The Most Expensive Bottle of Whiskey Ever? This 30-Year-Old Irish Single Malt Just Sold for $2.8 Million

The new most expensive whiskey ever? The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.’s Emerald Isle set sold for $2.8 million to an American collector. (Photo: The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.)

On Friday, The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. announced it sold a bottle of its Emerald Isle 30-year-old single malt whiskey to an American whiskey collector named Mike Daley for $2.8 million, breaking the record for the most expensive whiskey bottle ever sold.

The previous record was held by a bottle of The Macallan 1926 scotch, which sold for $2.7 million at auction in November.

It’s notable that the record is now held by a bottle of Irish whiskey, which has historically been less popular and coveted than scotch.

“Irish is the future of whiskey,” Daley said in a news release from The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. “I’m excited to be part of it, as a collector, but most importantly as a drinker.”

The Emerald Isle set Daley bought for $2.8 million is one of seven in existence and contains the 30-year-old scotch, a walnut case, a decanter, a bespoke Fabergé egg contianing an emerald, a custom timepiece and a pair of Cohiba cigars.

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. notes that some critics claim The Emerald Isle only fetched this record-breaking price because of the additional value added by the non-whisky items in the set. The Irish whiskey company argues, however, that The Macallan 1926 that previously held the “most expensive” title only sold for as much as it did thanks to its rare label, which was designed by the Italian painter Valerio Adami.

“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,” said Jay Bradley, founder and CEO of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. “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.”

Daley’s collection comprises several thousand bottles of whiskey from around the world, according to 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,” Daley said. “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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