Last Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection

The Peerless Spirit is the sixth and final decanter in the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection and features a 65-year-old single malt whisky, one of the oldest and rarest released by the distillery.

Designed and created by the French crystal house, Lalique, this final release in the Macallan in Lalique Six Pillars Collection distributed by Maxxium UK, will be limited to only 450 individually numbered decanters.

Ken Grier, brand director for The Macallan comments: “This stunning collection of decanters is the result of two kindred spirits, rooted in a shared passion for craftsmanship, detail and mastery. This sixth and final release continues to showcase the unwavering commitment of both the masters of Lalique and The Macallan to create beautiful and desirable objet d’art.

“With the collection now complete, it is time to reflect not only on the exquisite whiskies that have been brought to the fore by The Macallan’s master whisky maker, but also on the extraordinary skills of the Lalique craftsmen carrying on the legacy of René Lalique, the man whose talent continues to inspire and influence.  It is the heritage, customs and traditions of both The Macallan and Lalique that have united to create this ultimate collectable collection.”

Marc Larminaux, creative director for Lalique, based the design around a single peerless drop of The Macallan, symbolising the most precious spirit in the world.  The Peerless Spirit has been captured falling from the iconic Macallan inverted triangle, which can be found on every present day bottle of The Macallan.  The first use of the triangle, can be traced back to Macallan bottling’s from the 19th century.

Silvio Denz, chairman and CEO of Lalique, says: “We are proud to have been part of this stirring journey celebrating the Six Pillars of The Macallan.  The marriage of the finest and rarest Macallan single malt whiskies with our beautiful bespoke hand crafted decanters has been a wonder to behold.”

The overall design of this decanter was heavily influenced by the blown and pinched technique as used by René Lalique for many of his famed Lalique perfume bottles. This final decanter and the other five from this remarkable series have all taken their inspiration from a design or a specific technique taken from René Lalique’s heritage.

Since its inception in 2005, The Macallan in Lalique Collection has proved extremely popular with collectors across the world. In 2014, according to a report in Whisky Magazine, The Macallan accounted for the top ten priced bottles sold at auction; eight out of ten of these sales were decanters from The Macallan in Lalique Collection. In 2015, The Macallan was the No.1 most valuable whisky brand at auction, accounting for over 25% of the total value traded at auction (Rare Whisky 101). 

The ‘Peerless Spirit’ decanter is valued at £23,500 and is available from 1st July from specialist whisky retailers, including; Harrods, Hedonism and The Whisky Exchange.

26 May 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor