Ireland's rarest annual vintage, hand-numbered and signed by the Master Distiller.

Midleton Very Rare is widely regarded as the crown jewel of Irish whiskey, an annual vintage release produced at the Midleton Distillery in County Cork since 1984. Each bottle is individually numbered and signed by the Master Distiller, with fewer than 22,500 bottles released each year. Rooted in a distilling tradition stretching back to 1825, the brand blends the finest single pot still and grain whiskeys — aged in lightly charred American bourbon barrels — to create a whiskey of remarkable balance, depth, and collector prestige.

* [Midleton Very Rare: Heritage & Legacy](#anchor1)
* [What Sets Midleton Apart?](#anchor2)
* [The Annual Vintage Release](#anchor3)
* [Barry Crockett Legacy](#anchor4)
* [The Dair Ghaelach Series](#anchor5)
* [The Silent Distillery Collection](#anchor6)
* [Special & Anniversary Releases](#anchor7)
* [Is Midleton Worth Collecting?](#anchor8)
* [Where to Buy Midleton Very Rare?](#question1)
* [Where to Find Rare Midleton Bottles?](#question2)

## Midleton Very Rare: Heritage & Legacy

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The Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland, traces its origins to 1825 when the Murphy family began distilling beside the Dungourney River. In 1966, Irish Distillers was formed through the merger of the major Irish whiskey producers, and in 1975 a new, purpose-built distillery opened on the Midleton site. Midleton Very Rare was launched in 1984 by then-Master Distiller Barry Crockett — a second-generation distiller born in the Distiller's Cottage on the estate — to celebrate the exceptional whiskeys produced at Midleton. A new vintage has been released every February since.

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Today, Midleton Very Rare is produced by Irish Distillers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, and overseen by Master Distiller Kevin O'Gorman. The brand's reputation has grown steadily over four decades: full sets of annual vintages are valued by collectors at up to €90,000. The philosophy is rooted in the idea that every cask is handpicked by the Master Distiller — blending single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys matured for between 12 and 33 years in ex-bourbon American oak to achieve a unique character each year.

## What Sets Midleton Apart from Other Irish Whiskey Brands?

Unlike most blended or single pot still Irish whiskeys, which target consistency year to year, Midleton Very Rare celebrates variation. Each vintage is intentionally different — shaped by the Master Distiller's selection of the finest performing casks from the distillery's prestigious warehouses, including the historic A2 Warehouse dating back to the 1860s. The result is a whiskey that expresses subtle but recognisable differences between each year's release, making every vintage its own collectible chapter.

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Midleton is also the only brand producing single pot still whiskeys at this level of prestige, with expressions like the Barry Crockett Legacy and the Dair Ghaelach series pushing the boundaries of what Irish single pot still whiskey can achieve. The scale of the distillery — producing over 200 individual bottlings annually across multiple brands — coexists with the hyper-limited volumes dedicated to the Midleton Very Rare portfolio.

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## Midleton Very Rare: Heritage & Legacy

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Four decades of annual vintages give Midleton Very Rare an unmatched depth of history in the Irish whiskey category, with each bottle representing a specific moment in the distillery's evolution under successive Master Distillers.

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## What Sets Midleton Apart?

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The combination of pot still and grain whiskeys from a single distillery, hand-selected by the Master Distiller, matured for up to 33 years, and released in fewer than 22,500 numbered bottles per year gives Midleton a scarcity and prestige unmatched in Irish whiskey.

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## The Annual Vintage Release

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The backbone of the Midleton Very Rare portfolio, the annual vintage release has been produced without interruption since 1984. Each year's expression is a non-age-statement blend of single pot still and grain whiskeys, bottled at 40% ABV in a distinctive wooden display case.

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The **[Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2024](https://spiritory.com/midleton-very-rare-vintage-release-2024)** is the current standard expression, blending single pot still and grain whiskeys from Midleton's finest casks, aged in lightly charred American bourbon barrels. At approximately €206 on Spiritory, it is the natural entry point to the annual series for collectors.

The **[Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2019](https://spiritory.com/en/sku/midleton-very-rare-vintage-release-2019-140161)** represents an earlier chapter in the ongoing story, with its own distinct character shaped by that year's cask selection. Back vintages offer collectors the opportunity to compare expressions across different Master Distillers.

The **[Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2020](https://spiritory.com/midleton-very-rare-vintage-release-2020-167443)** was the first vintage overseen by Kevin O'Gorman as Master Distiller, making it a historically significant bottle for collectors tracking the evolution of the Midleton style across generations.

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## Barry Crockett Legacy

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First released in 2011, the Midleton Very Rare Barry Crockett Legacy is a permanent single pot still expression named after the legendary Master Distiller who created Midleton Very Rare in 1984. It was the first time since John Jameson that an Irish Distillers product had been named after a Master Distiller.

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The Barry Crockett Legacy is a selection of single pot still whiskeys matured in American bourbon barrels, with a small contribution from whiskey aged in unseasoned virgin American oak. Bottled at 46% ABV and released in approximately 2,500 bottles annually, this is widely regarded as the finest permanent expression of single pot still Irish whiskey available. It has received over 30 major awards, including the Master Medal at the 2024 Irish Whiskey Masters.

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## The Dair Ghaelach Series

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The Midleton Dair Ghaelach series was a groundbreaking experiment in Irish oak maturation — the first single pot still Irish whiskey to be finished in virgin Irish oak barrels sourced from Irish forests.

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Named for the Irish term for native oak, the Dair Ghaelach expressions involve pot still whiskeys aged primarily in bourbon barrels and then finished for approximately one year in virgin Irish oak casks. In 2016, Dair Ghaelach was ranked third in Jim Murray's World Whiskies of the Year — the highest position ever awarded to an Irish whiskey at that time. These limited releases are among the most collectible in the Midleton portfolio.

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## The Silent Distillery Collection

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The Silent Distillery Collection is Midleton's most precious and historically significant series — a set of ultra-rare whiskeys drawn entirely from the Old Midleton Distillery, which operated from 1825 until 1975.

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The first release appeared in 2020, planned to run until 2025, with each chapter representing a different elemental inspiration. The Fourth Chapter — a 48-year-old expression — features notes of chocolate-dipped honeycomb, caramelised red apples, coffee cake, and cedarwood. With each chapter limited to a handful of bottles, these are among the rarest and most historically resonant Irish whiskeys ever produced — liquid history from a distillery that fell silent half a century ago.

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## Special & Anniversary Releases

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Midleton marks significant milestones with extraordinary limited editions, from the Pearl Anniversary edition of 2014 to the 200th Anniversary bottling of 2025.

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The **[Midleton Very Rare 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition](https://spiritory.com/midleton-very-rare-30th-anniversary-pearl-edition-59667)** was released in 2014 to commemorate three decades of Midleton Very Rare. Barry Crockett came out of retirement to co-create the blend with his successor Brian Nation. Limited to just 117 bottles and bottled at cask strength (53,1% ABV), it is one of the most significant Midleton releases ever made. In 2025, to mark the distillery's 200th anniversary, Midleton released the 28 Years Old Very Rare 200th Anniversary Edition — a 28-year-old single pot still whiskey with a rare Mizunara puncheon finish, limited to 636 bottles.

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## Is Midleton Worth Collecting?

The case for collecting Midleton Very Rare rests on a combination of genuine scarcity, unbroken annual release history, and rising global demand for premium Irish whiskey. Fewer than 22,500 bottles are released per vintage, and complete sets of all annual vintages are valued at up to €90,000 by market observers. Early vintages from the 1980s, which contained whiskey from the original Old Midleton Distillery, are now exceedingly rare. The Barry Crockett Legacy and Dair Ghaelach series add further depth to the portfolio for collectors seeking prestige single pot still expressions.

## What Is the Most Expensive Midleton Bottle?

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The Silent Distillery Collection chapters and the 30th Anniversary Pearl Edition represent the apex of Midleton pricing, combining extreme age, scarcity, and historical significance in a single bottle.

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The most expensive Midleton releases are drawn from the Silent Distillery Collection, featuring whiskey distilled at the Old Midleton Distillery prior to 1975. These expressions — aged for up to 49 years — command prices in the thousands of euros at specialist retailers.

## Why Is Midleton Very Rare So Expensive?

The price of Midleton Very Rare is driven by genuine rarity: fewer than 22,500 numbered bottles are released each year globally, making each vintage a limited commodity from the moment it hits shelves. The hand-selection process, the involvement of the Master Distiller, decades of maturation in carefully chosen casks, and the brand's unbroken 40-year track record all contribute to the premium.

## What Is the Most Affordable Midleton Bottle?

The **[Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2024](https://spiritory.com/midleton-very-rare-vintage-release-2024)** is the most accessible entry point into the Midleton Very Rare portfolio, available at around €206 on Spiritory.

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For a whiskey of this pedigree — individually numbered, signed by the Master Distiller, and produced in strict limited quantities — the annual vintage release represents outstanding value. It offers the full Midleton experience: the blend of single pot still and grain whiskeys, the ex-bourbon barrel maturation, and the signature balance of vanilla, caramel, and orchard fruit.

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## Midleton vs Other Luxury Irish Whiskey Brands

Midleton Very Rare sits above all other Irish whiskey brands in terms of collector prestige. While Redbreast competes on the strength of its single pot still purity and sherry cask influence, Midleton Very Rare distinguishes itself through the annual vintage model, the individually numbered and signed bottles, and the extraordinary depth of the Silent Distillery Collection. No other Irish whiskey brand can offer four decades of consecutive annual vintages as a collectible archive.

## Where to Buy Midleton Very Rare?

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Midleton Very Rare is available through specialist whiskey retailers worldwide. For collectors seeking rare back vintages, earlier annual releases, or limited expressions such as the Barry Crockett Legacy and Silent Distillery chapters, Spiritory is the ideal platform. Spiritory lists verified, authenticated bottles from private sellers and specialist merchants across Europe, allowing buyers to browse current prices, track market data, and purchase with the security of Spiritory's buyer protection.

## Where to Find Rare Midleton Bottles?

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Rare Midleton bottles — including older annual vintages, Silent Distillery Collection chapters, and the strictly limited Barry Crockett Legacy — are not available through conventional retail channels. Spiritory is one of Europe's leading authenticated marketplaces for exactly this type of premium Irish whiskey. All bottles are condition-assessed and authenticated before listing, giving buyers confidence in the provenance of rare and high-value expressions.

Midleton Very Rare is Ireland's most prestigious annual whiskey release — a limited, hand-selected blend of single pot still and grain whiskeys from County Cork, individually numbered and signed by the Master Distiller since 1984, including the iconic Barry Crockett Legacy and the ultra-rare Silent Distillery Collection.

Redbreast 12 Years Old Edward Dillon & Co. Ltd.

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