A rare 30-year-old Irish whiskey has smashed records to become the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold at auction.
The Emerald Isle, a triple-distilled offering from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, fetched an astonishing $2.7m from American collector Mike Daley. It surpassed the previous record held by a 1926 Macallan.
Only seven decanters of the luxury release exist, aged in a variety of casks for more than three decades.
The prized whiskey came packaged in a walnut case with custom Fabergé egg and timepiece, cementing its status as an ultimate among collectibles.
Irish whiskey hasn’t been as highly valued as Scotch until now.
Mr Daley, known for amassing thousands of rare Irish, Scotch and American whiskies, said “Irish is the future of whiskey” and he was “excited to be part of it”.
The sale highlights the meteoric rise of high-end Irish whiskey in recent years. While scotch has long dominated the luxury market, new craft distillers like The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. are positioning Irish offerings as equally coveted.
“The rebirth of Irish whiskey is relatively new, so I feel like I’m getting in on the ground floor,” said Mr Daley.
According to Jay Bradley, founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., the record sale brings Ireland closer to “restoring its reputation for crafting the finest whiskeys in the world.”
“A bottle of The Emerald Isle becoming the most expensive whiskey or whisky ever sold is a monumental achievement for my business,” Mr Bradley added.
As new distilleries experiment with premium ageing and packaging, Irish whiskey is tipped as the next big thing for high-end spirit collectors. While categories like scotch may be crowded, Irish offers fresh potential for cask strengths, single malts and limited editions.
Whiskey (and whisky) has become an increasingly popular investment buy in recent years. The market promises relatively stable returns and are a genuine, tangible product that can be enjoyed in its own right if resale isn’t the right option. Distillers offer entry-level deals for buyers, who, if they hang on to their casks, are likely to good returns. In the 10 years to 2023, rare whisky enjoyed a more than 300% increase in value according to Knight Frank Luxury Investment Wealth Report.
This record-breaking sale proves the soaring value of Irish whiskey as a new luxury collectible for connoisseurs. For Mr Daley and other whisk(e)y aficionados, the Emerald Isle may be the ultimate prize.
