Auchentoshan unveils The Bartender's Malt

Beam Suntory's Auchentoshan distillery has released The Bartender's Malt, a new Lowland Scotch whisky inspired by 12 New Malt Order competition winners, representing the industry's emerging bartending talent.

The Bartender's Malt is claimed to be the first limited expression of its kind. Auchentoshan placed the entire production process of the liquid into the hands of its international bartender collective, challenging them to develop a product from the ground up that reflects the brand’s ‘Distilled Different’ ethos.

Auchentoshan took a‘hands-off’ approach to the production process. Every  element of The Bartender's Malt has been developed by the New Malt Order bartenders, from the careful selection of casked liquids to the packaging design and the branding of the expression.

Competition entrants from five countries were invited to create their own unique bitters using Auchentoshan New Make Spirit, adding it to their  different take on the signature Auchentoshan & Ale serve. The shortlist was judged by an expert panel in each country to identify 12 individuals.

The bartenders were invited to Glasgow, the home of Auchentoshan, to meet their New Malt Order cohorts for a five-day immersion into the city’s creative culture. Here the New Malt Order Collective joined the Auchentoshan master blender for technical and laboratory sessions, sensual experiments and personality pairings with whisky casks topped by a long and discursive blending session of maturing Auchentoshan whiskies. Each blend created by the 12 bartenders were then collaborated to create The Bartender's Malt.

The Bartender's Malt’s packaging has been influenced by the New Malt Order Collective, showcasing the collaboration between the 12 winning bartenders and Auchentoshan. The new bottling is presented in a premium carton and features the 12 bartenders’ signatures.

Marco Di Ciacca, senior brand manager for Maxxium UK, comments: “The New Malt Order bartenders have not only created a new liquid but a new interpretation of Auchentoshan. We’re genuinely excited to collaborate with some of the most dynamic bartenders from around the world and look forward to sharing The Bartender's Malt with the global bartending community.”

6 July 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor