Pernod Ricard’s Latest Royal Salute is a $120,000 Whisky Sculpture That Celebrates ‘A Crucial Element in The Making of Whisky’ — Time
The latest Royal Salute whisky from Pernod Ricard is a sculptural decanter housing a 53-year-old whisky. (Photos: Royal Salute/Facebook)
Pernod Ricard unveiled its latest Royal Salute whisky offering last month, Whisky Magazine reported. The expression will be available for viewing Oct. 11-15 at the Royal Salute Gallery Bar in London.
The whisky is named Royal Salute Time Chamber. The decanter is the result of a partnership with the sculptor Conrad Shawcross and is a part of Pernod Ricard’s Art of Wonder collection, which is a hybridized showcase of whisky and art.
Shawcross typically explores geometric forms and science in his works, and his collaboration with Pernod Ricard-owned Royal Salute is no exception.
“For this body of work, I was inspired following my visit to Strathisla Distillery in Scotland, where the most precious Royal Salute blends are safeguarded,” Shawcross said, according to Whisky Magazine. “I was struck by the sheer amount of time contained in the age statement of this bespoke blend and wanted to capture this in multiple elements of the art piece. The disc reflects the endless star systems in the night sky, while the spindle and decanter form a sort of spike, like an arrow through a target which represents a vector of time, implying strong directionality.”
Some of Shawcross’s sketches of the design.
The bespoke whisky sculpture houses a 53-year-old whisky that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II. The age statement of 53 is a nod to 1953 — her coronation year. The whisky was made by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop and was aged in European and American oak casks.
Royal Salute’s Time Chamber hosts a suggested retail price of $120,000, and 21 units are available.
“Just like the theme of time that has inspired Conrad’s piece of art, time is the core of what we do when blending Royal Salute expressions; it factors into the incredible scarcity of the delicate high-aged stock that we used in the blend,” Hyslop explained.
Hyslop hosts 30 years of blending experience, according to Royal Salute, and entered the whisky world in 1983. In 2016, Pernod Ricard’s scotch whisky arm, Chivas Brothers, appointed him in the position of the director of blending across its portfolio. This was when Hyslop took the reigns at Royal Salute and began leading the blending team.
“Time is a crucial element in the making of whisky,” Hyslop explained. “You can’t rush the slow maturation of these exceptional liquids over decades and generations.”
In April, Royal Salute released a blend of 53 malt and grain whiskies to celebrate King Charles III’s Coronation. This rare offering hosted a price tag of $25,000.
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