"The Emerald Isle" sold for a record price of 2.8 million dollars
The 30-year-old Irish whiskey is now the most expensive whisk(e)y ever sold
The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is proud to announce that a copy of its whiskey edition The Emerald Isle has sold for $2.8 million, making it the most expensive whisk(e)y ever sold in the world. This record was previously held by a The Macallan 1926, which was auctioned for $2.7 million last November. The 30-year-old Irish single malt whiskey went to US American Mike Daley, who has added it to his considerable collection of several thousand bottles of Scottish, Irish and American whiskies.
Daley said: "The rebirth of Irish whiskey is relatively new, so I feel like I'm getting in on the ground floor. Luxury scotch, to me, is already a crowded type of market. But we're only just starting to see luxury Irish make a name for itself. I guarantee you that in the years to come, it will get to where scotch is today."
Deliberately created as an expensive luxury whiskey
And luxury is what The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, founded in 2018 by Irish entrepreneur Jay Bradley, is all about. He said: "A bottle of The Emerald Isle becoming the most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold is a monumental achievement for my business, and an incredibly proud moment for me. I started The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. with the goal of making Irish whiskey the most coveted luxury spirit and restoring Ireland's reputation for crafting the finest whiskeys in the world, this brings us several steps closer to achieving that, and we're only six years into the journey. There's a lot more to come from us, and I'm excited for our customers and competitors to see what we have in store."
The Craft Irish Whiskey Co's website showcases its exclusive portfolio, where premium packaging and special additions make the whiskey editions special all-in-one packages. For the seven editions of The Emerald Isle, triple-distilled 30-year-old Irish single malt whiskey at 51.2% ABV. was bottled in decanters and placed in walnut wood cabinets. They also contain an egg and a watch from Fabergé and a pair of Cohiba cigars.
It is unlikely that the whiskey in these expensive collector's items will be drunk, but The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. has published tasting notes on The Emerald Isle, which was matured in first-fill 200-litre bourbon casks and finished in 40-litre Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. It is not revealed which distillery the whiskey comes from. Incidentally, "Emerald Isle" is a poetic name for Ireland.
Tasting notes for The Emerald Isle
Colour: Deep, rich treacle
Nose: Butter toffee and chocolate fudge are followed by a rich maple syrup. Hints of brine and tobacco come to the fore after time.
Palate: A powerful combination of old leather-bound books with a hint of tobacco smoke. Silky smooth, with some cherry drop notes interwoven with ripe banana and caramel. The back palate gives way to Christmas cake spices that flow flawlessly into the finish.
Finish: A wonderfully long and decadent finale with hints of creamy meringue and vanilla cigar smoke that slip into a lingering finish of spice and sweetened leather.
Images: The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. via prnewswire
