ICAOI Member Company Powerscourt Distillery’s Master Distiller & Blender, Noel Sweeney is the authority behind cask of rare whiskey which raised €83,000 from NFT auction
€83,000 has been raised from the recent auction of a digital representation of a rare cask of 20-year single malt.
Noel Sweeney, Master Distiller and Blender at the Powerscourt Distillery, a member company of ICAOI, is the man responsible for producing this single malt whiskey.
A globally recognised expert and international multi-award winning master who has devoted some 30+ years patiently honing his unique skills, Noel has already been awarded the Icons of Whisky ‘Ambassador of the Year’ and elected into the ‘Hall of Fame’ (Whisky Magazine).
Powerscourt’s portfolio of Fercullen Irish whiskeys have all been distilled and released by Noel and include an 8-Year-Old blended Irish whiskey, 10-Year-Old Single Grain Irish whiskey, 14-Year-Old Single Malt Irish whiskey and 18-Year-Old Single Malt Irish whiskey. Each expression having won multiple gold awards around the globe.
POWERSCOURT Distillery located on the Powerscourt Estate, which also includes Powerscourt House, Gardens, Golf courses and Waterfall, is located in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. The house has been voted one of the Top Ten Houses and Mansions Worldwide (Lonely Planet Guide) while the Gardens which stretch over 47 acres, offer visitors a blend of formal gardens, sweeping terraces, statues and ornamental lakes. Powerscourt Gardens were voted no. 3 in the World’s Top Ten Gardens by National Geographic.
Last week saw the first ever Irish whiskey cask represented by a non-fungible token (NFT) going to market, successfully auctioned on the OpenSea crypto marketplace. It raised €83,000.
NFTs, which are the latest investment craze to grip the market, are unique or limited-edition assets that exist only in the digital world. When someone buys such a digital asset, their ownership is recorded on the blockchain allowing anyone to verify the ownership and authenticity of items. While anyone can still view the NFTs, the buyer has the status of being the official owner.
Usually, those who acquire NFTs do not get a physical version of the item although in this case, the auction winner is getting the actual cask, which should further increase in value over time.
