There are bottles you buy to drink, and there are bottles you buy because they represent a particular moment in time. The Midleton Very Rare Bot.2000 is firmly in the second camp — a millennium-era bottling from one of Ireland's most celebrated annual releases, now commanding a price tag that says as much about scarcity as it does about what's inside the glass.
Midleton Very Rare has occupied a singular position in Irish whiskey since its inception: a yearly small-batch blend selected by the master distiller, each vintage a unique composition. The Bot.2000 carries the weight of that legacy, a snapshot of Irish blending at the turn of the century. At 40% ABV and with no age statement, the emphasis here is entirely on the art of selection — the interplay of grain and pot still whiskeys chosen to represent the best of what was available that year.
This is a blended Irish whiskey in the truest sense. The category itself tells you what to expect: approachability, smoothness, and a layered complexity that rewards patience rather than demanding it. Irish blends at this level tend toward honeyed warmth, orchard fruit, and a gentle spice that never overreaches. The Bot.2000, having spent over two decades maturing beyond its original bottling, will have continued to evolve in the glass — the kind of slow, quiet transformation that collectors chase.
Tasting Notes
Specific tasting notes are not available for this bottling at time of writing. What I can say is this: Midleton Very Rare releases from this era are consistently praised for their poise and integration. At 40% ABV, expect a whiskey that prioritises elegance over punch — silk rather than thunder. This is not a cask-strength bruiser. It is a whiskey that asks you to slow down.
The Verdict
At £1,250, the Midleton Very Rare Bot.2000 sits at the intersection of collectibility and genuine quality. Is it twelve hundred pounds' worth of liquid? That depends on what you're measuring. As a drinking whiskey, there are outstanding Irish expressions at a fraction of the cost. As a piece of whiskey history — a sealed time capsule from the year 2000, from a release series that has only grown in prestige — the price starts to make a different kind of sense.
I'll give it an 8.1 out of 10. The pedigree is undeniable, the category is one Ireland does better than anyone, and the Bot.2000 designation gives it genuine collectible appeal. It loses a point or two for the conservative 40% ABV, which I suspect holds back some of the complexity that might otherwise shine through. But this is a whiskey that knows exactly what it is, and it executes with quiet confidence. For the collector who appreciates Irish whiskey heritage, it belongs on the shelf.
Best Served
Pour this neat into a Glencairn or tulip glass at room temperature. Give it ten minutes to open — a whiskey of this age and provenance deserves the breathing room. If you must add water, a single drop and no more. This is a contemplative pour: late evening, a leather armchair, no distractions. The kind of whiskey you drink when you want to think about where Irish whiskey has been and where it's going.
