Whats Next For The Worlds Most Expensive Whiskey?
Founder Jay Bradley contemplating a sip of his latest 20-year-old Irish Whiskey Craft Irish Whiskey Co. In February of 2021 the Craft Irish Whiskey Company stole headlines (and stoked outrage) by auctioning off a box of supremely rare 30-year-old spirit for a record-smashing $2 million USD. It was a notable story not just for the jaw-dropping price tag, but for the national identity of the liquid itself. Historically, an account of the worlds most expensive whiskies would read exclusively as a list of single malt scotch. But with this release, the center of gravity shifted defiantly toward the Emerald Isle. The seven-piece luxury box was titled, fittingly enough, The Emerald Isle Collection. We didnt intend to create the worlds most expensive whiskey, claims company founder and proud Irishman Jay Bradley. It was all about creating the most perfect whiskey possible. We become obsessed; sourcing the rarest and oldest triple distilled whiskey from the worlds oldest distillery, finishing it in specially crafted Pedro Ximenez casks; working with leading scientists to design the ultimate drinking vessel. We were singularly motivated to fashion the ultimate whiskey drinking experience.  Doing so involved many facets. In addition to the decanter at its centerpiece the set includes a bespoke, Faberg Celtic Egg handcrafted from emerald and 18-karat gold; a 22k gold timepiece, also designed by the famed Russian jewelry house; a Cohiba Siglo VI Grand Reserva cigar with gold-plated cutter. In other words: a millionaires menagerie of collectibles. Taken together, it was enough to edge out this 1926 bottle of The Macallan, which fetched a relatively modest $1.9 million back in October of 2019. The Emerald Isle collector's set sold for $2 million USD at auction earlier this year. Craft Irish Whiskey Co. The benchmark sum received by The Emerald Isle Collection went to a charity benefiting childrens cancer research. Nevertheless, some traditionalists decried the transaction as stunty, since it involved more than just a bottle of booze. By contrast, the brands debut expression, The Devils Keep, is a 29-year-old Irish single malt that landed a mere $60,000 a bottle in 2020 (minus all the other flashy trinkets). Still, it managed to set its own record as the most expensive inaugural release for any whiskey company, ever. Earlier this year, Bradley emerged in rural Pennsylvania, of all places, to answer the question. He selected the Nemacolin Resorthome to the most recent season of The Bachelor, and, itself, an opulent display rising from unexpected surroundingsas apt backdrop for his latest unveiling: The Brollach. Its a particularly personal affair for Bradley, who conceived the $6500 offering as homage to his late father. The double-distilled whiskey at its core was also distilled on January 22nd, 2001the very day that Bradley left his native home for the first time, to pursue a career in Australia. Brollach is a shortened form of OBrollachans  an ancient rendering of my family name, and thats what this release is all about, explains the entrepreneur. I set up the Craft Irish Whiskey Co. following an auspicious late night chat with my dad. He was passionate about Irish whiskey and taught me so much of what I know. This whiskey was created in his honor and I think of him every time I taste it.  What most other people will taste is a rich and robust malt that leverages the best of both French Oak and ex-Madeira cooperage forming its finish. Firm yet nuanced, it flaunts a wave of florality atop a build of butterscotch and burnt sugar. Bradley has invested heavily in the affirmative. And hes already observing a heartening validation. In addition to its partnership with Faberg, Craft Irish Whiskey Co. is now collaborating with the Michelin Guide to manifest the first ever table-side whiskey experience exclusive to Michelin-starred restaurants. Less than a year after launching, theres already enough revenue in-hand to break ground on an operational distillery inside the historic neighborhood of Dublinonce regarded as the whiskey making capital of the world. Bradley, for his part, is unshakable in his desire to return the region to its early 20th Century glory days. Despite what the Scots say, we invented whiskey in the first placeand we perfected it right where I was born in the Liberties of Dublin, he exclaims. We were the gold standard for centuries and people didnt fall out of love with the flavor, they simply couldnt get it anymore. Irish whiskey was decimated by geopolitical issues such as world wars, trade embargoes, civil wars, American Prohibition. But our days of being overlooked are done.  To be sure, this isnt a comeback story. After all, Irish whiskey has been among the fastest growing categories of spirit in the US for well over a decade. This is a tale of stature and prestige. And for that the Craft Irish Whiskey Company is asserting itself as a storyteller too ambitious to ignore.