Midleton Very Rare, 200th Anniversary Edition
Midleton Very Rare's 200th Anniversary Edition marks a landmark meeting of Irish and Japanese influence. A blend of four bourbon casks and a single rare Mizunara oak puncheon, it carries a 28-year age statement, with the Mizunara contributing across the final six. Limited to just 636 bottles at €1,500, it's a distillery exclusive requiring a trip to Cork. Rare ingredients, rare occasion, and by all accounts, a fittingly rare whiskey.
Nose
Pineapple, lemon juice, citrus peel, vanilla, honey, worn leather, antique oak.
Palate
Oak spice, pineapple, banana, orchard fruits, cedarwood.
Finish
Stem ginger, forest floor, Oak tannins, lemon zest
Hugely complex on the nose. Tropical fruits mixed with zingy citrus. Pineapple is there, but it's layered behind the facade of freshly squeezed lemon juice. It's sharp, zingy and fresh. More fragrant and aged aromas emerge, including vanilla and blossom honey. Then there are the aged notes right at the back: worn leather, antique furniture, and a touch of freshly-varnished oak. The wood spice plays a more prominent role in the front of the palate, but there is still plenty of tropical fruit to mark this as an aged pot still whiskey. Pineapple and banana intertwine with sweet orchard fruits. The oak spice is soft but enduring, and it makes for a satisfyingly long finish. It starts at stem ginger and ends at forest floor and drying tannins. The fruit also holds firm with the tart lemon taste, making a surprising comeback after the oak spice wanes.
