Rare 45-year-old Irish whiskey released with $40K price tag

Described as rich, earthy and peppery, a “unicorn” whiskey from Ireland is now available with the hefty price tag of $40,000.

The first bottles of Midleton Very Rare, produced by Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Ireland, were released with a tasting and launch on Tuesday night in London.

The whiskey, from Old Midleton Distillery, which operated from 1825 until 1975 when it closed its doors, is the first official release in 16 years from the distillery. When the bottles are gone, the distillery will be gone forever, according to the company.

The whiskey is available in a “collection” of six releases, meaning one release per year until 2025, which coincides with Old Midleton Distillery’s 200th birthday.

The first release’s 48 bottles are available to purchase in the United States, Britain, France and Ireland. Two bottles will be sold via ballot system through the company’s website.

As whiskey enthusiasts clamor for rare tipples, bottles from “silent” distilleries — a distillery that is no longer in production or that has closed — have long been sought by fans and collectors.

The so-called “unicorn” whiskeys come with a high price though, as the price tag reflects. These $40,000 bottles are the most expensive whiskeys ever.

So how does it taste?

According to Brian Nation, head distiller at Irish Distillers, which produced the whiskey, “The first impression is very rich with deep, dark spices on a satisfying antique oak base.”

The taste is “instantly rich with the initial peppery spices slowly softening as the influence of the malted barley shows through,” he described on the company’s release.

Each 750 ml bottle is a crystal decanter produced by Ireland’s Waterford Crystal, with each of the bottles individually numbered.