Love Irish whiskey? Got a cool 10K lying around? If so, you can snag just one bottle of Craft Irish Whiskey Co’s new Devil’s Keep – the most expensive debut whiskey release, ever.
Just 333 bottles of this triple-distilled, 29-year-old Irish single malt were initially released last November, and it broke records when the first bottle sold at auction for USD $60,000 (about £46,000 / €51,000). Another 333 bottles are expected to be released this year, costing a sweet €10,000 each.
What makes it worth the big bucks? Besides being one of the oldest triple-distilled Irish whiskeys in existence, according to Craft Irish Whiskey Co it’s an ‘alchemy’ of Irish water and barley, aged in three stages. First, it started off in 200-litre ‘first fill’ American oak bourbon barrels, before hitting French oak barrels – previously filled with tawny port. Finally, it was finished in toasted virgin Hungarian oak. Irish Craft Whiskey Co notably casks its whiskey at 52%, believing that adding water early allows it to integrate better with the whiskey over time. The resulting tipple emerges at a sippable 48.5% ABV cask strength.
But, hey, if you’re going to spend all that money you probably want to know what Devil’s Keep tastes like. And the suggested serve is simple: enjoy with just a few drops of pure water from the same place the whiskey was made. You get that special H2O, plus double-locked box, designer glasses, obsidian cooling stones, blingy golden pipette and more when you buy the whiskey.
Now, who wants to lend us €10,000?
Do you love whisky? Make sure you check out The Three Drinkers do Scotch whisky here.