Recently, seemingly unrelated brands have come together to create truly iconic, one-of-a-kind pieces that are sure to outlive their era. So when The Macallan and Bentley Motors announced a new partnership back in 2021 that they said would see them share insights from their respective industries on both luxury and sustainability, it did not sound unusual. However, their first creation, The Macallan Horizon, is anything but usual.

The Macallan Horizon: a design like no other

A little over a year after announcing their partnership, The Macallan and Bentley Motors have unveiled the design and vision of their first product – The Macallan Horizon, a limited-edition single malt whisky that is set to be available in the summer of 2023.

The Macallan Horizon x Bentley — **The Macallan Horizon made in partnership with Bentley Motors features a never-before-attempted design. Image courtesy of Bentley Motors**

The Macallan Horizon perfectly represents the vision of luxury and sustainability both brands had in mind when they chose to work together. Combining their traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology and innovative materials, the brands designed a bottle that rests horizontally, instead of vertically to reflect the horizontal trajectory of the automotive world.

Whisky experts understand the sheer innovation of this design: whisky bottles, unlike their wine counterparts, must be stored upright to keep the cork from disintegrating which would in turn lead to leaks. That The Macallan Horizon can rest horizontally without affecting the cork is a testament to the skill, innovative tech, research and creativity behind its creation.

closup of the macallan horizon bottle — ***The bottle has been designed to rest horizontally and must stay in its case if it must be kept upright. Image courtesy of Hypebeast***

Twisting 180 degrees from base to top in a move that reflects motion through space and time (Bentley is the self-acclaimed master of the former and The Macallan, the latter), the bottle has no standing base and therefore, must be stored in its case.

A fine fusion of Luxury and sustainability

Staying true to their original goals, The Macallan and Bentley Motors incorporated six unique upcycled, repurposed or ethically sourced materials in the production of The Macallan Horizon. Among them are recycled copper from the disused curiously small spirit stills which were located within The Macallan’s former distillery; aluminium recovered from the Bentley Motors manufacturing process; recycled wood; recyclable glass and carbon neutral leather, locally sourced, and also used in the recently unveiled Bentley Mulliner grand tourer.

The Macallan Horizon took elements from bentley cars for its design — **Elements from Bentley autos informed the design of the bottle. Image courtesy of Bentley**

As for the drink itself, its flavour profile was developed by The Macallan Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell following a visit to Bentley Motors in Crewe, where she observed first-hand their shared passion for creativity, craftsmanship and innovation.

A new era for the drinks industry?

Over time, rare whiskies have proven to be great alternative investment items. Would The Macallan Horizon, with its unusual innovative design based on the pillars of luxury and sustainability open a new chapter in the design and development of whiskies in general, thereby bumping up their value over time?

This is one question only the future can answer.