Extraordinarily rare Glenmorangie encapsulates the wonder of nature

 — Aged 23 years, elemental whisky celebrates special collaboration with Azuma Makoto —

Glenmorangie Highland single malt Scotch whisky today presents a rich, elemental and extraordinarily rare limited edition, embodying the wonder of the natural world. Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old arises from a partnership between Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden and the Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto. Dr Bill’s delicious single malt reflects their shared love of nature and all that it encompasses, a concept known in Japanese as shinra bansho. Inspired by that whisky’s complex notes of flowers, rain-soaked moss and earthy hints, Azuma Makoto has created a botanical masterpiece, depicted on the edition’s packaging.

During a trip to Glenmorangie’s Highland Distillery, Dr Bill and Azuma – a close friend of the brand – were inspired by the beauty of their surroundings. The acclaimed botanical artist shared with Dr Bill the notion of shinra bansho, which embraces the ground, the sky and everything in between. And together they imagined how they might collaborate to create a uniquely delicious single malt which celebrates nature in all its forms.

Dr Bill began to envision a whisky entwining Glenmorangie’s floral side with the underground world which brings all plants to life. With such a single malt in mind, he first took a classic Glenmorangie, long aged in bourbon casks, heady with aromas of lemon balsam and orchids. He united that single malt with Glenmorangie’s first whisky ever finished in casks which once held Chardonnay white wine from the Meursault appellation in Burgundy. With its notes of moss dampened by rainfall, burning oak and earthy scents of the forest floor, he created a truly elemental whisky: rich, mellow and intriguingly deep.

In his Tokyo studio, Azuma Makoto drew on the whisky’s flavours to create his own masterpiece. Gathering orchids, roses and countless wild flowers from Scotland and around the world, he skilfully wove them through tree bark, roots and moss. His complex, flowing botanical sculpture (entitled Shinra Bansho to reflect the notion at its heart) is Azuma’s own tribute to nature’s evolving harmonies. Beautifully reflecting the layered depths of Dr Bill’s creation, it is showcased on the whisky’s packaging.

Dr Bill said: “Our collaboration with Azuma Makoto is a delicious celebration of nature’s wonder. Including our first whisky finished in Chardonnay casks from Burgundy, this 23-year-old single malt encapsulates nature in all its forms, through notes of lemon balsam, poached pears and cocoa powder layered on the oaky, earthy tones of the forest floor. Azuma-san’s stunning sculpture, featured on the whisky’s packaging, evokes the fragrant scents and elemental depths of this extraordinarily rare whisky – a gift from nature itself.”

Azuma Makoto said: “I was honoured to partner with Dr Bill for this special celebration of shinra bansho. My sculpture is a response to my view of Earth’s blessings – my sense of gratitude for nature – and for the flavour of the Highlands, expressed deliciously in Dr Bill’s whisky.”

The whisky will be available in select retailers in the UK, China, Japan, Taiwan, India and the USA, on glenmorangie.com, as well as Glenmorangie’s inaugural boutique at London’s Heathrow airport, Terminal 2. It has already charmed whisky critics, having received a Double Gold award at the International Spirits Challenge 2024.

The whisky will be available in select prestige retailers in the UK, China, Japan, Taiwan, India and the USA for an RRP of £1,050

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Tasting Notes:

The limited edition is bottled at 46% ABV

Colour: Deep Copper

Aroma: Rich, heady and fragrant. A burst of syrupy fruits such as peach, pineapple, damson and plum, followed by some more savoury notes like burning oak bark, roasting chestnuts, baking sourdough bread and some hints of damp forest floor. Water releases some herbal and floral notes, with a touch of scented incense, aromatic orchids and even some grapey, vinous notes.

Taste: Rich, sweet and fruity, with an almost waxy mouthfeel. There are flavours of lemon balsam, honeycomb, poached pears with a dusting of cocoa powder, followed by some gentle woody or balsamic notes.

Finish: Lingering and mellow, with hints of eucalyptus, lemon and toasty oak.

RRP: RRP €1,250/£1,050. 

About Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie’s whisky makers use endless imagination and five key ingredients – wood, water, barley, yeast and time – to dream up delicious single malt whiskies. They’ve been honing their craft for more than 180 years. They create a delicate and fruity spirit in stills as tall as an adult giraffe to allow for more taste and aroma. Led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, this crackerjack crew are on a mission to bring new flavours and possibilities to the world of single malt.

Glenmorangie celebrates the joy of delicious single malt in every part of its universe, from Glenmorangie House to its colourful new brand campaign, shot by famed photographer Miles Aldridge. With its tagline “It’s kind of delicious and wonderful”, Glenmorangie invites whisky lovers old and new to see themselves in Glenmorangie’s world.

About Dr Bill Lumsden

Dr Bill Lumsden’s favourite phrase is “What if?”. And throughout more than 25 years with Glenmorangie, the Distillery’s Creative Director has challenged himself and his team to take whatever captures their imaginations and turn it into whisky – be that the spirit and flavour of Glenmorangie’s homeland (the Cadboll Estate series), the magic of a walk in the forest (Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest), a cup of coffee (Glenmorangie Signet), and more. With a PhD in biochemistry and decades of experience, Dr Bill has all the skills needed to bring these ideas to life. Already, he has earned the admiration of his peers many times over. He features in the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame. He has won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year more times than anyone else. And he was named twice Master Blender/Distiller of the Year by the International Spirits Challenge.

About the making of the limited edition

This extraordinarily rare limited edition was distilled in 1998, just three years after Dr Bill first joined The Glenmorangie Company. It was laid down in bourbon casks, to gain all Glenmorangie’s signature fruity and floral notes. Then as part of his experiments with wine casks, in 2006 Dr Bill transferred a parcel into French oak casks which had previously held Chardonnay white wine from Burgundy. Such casks had never before been used at the Distillery and, during its long finish, that whisky gained earthy notes, hints of burning oak, and rain-drenched moss. Brought together with whisky aged wholly in bourbon casks, it creates his rich, deep and elemental limited edition – an inspired reflection of the natural world. The edition is packaged in a cylindrical gift box which beautifully displays the different facets of Azuma Makoto’s work. Opened by the removal of two copper-coloured pins, it reveals an evocative wooden plinth evoking the flowing lines of the sculpture, on which the bottle is showcased.

About Azuma Makoto

Azuma Makoto began his floral art after setting up a haute-couture flower shop, JARDINS des FLEURS, in 2002. A few years later, he began to explore the world of botanical sculpture – and soon his work began attracting attention from around the world. Starting with a solo exhibition in New York, he has exhibited his works at art museums, galleries and public spaces all over the world. In 2009 he launched the experimental botanical lab Azuma Makoto Kaju Kenkyujo (AMKK). In recent years, he has been pursuing projects that take flowers to locations impossible in the natural world. For instance, he has plunged floral art more than 1,000m deep below the sea and launched it high into the atmosphere. Azuma previously collaborated with Glenmorangie to create a botanical sculpture reflecting the floral character of Glenmorangie 18 Years Old. A depiction of the sculpture adorned the packaging of a limited gift edition of the award-winning whisky.

About the collaboration

Azuma Makoto has been a friend of Glenmorangie for some time, having partnered with Dr Bill to create a limited gift edition for Glenmorangie 18 Years Old in 2021. And recognising this fellow creative as a kindred spirit, Dr Bill was keen to collaborate again with Azuma. He invited the artist to visit the Distillery and Glenmorangie House. There, a walk through the Highland landscape, inspired their latest partnership, to celebrate the idea of shinra bansho. Introduced to this notion by Azuma, Dr Bill first created his exceptionally rare whisky. Then, in his Tokyo studio, Azuma tasted the whisky and became inspired to create his flowing masterpiece. He first sketched his ideas on paper and on an iPad over some months. Finally he created his work using almost 100 different varieties of flowers and plants native to Scotland and around the world. The finished work, entitled Shinra Bansho, is showcased on the gift box and labels of the limited edition.

About shinra bansho

The Japanese term shinra bansho means all things in nature, the universe, the whole of creation. “shinra” means countless rows of trees of different varieties. “Bansho” means all forms and things – all natural phenomena. Combined, the phrase means: “All the things that exist in the universe without limit”.