LOUNGE /
EAT
December 6, 2024
Sampling a whisky that paints a picture of "all things in nature," created by flower artist Makoto Azuma and Glenmorangie.
GLENMORANGIE
In September 2021, Glenmorangie released a collaboration with flower artist Makoto Azuma, titled “
Glenmorangie 18 Year Old LIMITED EDITION BY AZUMA MAKOTO”. But that was just the beginning. The "Glenmorangie 23 Year Old by Azuma Makoto," released in September 2024, is not merely a second collaboration. What does Azuma mean when he calls it a "true collaboration"? And what does it taste like? We tasted it with Azuma Makoto to find out.
A Collaboration Between Two Artists
Expecting a bouquet of flowers as I lifted the lid of the tasting glass, I instead felt as though I were walking through an autumn forest, treading on fallen leaves. Was there a sea nearby? A slightly chilly sea breeze seemed to blow gently. I was surprised. This is a new Glenmorangie! With my next sip... ah, what exquisite liquid. As I was contemplating this, I heard that the suggested retail price for this whisky, "Glenmorangie 23 Year Old by Azuma Makoto," is ¥200,200 (tax included), and I asked myself if I should have been drinking it more carefully.
“I can’t easily drink it myself either,”
Azuma Makoto says with a smile.
Upon hearing his story, it became clear that Azuma was not merely involved in the packaging and visuals of this whisky. The whisky itself was a collaboration between Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Distillation and Creation at the Glenmorangie Distillery, and Makoto Azuma.
“Dr. Bill is truly… an artist? Yes, an artist. We get along well, and I deeply respect him.”
Azuma said this after recounting how they had enjoyed drinks together both in Japan and the UK.
A whisky born from the collaboration of two artists. In other words, this is a work of art.
A Curious Partnership
The two first met for the release of "Glenmorangie 18 Year Old LIMITED EDITION BY AZUMA MAKOTO" in 2021.
“Dr. Bill has a deep respect for the land where Glenmorangie originates and for nature itself. He also wanted to broaden the appeal of whisky beyond a rigid image, which is why I was chosen. That was the starting point. However, it was right in the middle of the pandemic, so our communication was primarily remote. The project involved me interpreting Glenmorangie's existing "Glenmorangie 18 Year Old" in my own way.”
For this initial collaboration, Azuma created a piece inspired by "Glenmorangie 18 Year Old," which was then reflected in the label and packaging. Azuma recalls that the artwork was very well-received. This greatly pleased Dr. Bill Lumsden, leading to a more in-depth exchange between the two. When Azuma finally met Dr. Bill Lumsden in Scotland,
“I was taken aback by the whisky maker.”
This sentiment is understandable. Dr. Bill Lumsden, a PhD in biochemistry and a whisky maker, might seem intimidating with such titles, but in person, he is a remarkably humorous and playful gentleman.
“I thought he was a distinguished figure, perhaps a bit stern. But he was so free-spirited.”
It was Dr. Bill Lumsden who proposed they create a whisky together. Given the Doctor's passion for experimentation and challenges, he likely contacted Azuma again with this intention from the start.
“Dr. Bill believes that whisky isn't just for sophisticated sipping; it can also be enjoyed boisterously in a lively atmosphere. While he respects tradition and can be strict, that's not all there is to him. His bold, unconventional approach to creation struck me as purely artistic, and I respected him for it. From then on, I visited Dr. Bill's lab-like room at the distillery, received whisky samples, and we worked together to create it.”
When Azuma says "create," he means the whisky itself, not the flower art. The method of creation was unique.
“It started with Dr. Bill throwing out ideas like 'purple flowers.' I didn't quite understand. I thought, 'Isn't Glenmorangie supposed to be orange?' So I tried it, and when I said, 'I want a sense of wind,' he'd say, 'Wind, got it,' as if he knew exactly which casks contained which whiskies and how to blend them. We refined it by adjusting the blends.”
Glenmorangie of All Things in Nature
“Glenmorangie, including its signature orange notes, always had this impression of floral aromas dancing on the palate. That's what I aimed to express last time. But this time, by making the base 23 years old, I expanded beyond the floral imagery to encompass the entire natural world – the scent of earth, moss, tree bark, mushrooms, beehives…”
This seems to have been influenced by his experiences exploring the rich nature surrounding the Glenmorangie distillery with Dr. Bill Lumsden, but
“Even so, we deliberately avoided expressing a specific place like Scotland. We decided to move away from that kind of academic approach. The concept of 'flowers from around the world,' like in the first release, remains.”
The concept is "all things in nature." Azuma created a flower art piece approximately 150 cm tall to represent this whisky, which is reflected in the packaging art. Additionally, the idea of using wood for the bottle's base and the top of the cylindrical packaging came from Azuma.
“That's why this time, it's a true collaboration.”
An Art of Time
In July 2024, "Glenmorangie 23 Year Old by Azuma Makoto" had its global launch at the Saatchi Gallery in London. For this event, Azuma created a piece over 3 meters tall, surpassing his previous work.
“I thought of it as an art of time. My works, excluding preparation, last at most about ten days. But whisky lasts ten, twenty years, or even longer. And they are brought together.”
Azuma did not elaborate further on this topic, but generally, when the term "art of time" is used in relation to whisky, it almost always refers to the aging period, with longer aging implying a more premium whisky. One could say that time itself becomes the artist, bestowing value upon the whisky. However, Azuma's perspective is different.
The place where the creators stood, the breath they took, their movements, their thoughts – these are imprinted on the work, never to be replicated. In this case, isn't the time spent in collaboration between Azuma and Dr. Bill Lumsden also a form of art?
The "Glenmorangie 23 Year Old by Azuma Makoto," a collaboration between two artists that will likely never be recreated, or if a third were to happen, would yield something different, appears to be produced in very limited quantities.
Glenmorangie 23 Year Old by Azuma Makoto
Volume | 700ml
Alcohol Content | 46% (Non-Chill Filtered)
Maturation Casks | 8 years in Bourbon casks, 15 years in White Wine casks (Chardonnay from Meursault, Burgundy)
Suggested Retail Price | ¥200,200
Flower artist. In 2002, he launched a haute couture flower shop and began creating flower art. He explores the world of botanical sculpture, drawing global attention. Following his solo exhibition in New York, he presented works in Paris and Düsseldorf, and in 2009, he established the experimental creative collective "Azuma Makoto Kaju Kenkyujo (AMKK)" and has been active worldwide. He has undertaken projects such as submerging flower art over 1,000 meters below sea level and launching it into the stratosphere, arranging flowers in locations impossible in nature.