A Bottle of The Emerald Isle Irish whiskey, from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, has sold for $2.8m – making it the most expensive bottle of whiskey – or whisky – ever sold.
The Emerald Isle, already the rarest triple-distilled single malt in existence, was sold to US collector Mike Daley.
The Emerald Isle’s walnut case includes a single decanter, alongside a bespoke Fabergé egg – containing an actual emerald gem – a custom timepiece and a pair of Cohiba cigars.
Historically, the most sought-after bottles of the spirit have been Scotch whiskies.
Last November, a bottle of The Macallan 1926 made $2.7m at auction, briefly becoming the world’s most expensive bottle, a title that has now been usurped by The Emerald Isle.
The sale represents a shift in luxury collectors’ interests, many of whom feel the Scotch market has become too crowded.
Mike Daley is one of the US most prolific collectors of the spirit, with a vast collection consisting of several thousand bottles of Irish, American, and Scotch whiskeys/whiskies.
His latest record-breaking purchase is one of only seven sets in existence – a whiskey, which three decades of maturation in a variety of casks, have imbued with an unrivalled intensity of flavour, according to the The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.
“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,” Mike Daley said.
“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,” he added.
Jay Bradley, founder and CEO of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. said a bottle of The Emerald Isle becoming the most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold is a monumental achievement for the business, and an incredibly proud moment for him.
“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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Jay Bradley, founder and CEO of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. said a bottle of The Emerald Isle becoming the most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold is a monumental achievement for the business, and an incredibly proud moment for him.
“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,” he said.
“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,” he added.
