It feels like we were writing about the most expensive whiskey bottle ever sold at auction just yesterday...
Just like back then, a record has been shattered, but the whiskey that managed to do so might surprise you. It's a bottle of Irish single malt whiskey that comes complete with a Fabergé egg.
It's customary for million-dollar whiskey bottles at auctions to be crafted from Scottish single malts, and the record-breaking edition was from the Macallan distillery, titled The Macallan 1926. A 60-year-old whiskey became the most expensive ever sold when it changed hands at an auction in November for a staggering $2.7 million. However, last week brought news that collector Mike Daly acquired The Emerald Isle set from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co for $2.8 million, setting a new record.
What makes this whiskey so exceptional? The liquid itself sounds rather standard, at least in the ultra-premium category. It's a triple-distilled, 30-year-old Irish single malt whiskey that matured in bourbon and sherry casks, something you can find for around $2,000 instead of $2 million. However, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is known for its luxurious packaging and exclusivity, and both apply to this set. Only seven sets of this particular whiskey were released, with each bottle housed in a walnut box containing a Fabergé egg featuring an emerald, a custom Fabergé watch, and a pair of Cohiba cigars from Cuba.
According to Daly, who made his fortune investing in hyaluronic acid, Irish whiskey is the future of whiskey as a whole. "The revival of Irish whiskey is relatively new, so I feel like I'm getting in at the ground level," he said in a statement. "We are just starting to realize how luxury Irish whiskey is building its name."
As for The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., founder Jay Bradley has always aimed to elevate Irish whiskey into the luxury category, and this move brings that vision one step closer to fruition. You probably won't find another Emerald Isle set for sale at this moment, but The Brollach single malt set is now available for order on the ReserveBar website for just under eight thousand dollars.
