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ART & DESIGN

The key challenge was to achieve a square neck in coloured crystal and a base in clear crystal, with glass uniformly distributed over the piece’s angular shape. “The use of injection (adding hot crystal to hot crystal), and the decanter’s weight and capacity, were constraints faced on a constant basis by the teams, while maintaining the most exacting standards”, he adds. At the Lalique crystal works, mould makers as well as glassmakers are always ready for a challenge, and their enthusiasm is contagious. “For Eight Decades , injection used for the shoulders made the base more fragile. We thus needed to allow for a certain thickness of glass at the shoulders, while ensuring even distribution over the entire parison.” Another crucial requirement was that the crystal be uniformly distributed to obtain a transparency that would strengthen the noble liquor’s amber-hued polychromy. “Creating a decanter and a perfume bottle require similar work. The codes are the same, and focusing our efforts on the beauty and originality of the piece is an excellent way to underscore the rare quality of its contents. With Eight Decades , the analogy is even stronger, as the project drew inspiration from the same geometric and pyramidal shapes used for Range Rider and Purple Sage , coupled with rounded shoulders.” By bringing this unique crystal decanter to life, Lalique’s highly skilled artisans have once again found an ideal vehicle for their extraordinary talents.

Subtleties and secrets of an exceptional single malt The meeting of art and the universe of spirits often involves a delicate alchemy. For this new, ultra-exclusive, limited edition, it was about bringing The Glenturret’s heritage elixirs together to create an unprecedented and sophisticated single malt able to reflect the distillery’s distinctive expertise and the pre-eminence of its terroir. The result had to do with more than the passing down of skills and knowledge: it was a multifaceted story of origins. Meticulously selected by Bob Dalgarno, The Glenturret’s Whisky Maker for more than 17 years, these whiskies are drawn from eight casks, each of which has been aged for a decade on the estate nestled in the beautiful Perthshire countryside. The eight eaux-de-vie – a symbolic nod to the decades lived by James Turrell, who celebrated his eightieth birthday in 2023 – join in a magnificent union for this journey through time paying tribute to generations of excellence. Truly serving as bridges between periods, premium whiskies ennoble the offerings of the past. With the passage of time, the elixirs unleash their full potential to reach pinnacles. The years coalesce to form a liquid eternity, a nectar that rhymes and resonates with Lalique’s own identity and expertise.

A splendid and one-of-a-kind single malt From the outset, the poetic patterns created by the legs running down the sides of the glass and the lascivious dance of the precious nectar’s shimmering amber tones captivate the eye. A cornucopia of aromas enchants the nose, from dark dried fruit, chocolate-coated candied orange peel and gingerbread to red berries, fresh apples and subtle oak. And on the palate, gently woody spices, rich fruit cake laced with treacle and honeycomb balanced with burnished oak lead to a long and mellow finish. Aged in eight carefully selected casks, Eight Decades begins its maturation in European oak casks chosen for their deep character and the wisdom of their years, before continuing the process in American oak casks to add bright shards of light and youthful energy. The audacious choice of tawny port casks to complete the maturation results in even greater depth and a rich, iridescent colour reminiscent of an exceptional Bordeaux wine.

THIS PAGE An Eight Decades decanter in the cold-glass workshop FACING PAGE Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno The Glenturret distillery

“Nothing less than a liquid work of art presented in an exquisite crystal decanter”, concludes Dalgarno.

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