If you wish to gift something exquisite, rare, and unique, the Craft Irish Whiskey Company’s Limited Edition ‘Emerald Isle’ Collectable Whiskey Set is for you. The $2 million whiskey set is a seven-piece custom-made whiskey set that celebrates the ‘Seven Wonders of Ireland’ and lucky number seven. The Emerald Isle Collection is the second edition of a gift set from the brand. Presented in a stunning dark walnut experience box, each set features two bottles of ultra-rare, 30-year-old, triple distilled Irish whiskey, accompanied by two unique and exclusive creations from Fabergé – the first-of-its-kind Celtic Egg and bespoke Altruist timepiece.
The triple distilled whiskey is the rarest single malt Irish whiskey in existence that has been aged in 200-litre ‘first fill’ American oak casks, which previously stored bourbon, and then finished in a rare single 40-litre Pedro Ximénez sherry barrel. This maturation process has imparted profiles that range from chocolate fudge and maple syrup on the nose to sweet leather and silky-smooth, ripe banana on the palate, which flows into a long finish with hints of creamy meringue and rich vanilla cigar smoke.
The Emerald Isle Collection fuses Faberge’s unique heritage with rich Irish tradition and mythology, as well as the distinctive flavors of an ultra-rare whiskey, in highly collectible and unique special-edition legacy bottles. Each bottle of whiskey is accompanied by a bespoke Fabergé Celtic Egg, handcrafted by fourth-generation Fabergé enamel Workmaster, Dr. Marcus Mohr. Crafted in 18k yellow gold, every egg features Fabergé’s legendary guilloché enamel in pastel green, together forming the colors of the Irish flag. Each of the seven Fabergé eggs features a different gemstone on its exterior: Gemfields Zambian emerald, Gemfields Mozambican ruby, blue sapphire, amethyst, rhodolite, spessartite, or tourmaline, representing each of the seven locations, from The Blarney Stone to the Giant’s Causeway of Ireland.
Jay Bradley, Founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co., commented on the collaboration: “We are more than delighted to be partnering with prestigious atelier Fabergé to launch ‘The Emerald Isle Collection,’ which is an extraordinary bespoke set, and will truly put ultra-rare luxury Irish whiskies on the map. Fabergé is an iconic brand with an enduring legacy that continues to evolve and knows no bounds, so we cannot think of a better collaboration for a luxury whiskey from Ireland. This is simply a dream come true for me and the team – and an unbelievable elevation for a 30-year whiskey, which was already going to be a particularly sought-after collector’s item. With the Fabergé addition, there is surely nothing that compares to the ultimate aficionado.”
Each bespoke set is presented in an experience box which has been inspired by the shape of an emerald, representing the natural beauty of Ireland, and features an illustration of one of the ‘wonders’ of Ireland and its geographical coordinates, with a frontal egg-shaped aperture and a frame of colored gemstones.
Another offering from Faberge is the bespoke one-of-a-kind Fabergé Altruist 18k rose gold timepiece with a self-winding movement from Vaucher Manufacture. Handcrafted by Fabergé’s Workmaster André Martinez, each piece has a unique dial, inspired by the landscape of one of The Seven Wonders of Ireland’. The brown alligator strap, hand-painted gold flakes on the white mother of pearl dial take the looks of the watch to a new level, while the case back holds the Craft Irish logo with the addition of the CIWC logo and 1/1 engraved to signify the uniqueness.
Apart from that, the set also houses a humidor with two ultra-rare Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva cigars, a gold-plated cigar cutter; gold plated water pipette, pure obsidian whiskey stones, a hip flask with a sample of the Emerald Isle whiskey, and a carafe filled with Irish spring water from the same region where the whiskey was made.
The whiskey set was officially unveiled on 2 February 2021 in Houston, Texas, and all of the seven bespoke experience boxes will be sold at private auctions and events throughout the year. The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. has pledged 100 percent of the proceeds to charity, with 50 percent of proceeds benefitting the Correa Family Foundation supporting children affected by serious illness. The remaining 50 percent donated to the buyer’s charity of choice.