Review #262: Midleton Very Rare Barry Crockett Legacy

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 46%

AGE: NAS

COST: $250 SRP for 700mL bottle

When I was coming back home to the states from Ireland earlier this year, I made an obligatory stop into the Dublin duty-free store and picked up a 4 pack of mini bottles showcasing Midleton single pot still Irish whiskies. I had considered getting this exact pack while at the Midleton Distillery but ultimately passed because I was already concerned about my luggage weight due to some other bottles I was going to try and pack back home. But now that my bag was checked and I was past security, this mini set could fit in my backpack without any issue. As all things would have it, when I got home, I tucked this set away in a drawer in my bar and forgot about it until I uncovered it late last week. Today, we’re reviewing the final expression of this sample pack.

Midleton Very Rare Barry Crockett Legacy is considered the pinnacle of Midleton Single Pot Still whiskey. Unlike the regular Midleton Very Rare flagship lineup with annual vintage releases, the MVR Barry Crockett Legacy has been a continuous ongoing release since 2011. Further, unlike the MVR vintage releases, MVR BCL is a single pot still Irish whiskey and not a blended Irish whiskey. MVR BCL was created in 2011 by Barry Crockett alongside his successor, Brian Nation, and it represents what Barry Crockett’s ideal vision of what Midleton’s pot still character was at the end of his career.

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Deep gold (0.8), fat, fast legs. Not the most viscous looking of these 4 expressions, but I’m still expecting an oily coating on the palate.

NOSE: I get a lot of Jameson and green apple character on the nose. Notes of sweet vanilla, tangy lime, and dried grain dance around with the unwavering green apple note. Lovely notes of warm, dried oak linger in the background.

PALATE: This has a mildly oily mouthfeel matching the appearance well. Perhaps the most malted barley forward expression of these four, I immediately get notes of dried malt, hay, lime and vanilla cream. With a big sip I get a distinctive pear note as well. A rush of spice comes in a good 5-7 seconds after it first touches the palate with cinnamon, black pepper, and spicy oak.

FINISH: A medium to long finish that continues almost exclusively with notes from the palate. Earthy dried barley, vanillin rich oak, cinnamon (more like candy Hot Tamales now though), and a touch of lime.

RATING: 6.8/10

OVERALL: There’s complexity to this pour, but it didn’t quite have the mouthfeel I hoped for, and it was a bit too malt forward for my preference. The consistent lime note was surprising. That’s not a note I pick up in whiskies often, and while it’s kind of out of place when you think about typical whiskey notes, I enjoy it when it is there. While this expression is supposedly comprised of 12-25yr whiskey aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels (American oak), I don’t get a lot of oak character. Though, I would rather this than it be over-oaked, so no complaints, just feel like it is missing some character to help round it out. Overall, it’s a delicate profile with more malt whiskey influence than I expected. When I was at Midleton, I was trying to decide between getting a 700mL bottle of this or MVR 2024 and I picked the MVR 2024 release. After trying this now, I can say I’m very happy with my decision.

As far as this 4 pack of single pot still whiskies from Midleton goes, this was definitely the most complex, but it didn't quite land on my palate as well as Powers John's Lane did. Overall, these 4 whiskies were preferred by my palate in the following order:

1. Powers John's Lane
2. Midleton Very Rare Barry Crocket Legacy
3. Redbreast 12yr
4. Green Spot

Now, I need to get around to reviewing the bottles of Jameson Bow Street 18yr Cask Strength and Midleton Very Rare 2024 that I brought back! Stay tuned!

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings