The Story Behind The Midleton Very Rare Pinnacle Whiskey
When whiskey lovers talk about a pinnacle whiskey, few bottles in history have earned that title as literally as Midleton Very Rare The Pinnacle Vintage. Priced at $130,000 and existing as just a single bottle in the world, this release isn't just a drink, it's a milestone in Irish whiskey history.
What Is Midleton Very Rare The Pinnacle Vintage?
The Pinnacle Vintage is the rarest single bottle of Midleton Very Rare ever produced. It encompasses a portion from each of the 40 annual Midleton Very Rare expressions, plus an outstanding cask sample of traditional single pot still whiskey distilled in 1984 under then-Master Distiller and founder Barry Crockett.
In short, it's every chapter of a 40-year story poured into one irreplaceable decanter.
The Man Behind the Legacy: Barry Crockett
Barry Crockett founded the Midleton Very Rare collection in 1984, setting a new standard for Irish whiskey. He believed that making whiskey is like conducting an orchestra, each element of grain, cask, and time must work together in harmony. The Pinnacle Vintage is a direct tribute to his vision and decades of dedication.
How Was It Sold? The BlockBar NFT Drop
This wasn't an ordinary whiskey release. The Pinnacle Vintage was sold via NFT platform BlockBar on 28 February 2023, and was snapped up just two seconds after going live at 10am EST, making it the fastest sale in BlockBar's history.
The physical bottle is stored in BlockBar's secure facility and may be redeemed, sold, or gifted at any time, with a cryptographic record of authenticity held on the blockchain as a digital certificate of ownership.
As a bonus, a full-day immersive experience at the Midleton distillery with Master Distiller Kevin O'Gorman is included with the purchase for whoever redeems the physical bottle.
Tasting Notes: What Does the Ultimate Pinnacle Whiskey Taste Like?
On the nose, expect tropical fruit notes of peach and melons alongside old worn leather and antique furniture. On the palate, dark chocolate and green tea are followed by the sweetness of muscovado sugar, vanilla, and honey-drizzled figs. Orange oil and passion fruit then emerge, while pot still spices and floral grain flavours remain constant in the background.
The finish is lingering and complex, with sweetness gently fading into an ambrosial fruit-led crescendo, a whiskey truly embodying timelessness.
Why It Can Never Be Replicated
Crafted from a marriage of rare and storied expressions produced over the past forty years, and a treasured cask sample distilled under Barry Crockett, Midleton Very Rare The Pinnacle Vintage is an Irish whiskey that can never again be replicated. The 40 annual vintages that went into it no longer exist in their original form, they live only in this single bottle.
Midleton Very Rare's Collector Appeal
Midleton Very Rare has become the most traded Irish whiskey at auction, with a record hammer price of $36,386 set in March 2021 for a single bottle of the 1988 vintage. The Pinnacle Vintage takes that collectability to an entirely new level.
With fewer than 22,500 bottles released each year across regular vintages, and less than 2,500 nine-bottle cases produced annually, every Midleton Very Rare is truly rare, but The Pinnacle Vintage stands alone as a one-of-one.
If you're a whiskey collector, an Irish spirits enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates extraordinary craftsmanship, Midleton Very Rare The Pinnacle Vintage represents everything a pinnacle whiskey should be: unrepeatable, historic, and deeply human in its story. Take a look at our Middleton Very Rare collection as well as the other Irish Whiskeys that we have to offer!