Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release 2008 Irish Whiskey 750ml

The 2008 vintage of Midleton Very Rare — Ireland's flagship annual release, built from hand-selected pot still and grain whiskeys under Master Distiller Barry Crockett.

Midleton Very Rare has been issued once a year since 1984, with each vintage selected personally by the Master Distiller and bottled under his signature. Barry Crockett held that role for the better part of three decades, and the vintages released during his tenure are the ones collectors build verticals around.

The blend combines single pot still whiskey — the Irish style made from malted and unmalted barley in a copper pot still — with lighter grain whiskey, married and bottled at 40% ABV. That comparatively gentle strength is deliberate: Very Rare is built for texture and layering rather than power, and the silkiness is the point.

Produced at Midleton Distillery in County Cork. No age statement, in keeping with the series.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Cedar, roasted coffee and vanilla meeting cinnamon and nutmeg, with pear, citrus and floral honey against charred oak.
• Palate: Silky entry — vanilla custard and caramelized brown sugar, then delicate fruit and milk chocolate fudge, with gentle spice and mellow wood tannins.
• Finish: Rich and rounded, fading fruit and warming spice leaving mature oak behind.

Specs

• Brand: Midleton Very Rare
• Release: 2008 vintage
• Type: Blended Irish Whiskey — pot still and grain
• Distillery: Midleton Distillery, County Cork, Ireland
• Master Distiller: Barry Crockett
• Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
• Age: No age statement
• Size: 750ml

Explore the full Midleton collection, browse Irish whiskey at Wooden Cork, or see everything in From The Vault.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What makes Midleton Very Rare different each year? It's a vintage series. The Master Distiller selects a fresh set of casks annually and signs the bottle, so no two years are the same whiskey — which is why collectors chase specific vintages rather than the label in general.
• Who is Barry Crockett? Midleton's Master Distiller for close to thirty years, born on the distillery grounds and responsible for the Very Rare selections through the bulk of the series' history. Vintages bearing his signature mark a defined era of the brand.
• Why only 40% ABV? Very Rare is built around texture and integration rather than intensity. Irish pot still whiskey carries a naturally oily weight, and bottling at 40% keeps the blend silky and layered rather than hot — a deliberate stylistic choice, not a shortcut.