Midleton Very Rare Irish Whiskey Review (2020)

By Paer Johansson

Rating: B+

Something big happened this week. Did you feel it?

The 13th of October, Irish Distillers launched their 37th Edition of the Midleton Very Rare range. This is the last edition released by Former Master Distiller Brian Nation, as he is handing over the banner to Kevin O’Gorman.

Brian chose a selection of pot still and single grain Irish Whiskies aged 13 to 35 years in lightly charred ex-bourbon American Oak barrels for his final, 2020 expression. A higher than usual inclusion of pot still spirits, combined with utilization of some refill barrels are said to result in a luxurious and balanced whiskey with rich pot still notes and a clear distinction of the grain distillate.

Kevin O’Gorman, newly appointed Master Distiller at Irish Distillers, commented:

“As a colleague and friend to Brian for many years, I could not be prouder to present his final Midleton Very Rare vintage and his legacy as Irish Distillers’ Master Distiller, to consumers across the globe.

The Whiskey
I am always impressed by the beautiful bottle with the distinct little nick in the neck and the body tapering down to a solid, thick bottom. The bottle still oozes quality and sophistication.
The color of the liquid is wonderfully light golden and the legs on the side of the glass are slow and sweet.

The nose is lovely. Sweet vanilla fudge at the start, soon accompanied by summer-fruits such as raspberries, gooseberries and green apples. Sweet and fruity, but still maintaining that distillate freshness. There is also a clear background of grain giving body to the nose.

The taste again is fresh with orange peel and citrus fruit, followed by herbal notes of rosemary and ripe figs. It’s a mellow taste-explosion if such a thing is possible.

The sweetness stays into the finish, accompanied with oak-influences of cinnamon and exotic spices. It stays for a fairly long time and leaves a velvety impression of sherbets.

Is this then the end? Nope. In a break from tradition and in response to consumer demand for the annual vintage to be made available earlier in the year, Kevin O’Gorman will be the third master distiller ever to influence this range by revealing Midleton Very Rare 2021 in spring next year already.

Now, that’s something to help you through the bleak winter. As usual, Midleton Very Rare is bottled at 40% ABV.

The Price
Midleton Very Rare 2020 is available online and in Ireland now, and will hit shelves in the UK, USA, Global Travel Retail, Australia, Germany and Canada in the coming months at the RRP of €210.