirty-two rubies encrusted within the neck collar.  

The rubies were sourced from Mozambique, we’re told. “I wanted them uncut,” explains Patrick Keane (pictured above, centre), 3rd generation of the Keane family. “Each ruby was then cut by the same pair of hands and is identical. The gold plate we used is 18 carat, nothing but the best!”

This bejewelled beauty will be sold at auction, with a reserve price of $60,000. The auction ends March 7.