Elite Traveler Summer 2024

LEADERS IN LUXURY SPIRITS

Clockwise Elite Traveler ’sToby Louch embarked on a road trip with Bentley to The Macallan Estate

Cresting the horizon

at the center of the distillery. As the lights fl ickeron it’s clear we are standing on a raised platform, surrounded by old whisky casks. At the center lies the bottle in question. The Macallan Horizon is the fi rst limited-edition single malt Scotch whisky born from the partnership of exquisite whisky making and automotive design. The result is a vessel that looks as striking as the liquid it holds. It’s a merging of expertise to create something entirely new. Unlike the traditional vertical form a bottle of spirit takes, The Macallan Horizon instead sits on the horizontal plane in homage to the plane in which the automotive industry operates. Looking as if it has spent time in a wind tunnel, the bottle was designed to have an aerodynamic quality. Bentley’s design team has utilized six materials in its construction in a nod to The Macallan’s Six Pillars, the building blocks that go into the creation of its heralded spirit. Glass, aluminum, low-carbon leather, copper and oak wood, materials at home in the automotive industry, are combined to create a new form. Bentley’s design team has utilized six materials in its construction in a nod to The Macallan’s Six Pillars, the building blocks that go into the creation of its heralded spirit

Sitting in the back of a Bentley, traversing the undulating hills and valleys of Strathspey, it’s hard not torelax. The region has the highest concentration of distilleries in Scotland, but far from the beating industrial heart of an $8.8bn industry, this corner of the nation instead delivers rural village charm. We pass through the village of Du ff town, the reputed whisky capital of the world. Locals take pride when recalling the saying “Rome was built on seven hills, Du ff town stands on seven stills” — though, since the phrase was conjured, the number of stills has risen tonine. Perfectly adapted to these quiet villages, the pair of The Macallan Estate Bentleys cruise through silently with their hybrid engines, leaving Du ff townand continuing the short drive to the estate. The delivery of these cars is just a single part of the collaboration between these two brands. British icons, Bentley and The Macallan share other qualities too. Both are historic brands: This year is The Macallan’s 200th, with young buck Bentley lagging

behind on only its 105th. Each brand holds a considerable level of gravitas and is regarded as a true marker of quality within its respective fi eld. The apogee of this collaboration is The Macallan Horizon; it is the reason I was taking the trip from London to Aberdeen and was nearing the 485-acre estate that The Macallan calls home. Heading through the wide gates into The Macallan Estate, it’s di ffi cultnot to be impressed: Here, hundreds of years of history meet cutting-edge technology and design. It’s thought that there has been farming on what’s now The Macallan Estate since 1543, while the latest distillery — opened in 2018 — takes on an almost futuristic feel. Situated on the side of a hill and camou fl aged by great mounds of earth, this distillery is part bunker, part whisky museum. Over the road is the iconic Easter Elchies house, the spiritual home of The Macallan that graces the logo to this day. For any Scotch lover, a visit will take on a pilgrimage-like quality. After a tour of the impressive site, it’s time for the main event, and we are whisked away into a dark room