The Macallan Joins Forces With Bentley Motors to Release ‘Complex and Visionary’ Whisky Priced at $50,000

The Macallan unveiled a collaboration with Bentley Motors: The Macallan Horizon. A bottle hosts a suggested retail price of $50,000. (Photo: The Macallan)

The Macallan released a whisky on Wednesday called The Macallan Horizon, a collaboration between the 200-year-old scotch brand and Bentley Motors. The whisky is bottled at 46.6% ABV — an homage to the number six and The Macallan’s six pillars.

The whisky hosts a suggested retail price of $50,000 and was drawn from six first-fill sherry-seasoned casks by the Speyside brand’s master whisky maker, Kirsteen Campbell.

The most distinctive aspect of this offering is the whisky’s striking horizontal packaging. The whisky is housed in a sculpture inspired by Bentley’s drive dynamic control rotary dial.

“Our collaboration with Bentley and the knowledge exchange we have undertaken has inspired us to see things very differently,” The Macallan Creative Director Jaume Ferras said in a news release. “In the spirits world, everything is vertical, such as our stills and our bottles. When we looked at the horizontal plane that Bentley’s grand tourers occupy, it made us consider if and how we could adapt this format for whisky, which ultimately requires to be poured and enjoyed.”

It is lined with what the brand refers to as “the finest low carbon leather,” with a recycled copper structure. Some of the copper is sourced from stills at the distillery.

Oak wood is used on the closure of the whisky sculpture, and it has Bentley’s Crown Cut Walnut veneer finish, which is used in Bentley’s vehicles.

“The Macallan Horizon is the most complex and visionary whisky project that The Macallan has embarked upon,” Ferras said.

Those interested in purchasing a bottle can do so at The Macallan Estate Boutique or through select global travel retail stores.

“We’ve spent years working with The Macallan through our partnership, taking time to craft this incredible first joint product that represents the best of both brands,” Bentley Chairman and CEO Adrian Hallmark said. “Centered on innovative materials that reflect our focus on the future, the end result — both the whisky and the vessel that contains it— are stunning, and represent a new benchmark for design, materials and quality in this space.”

The Macallan Horizon Tasting Notes, Via the Brand

Nose: Polished oak with resin, plums and dark fruit. Fresh leather with plenty of herbaceous qualities, coupled with golden raisins, dates, cinnamon and clove.

Taste: Dark treacle, cinder toffee, crystalized ginger and charred pineapple with vanilla pods and fudge.

Finish: Lengthy, lingering and complicated.

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