I would say its just to jack the price up.
Atb
Mart

Middleton does a release just from the distillery of this and usually they'll engrave a name in the bottle, I have a 2018 of the same stuff. Middleton Very Rare in the store sells for around $150-200 on average. Its a fantastic Irish whiskey and a 2012 as long as its been stored correctly will be very good I'd guess secondary price somewhere around 350 on it since it doesn't have the following of bourbon right now. Personally I'm saving mine for a special occasion even though I have much better bottles I've opened just because. This one was a gift and I plan on enjoying it with friends and having them all sign the bottle or the box and keeping it.

At least it not the curse of the Irish.

Midleton Very Rare is released every year, a different edition.

Great stuff....

You're welcome, cheers and enjoy. My parents brought mine back from their distillery tour so its special to me that's the biggest reason im saving. I still haven't heard if there's any difference between the very rare they sell at the distillery or the stuff that goes to the stores. They told my parents that bottle is only available at the distillery but I don't see anything very noticeable between it and the stuff at my total wine in the case.

When I was there last summer the had a bottle of Middleton 20 year anniversary in the glass case for 6000 Euros. I have pics but don’t have a membership anymore so can’t easily post them anymore.