Introducing The Art of the Blend – first release by Max McFarlane.
Not just another whisky brand.
The Art of the Blend, according to founder Todd Lawrence, is a platform for whisky makers to showcase their own unique expressions, one blend at a time. There is a true art to whisky making seldom observed by the consumer. The Art of the Blend brings these creative skills to the forefront by offering whisky makers a blank canvas to develop their most alluring blends.
The focus of The Art of the Blend is on premium blended malt. Each release will be created by a different whisky maker without restrictions, skillfully selected and artistically blended to perfection.
Todd has aligned himself with some of the best in the industry, mostly through friendships and whisky consultants who have offered their expertise and guidance. Overall he has seemed to accomplish the nearly impossible. The first release will shoot for the moon with the collaboration of legendary whisky maker Max McFarlane.
Max McFarlane has been in the whisky industry for over 46 years and is rightly so a Keeper of the Quaich. He has put together by nose many single malts including Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Glenrothes, Bunnahabhain and Highland Park. During his tenure at Edrington, the Highland Park 18 years old was awarded the best spirit in the world on two occasions. An award winning career to say the least. Max is a firm believer in natural coloring and non-chill filtering as well as cask selection being equally critical in the process of making quality whisky. With absolute freedom he has carefully selected three first fill Sherry casks for The Art of the Blend’s first release. The result of marrying these three spectacular single malts exudes exceptional depth and complexity. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, stone fruit compote and cinnamon spice will envelope the nose. The palate is beautifully balanced with dry spicy notes, sherry trifle and chocolate brownies. According to Max, “The finish will want to holiday on your palate”. A finish that caresses lovely with raisiny sherry.
“The Art of the Blend is built on trusting the artistic skills of the whisky maker and giving them free rein to develop each release.” – Todd
If you haven’t already heard of The Art of the Blend, you will soon hear their amazing story from all corners of the globe. According to Todd, every whisky has a story and simply put, his story begins at the heart of whisky making.
Todd is new to the whisky industry and does not claim to be a whisky expert, instead he describes himself as a collector and whisky enthusiast. He has set the bar extremely high and has basically orchestrated a platform to produce a line of blended malts he himself would want to collect and enjoy. In addition to his passion for whisky, Todd is also the designer and patent holder of the Whisky Vault, a handcrafted bulletproof whisky display he sells to collectors around the world.
“Always keep in mind what you are trying to communicate to the consumer. People will question your path, your worth, your entire ideology. Stay focused and trust your gut.” – Todd
Not only has he built a very curious and eager following who have waited patiently for the first release, he has aligned himself with iconic whisky makers, many of whom are lining up voluntarily to collaborate on future releases.
The second release in the series will be in collaboration with another whisky superstar. Finance professional turned Whiskymaker, Dhavall Gandhi has over ten years of experience in the alcoholic beverage industry. Gandhi was the whiskymaker for the luxury single malt The Macallan before joining The Lakes Distillery as Whisky Director. Considered by many as a polymath whiskymaker and “Game Changer” in the whisky domain. He is one of the thought leaders and experts in Sherry Cask maturation. Gandhi judges at various prestigious whisky competitions, including the international Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and World Whisky Awards. Dhavall was also named as Master Distiller / Master Blender of the Year 2021 by Whisky Magazine. In March 2022, his creation, The Lakes Whiskymaker’s Reserve No 4, was awarded as World’s Best Single Malt at World Whiskies Award in London.
And let’s not forget about the spectacular label and packaging design by none other than Stranger & Stranger. An award winning design house taking label design to a whole new level and beyond with their creative artistry. In their latest project with The Art of the Blend, they have effortlessly brought together the art of whisky making with brilliant visionary style that will undoubtedly help catapult this blended malt into the spotlight.
The Art of the Blend will launch in October 2022 at Whisky Live Taipei, Taiwan. Why did the founder choose Taiwan? Well, he has lived there for the past 27 years and knows the market well. It’s possible to inquire through their website for sales outside of Taiwan. Their concept is fully scalable and the potential for global expansion is possible with future releases, but they will do this organically. The founder is a firm believer that perfection cannot be rushed, artistic creation takes time.
“I’ve created The Art of the Blend for whisky makers and for whisky lovers. Let’s let the liquid tell the story, one blend at a time.” – Todd
And his thoughts on the many celebrity endorsed brands being launched over the past few years?
“There’s room for everyone, and of course celebrities are great for marketing. The difference will be in the liquid. The Art of the Blend is for those who want more from their whisky, an artistic approach. Intrigue. Excitement. Each blended masterpiece unveiling a new story, creating history. The whisky maker “is” our celebrity.” – Todd
“To all the whisky makers around the world, imagine the freedom to create a masterpiece without restrictions. The blending combinations are endless.” – Todd
Three carefully selected first fill sherry casks from three different Speyside distilleries under the artistic creation of Max McFarlane, married at 58.8% abv, non-chill filtered. A finish so spectacular it will want to holiday on your palate. US$350 / 700 ml. Limited to one release of 1968 bottles.
