Old Irish Whiskey is rare, very rare. Some of the rarest Irish Whiskey is bottled by Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard) under their Midleton Very Rare range. Midleton very rare was started forty years ago by Master Distiller Barry Crockett, who saw the need to offer a prestige product alongside their core product of Jameson blends. Selecting from the oldest and rarest casks from Irish distillers portfolio, these releases have included whiskey from closed down distilleries, unusual oaks and special vintages. Their most recent release celebrates this iconic brands 40th anniversary and contains whiskey from each of their three master distillers era’s, meaning some of the oldest whiskey in this blend is an astonishing 40 years old.
This highly collectable bottling run, presented at a healthy alcoholic strength of 53.1% and taken from a marrying cask that previously held port, is going on sale for a staggering £20,000. If that is not rare or exclusive enough for you they are also releasing a 1 of 1 decanter that has been studded with 32 rubies is being auctioned off with a starting price of £60,000. EDIT: The final sale price was $120,000
This is not the only high age statement release of Irish Whiskey that has been making headlines recently. The Emerald Isle was auctioned late last year for $2.8 million and Bushmills, the oldest distillery in Ireland, has just released a 36 year old Single malt for a far more modest £5,000.
All of this is highlighting just how much people are willing to pay for old Irish Whiskey at the moment, and currently it is only the huge distilleries that are able to satisfy this demand. Who knows what prices we will see when craft distilleries are able to start releasing such incredibly aged spirits.
For more information please read the original press release: https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2024/02/midleton-very-rare-marks-40th-years/
About the Author:
Sam Thompson is a 24 year old whisky obsessive. Alongside experience working in whisky retail in Scotland, he has a WSET level 3 in spirits and a foundation in distilling from the IBD. When not writing about Whisky Sam can be found cooking, reading, attending the Opera or local jazz club, or surfing in his native Cornwall.
