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Scotch whisky brand Royal Salute has unveiled the first release in its new ultra-premium collection, The Art of Wonder.
Releases from the new collection will be created in collaboration with leading artists and will take inspiration from the craft of whisky blending. The first release, Royal Salute Forces of Nature, was created in partnership with British sculptor Kate MccGwire.
The whisky for the new release is a 53-year-old blend created by Royal Salute master blender Sandy Hyslop, one of the oldest age statements released by the brand to date. To accompany the rare whisky, MccGwire, whose specialist medium is feathers, created a unique piece of artwork entitled Forces of Nature. The whisky is presented in hand-blown Dartington Crystal decanters, each featuring elegant curves, engraved with feathers and gilded in 24-karat gold leaf in homage to MccGwire’s sculptures.
Furthermore, each decanter is accompanied by one of 21 pieces of art, called Paragon, created by Kate MccGwire exclusively for Royal Salute using specially selected and sustainably sourced pheasant feathers. Together, the artwork and decanter are housed in a wooden cabinet, along with an art book detailing the collaboration between Royal Salute and MccGwire.
Just 21 limited-edition decanters of the Royal Salute Forces of Nature by Kate MccGwire will be released. Of these, five will be available in global travel retail at China Hainan, Sydney, London Heathrow, Dubai International, and Singapore Changi, with a recommended price of US$90,000.
The first product reveal for global travel retail will take place at the inaugural World of Wines and Spirits (WOWS) event at Changi Airport. The set will also be displayed at a Royal Salute pop-up boutique at Changi Airport Terminal 3 from mid-November.
Liya Zhang, vice president of marketing at Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, said: “This special ultra-prestige release is another example of Royal Salute’s continued creativity and exquisite craftmanship. With collectability and investment important in this segment, we have noticed a thirst for truly luxury items, so I’m confident this unique expression will excite travellers around the world.”
Sandy Hyslop said: “For the first volume from The Art of Wonder collection, I wanted to create an outstanding expression that reflected Royal Salute’s desire to push individual craft beyond expectation. To do that, together with my expert team, we crafted an opulent 53-year-old blend, one of the highest ages we have ever released. This is a thrilling moment, and it’s been a privilege to blend such rare and precious whiskies at the pinnacle of what is achievable with delicate high-aged stock laid down by my predecessors.”
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