A 30-Year-Old Irish Single Malt has become the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold. The tipple sold for an eye-watering $2.8m – this is $100k more than the previous most expensive bottle of whiskey.
The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. a certainly got off to a record-breaking start to 2024, after selling a bottle of whiskey to American collector Mike Daley, for $2.8m. This world-first sale makes The Emerald Isle, already the rarest triple-distilled single malt in existence, the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold.
Historically, the most sought-after bottles of the spirit have been Scotch whiskies. Last November, a bottle of The Macallan 1926 fetched $2.7m at auction, briefly becoming the world’s most expensive bottle, a title that has now been usurped by The Emerald Isle, representing a shift in luxury collectors’ interests, many of whom feel the Scotch market has become too crowded.
Mike Daley said: “Irish is the future of whiskey. I’m excited to be part of it, as a collector, but most importantly as a drinker.”
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 liquid which three decades of maturation in a variety of casks, have imbued with an unrivalled intensity of flavour. The Emerald Isle’s stunning 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.
Daley also 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.”
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