The concept, developed by design teams from both companies, borrows ideas from the automotive world in its use of a horizontal, rather than vertical, bottle design, and in holding back some important information about the product to be released at a later date.
Macallan master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell has already finalised the liquid for Horizon, following a visit to Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, but no details about the whisky, its price or its availability, will be released until early 2023.
The Macallan Horizon’s packaging is described by the companies as ‘a unique concept that defies the traditional vertical aesthetic of a whisky bottle’.
It has no flat base on which to rest the glass and aluminium decanter, which has to be twisted through 180 degrees to remove it from its external packaging of copper with oak inlays, cushioned with leather.
The packaging is designed to echo the ‘six pillars’ that underpin the flavour of The Macallan by using six ‘elements’: oak, copper, aluminium, leather, glass and single malt whisky.
The use of recycled or ethically sourced materials – copper from The Macallan’s old stills, oak from used casks, locally sourced carbon-neutral leather – is designed to reflect both companies’ commitment to sustainability.
Jaume Ferras, The Macallan’s global creative director, said the company’s collaboration with Bentley – announced in July last year – ‘has inspired us to see things very differently’.
He explained: ‘In the spirits world, everything is upright, such as our stills and our bottles. When we looked at the horizontal direction pursued by Bentley Motors as part of the automotive industry, it made us consider if and how we could adapt this format for whisky, which ultimately requires to be poured.’
Information about the whisky used for The Macallan Horizon, along with pricing and availability, is expected in early 2023, with the product likely to ship to customers a few months later.
