To mark the 200th anniversary of Midleton Distillery, Irish Distillers has unveiled Midleton Very Rare 2025, an exceptional vintage whiskey that marries tradition with innovation. Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman has crafted a blend of six distinct distillate styles, said to be the most complex in the collection’s history.
Sourced from its historic A2 warehouse, Midleton Very Rare 2025 features three grain whiskeys, including a 22-year-old and 21-year-old, matured in refill ex-American oak, and an enhanced contribution of single pot still whiskey, matured in first-fill barrels for added depth.
“This vintage is about legacy,” O’Gorman explains. “But it’s also about progression. We’ve looked back over generations to honour our heritage, and we’ve looked forward in the glass to imagine where Irish whiskey is going.”
Sourced from the historic A2 Warehouse, this year’s release features three grain whiskeys, including a 22-year-old and 21-year-old, matured in refill ex-American oak…
Cask selection and composition
At the heart of the 2025 release is an artful blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys, some laid down decades ago. In a first for the series, three grain whiskey styles are included, each chosen for their character and maturity.
Alongside Midleton’s signature grain whiskey, is a 22-Year-Old select batch special grain whiskey, crafted from a mash bill of barley and malted barley, which was blended with an equally rare 21 Year-Old grain whiskey. Both matured in refill ex- American whiskey oak barrels, delivering a buttery sweetness and rich butterscotch tones
After creating three prototypes, O’Gorman and his team chose to enhance the contribution of pot still spirit aged in first-fill barrels to bring the blend into its final, finely tuned form.
Bottled at 40% ABV, the whiskey is the colour of sunlit hay, golden, and gently radiant. The nose opens with vanilla and honey. Subtle notes of fruit and oak provide backbone and body.
Smooth and silky, on the palate there’s winning interplay between toffee apples, soft fruits, and sweetened spice. Treacle meets sugar-glazed fruits, albeit with a herbal undertone and some zesty citrus. The dram is complex and rewarding.
The whiskey then exits with a graceful flourish, as befits its status.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 is presented in a fully recyclable gift box, adorned with illustrations of Midleton Distillery, its iconic copper pot stills, and a commemorative 200th anniversary stamp.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 is priced at £220 (€240 / $350), and is available in Ireland, Great Britain, USA, Northern Ireland, Australia, Irish and global travel retail and Irish Distillers’ brand homes.
The Whisky Exchange has announced a loyalty programme that will reward customers with exclusive bottlings, shared knowledge, discounts and much more. Current customers subscribed to The Whisky Exchange newsletter are first in line, before the scheme rolls out to all customers mid-April. Friends of The Whisky Exchange will be open to all customers around the…
The evocatively titled Pineapple Bananza is the latest addition to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s experimental Heresy range; it’s a small-batch Irish single malt whiskey created in collaboration with Dunville’s Irish Whiskey. Batch 38: Pineapple Bananza stands out for both its origin and production style. Irish whiskey is an infrequent guest in the Society’s portfolio,…
El Supremo Rum, from Paraguay, has launched in the UK, bringing a distinctive national style – Caña Paraguaya – to British rum fans. Produced in partnership with CAPASA, Paraguay’s state‑owned sugarcane alcohol producer, the range draws on traditional production methods rooted in indigenous Guaraní culture. El Supremo is made using 100% sugarcane juice that’s reduced…
The Luxe Review 
To mark the 200th anniversary of Midleton Distillery, Irish Distillers has unveiled Midleton Very Rare 2025, an exceptional vintage whiskey that marries tradition with innovation. Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman has crafted a blend of six distinct distillate styles, said to be the most complex in the collection’s history.
Sourced from its historic A2 warehouse, Midleton Very Rare 2025 features three grain whiskeys, including a 22-year-old and 21-year-old, matured in refill ex-American oak, and an enhanced contribution of single pot still whiskey, matured in first-fill barrels for added depth.
“This vintage is about legacy,” O’Gorman explains. “But it’s also about progression. We’ve looked back over generations to honour our heritage, and we’ve looked forward in the glass to imagine where Irish whiskey is going.”
Cask selection and composition
At the heart of the 2025 release is an artful blend of single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys, some laid down decades ago. In a first for the series, three grain whiskey styles are included, each chosen for their character and maturity.
Alongside Midleton’s signature grain whiskey, is a 22-Year-Old select batch special grain whiskey, crafted from a mash bill of barley and malted barley, which was blended with an equally rare 21 Year-Old grain whiskey. Both matured in refill ex- American whiskey oak barrels, delivering a buttery sweetness and rich butterscotch tones
After creating three prototypes, O’Gorman and his team chose to enhance the contribution of pot still spirit aged in first-fill barrels to bring the blend into its final, finely tuned form.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 Edition tasting notes
The Luxe Review was invited to taste the liquid at the distillery, following the launch of Midleton Very Rare Silent Distillery Collection Chapter Six.
Bottled at 40% ABV, the whiskey is the colour of sunlit hay, golden, and gently radiant. The nose opens with vanilla and honey. Subtle notes of fruit and oak provide backbone and body.
Smooth and silky, on the palate there’s winning interplay between toffee apples, soft fruits, and sweetened spice. Treacle meets sugar-glazed fruits, albeit with a herbal undertone and some zesty citrus. The dram is complex and rewarding.
The whiskey then exits with a graceful flourish, as befits its status.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 is presented in a fully recyclable gift box, adorned with illustrations of Midleton Distillery, its iconic copper pot stills, and a commemorative 200th anniversary stamp.
Midleton Very Rare 2025 is priced at £220 (€240 / $350), and is available in Ireland, Great Britain, USA, Northern Ireland, Australia, Irish and global travel retail and Irish Distillers’ brand homes.
The Whisky Exchange launches loyalty programme with exclusive bottlings and discounts
The Whisky Exchange has announced a loyalty programme that will reward customers with exclusive bottlings, shared knowledge, discounts and much more. Current customers subscribed to The Whisky Exchange newsletter are first in line, before the scheme rolls out to all customers mid-April. Friends of The Whisky Exchange will be open to all customers around the…
Triple-distilled Pineapple Bananza Irish single malt joins SMWS Heresy range
The evocatively titled Pineapple Bananza is the latest addition to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s experimental Heresy range; it’s a small-batch Irish single malt whiskey created in collaboration with Dunville’s Irish Whiskey. Batch 38: Pineapple Bananza stands out for both its origin and production style. Irish whiskey is an infrequent guest in the Society’s portfolio,…
First Pour: El Supremo brings Paraguayan Caña style sugarcane honey rum to UK
El Supremo Rum, from Paraguay, has launched in the UK, bringing a distinctive national style – Caña Paraguaya – to British rum fans. Produced in partnership with CAPASA, Paraguay’s state‑owned sugarcane alcohol producer, the range draws on traditional production methods rooted in indigenous Guaraní culture. El Supremo is made using 100% sugarcane juice that’s reduced…
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