The Chosen: The Most Expensive Irish Whiskey Ever Released
There’s a new Irish whiskey in town and it comes with a massive price tag!
I attended the launch last night in London of JJ Corry’s “The Chosen”, a 27 year old single cask, single malt that retails for Eur 6500.00.
This might be one of the most talked about, debated, derided, lauded and discussed Irish whiskey launches this year and I don’t see the chatter dying down anytime soon.
In this episode of Stories & Sips, I share my thoughts and opinions on its price, its position and what it means for Irish whiskey.
Press Release as shared by J.J. Corry:
Cooraclare, Co. Clare Ireland: Ireland’s first modern Whiskey Bonder, J.J. Corry, has launched The Chosen, a 27-Year-Old Single Cask, Single Malt Irish Whiskey, in collaboration with contemporary Irish design houses, J. Hill’s Standard and John Galvin Design.
The 27-Year-Old Single Cask, Single Malt Irish Whiskey is presented in 100 individually hand cut J. Hill’s Standard crystal decanters and hand carved ash wood cabinets fashioned by John Galvin Design. The Chosen will retail for £6,500 and is available internationally from Bordeaux Index, Fine & Rare and in Ireland at The Celtic Whiskey Shop.
The design of the decanter and cabinet echoes the dune grass of the local beaches of the Wild Atlantic Way, home to J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey. Every crystal decanter is hand cut in Waterford by J. Hill’s Standard, contemporary crystal design house founded by Anike Tyrell, while the ash wood cabinet is the creation of master craftsman John Galvin, a native of Cork. Both Irish design houses share a respect for traditional Irish crafts while interpreting them in a contemporary fashion, similar to the ethos of J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey.
Founder of J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey Louise McGuane commented: “The Chosen is a celebration of excellence in Irish Whiskey and contemporary Irish design. Irish Whiskey has not been celebrated for its quality and rarity, as perhaps other categories have. We have some of the finest mature stock of whiskey in the world and yet I feel the industry undersells itself. I wanted to change that. Our approach to making Irish Whiskey celebrates tradition, embraces change and has the modern whiskey drinker front of mind. All of this is reflected in The Chosen”.
“We are curators of casks and creators of individual whiskey flavours. We constantly source and taste, knowing the personality of each cask that we own. Every cask in our custom built rackhouse has a different story and destiny. Occasionally we come across such an exceptional cask that it merits its own unique release and this was the case with The Chosen. We waited until the cask reached its absolute peak of maturation before we released it”, she added.
“The rugged landscape of Co. Clare where J.J. Corry matures and blends whiskey also boasts many important grasslands and is an internationally recognised habitat for wildlife. The bespoke grass-cut on the decanters and cabinets reflects the close bond between this special whiskey house and the environment in which it is perfected. It has been a great pleasure to be part of its realisation.’
Tasting Notes
Rich and superbly elegant with notes of toffee, rancio, dried mango and chestnut. This palate of intensely ripe fruits is complimented by incense and a luscious oily texture. The finish is long with just a touch of smoke. The Single Malt Irish Whiskey is bottled at cask strength at 52%.