Glenturret Eight Decades presented

Petra Milde |

The Lalique decanter was created by the artist James Turrell

 

With the Glenturret Eight Decades, the Scottish whisky distillery presents an impressive edition. Only 80 copies of this special bottling in the impressive glass decanter will go on sale worldwide. The price of the Glenturret Single Malt Whisky, bottled at 41.5% vol, was estimated at £80,000 pounds each.

Now, one might think that this impressive price would be due to an impressive age of the Glenturret Single Malt Whisky. But the name Glenturret Eight Decades does not refer to the contents, as might be obvious, but to the glass decanter. It was created by the American artist James Turrell, whose 80th birthday Glenturret honours with Eight Decades. It is Turrell's first design of a whisky decanter, but already his third collaboration with the French glass manufacturer Lalique.

Perfume and Whisky

Turrell's first two collaborations with Lalique were for perfume bottles. Since 2018, the Glenturret Distillery has been owned by Swiss Silvio Denz and his company Art & Terroir (we reported), under whose umbrella Lalique is also located. Denz is also active in the perfume business, so the Glenturrett - Lalique - Turrell connection is easy to trace.

Turrell also sees it on another level:“I love a single malt whisky. I described the whisky my father enjoyed as inspiration for the team at The Glenturret: my father’s description of civilization was a fine whisky and a good cigar."

Glenturret Single Malt Whisky from 1987 to 1998.

For Glenturret Eight Decades, Master Blender Bob Dalgarno married the whisky from eight casks filled between 1987 and 1998. They represent the facets of the eight decades of James Turrell's life. The press release speaks of dark, fruity aromas that intermingle with chocolate-covered citrus, ginger cake and honeycomb in the finish.

“It is a proud moment for us to be working with James Turrell – a lot of hard work and emotions have gone into designing and creating this decanter. The Eight Decades Decanter encapsulates The Glenturret’s very essence: an understated aesthetic, crafted by many talented hands who are all custodians of the skills required to create such a beautiful decanter and liquid,” said John Laurie, the managing director of The Glenturret.

 

Image: The Glenturret

Petra Milde is a freelance author of books and specialist writing about spirits and food. She has been supporting the Whisky.de editorial team since 2015 and creates informative and entertaining articles in the news section.

Besides her writing work, she moderates tastings and can be met at spirits fairs, both behind the stands and in front of them, looking for new products and interesting people to talk to.

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