Mortlach unveils £10,000 L’Evolution Collection

Diageo-owned Mortlach Distillery has introduced a trio of single malts under L'Evolution Collection, imagined by creative director Philippe Starck.

Mortlach L’Evolution collection features three spirits – Begin, Become and Beyond – and pays tribute to the distillery’s heritage through newly appointed creative director Starck’s visionary lens. The presentation cases are said to embody Mortlach’s evolutionary essence, and are crafted to celebrate the bold and complex character of the single malt Scotch, referred to as 'the Beast of Dufftown’. Starck said: “Mortlach is the result of a scientific genius, Alexander Cowie. Since its creation, the brand has been inventing and exploring new territories, crafting whiskies that are incredibly rich without any gimmicks or anything superfluous. The story of Mortlach’s evolution takes a leap forward into modernity, with the elegance of nature and the magic of science at the service of humanity. “Through this collaboration, I wanted to speak to the next generation, using a universal language about quality, intelligence and modernity. I wanted to create a completely new experience but with a dream beyond. It is a deep love at first sight – the feeling of drinking history.” For the releases, Starck worked alongside the distillery’s master blender, Dr Craig Wilson, to create three spirits that together form the Mortlach L’Evolution collection and tell the story of a whisky’s journey from its origin and maturity through its prime. The new-make barley spirit, Begin, delivers a rare glimpse into the genesis of the distillery’s character taste and its signature 2.81 distillation method. Begin is paired with Beyond, which marries whiskies from casks from five decades, each adding another layer of depth and complexity to the whisky’s character. Starck shared: “Beyond is a love at first tongue, an instant crush, an immediate certainty that you are drinking a piece of history. It is dark like an obscure dawn with a light, a fire inside, like lava under the ground.” The third bottling, Become, was aged in virgin oak, red wine and refill casks. Starck described the whisky as 'an intelligent and elegant, monolithic and happy single malt, and a rebellious spirit heading out to the world emboldened with a thunderous heartbeat.' All three expressions are offered at 55.4% ABV. Begin is presented in a 200ml bottle, while Become and Beyond are in a 700ml format. Wilson adds: “Creating this collection with Philippe Starck was inspiring and unforgettable. His visionary approach perfectly complements Mortlach’s legacy for crafting uncompromising and complex whiskies, leveraging our unique 2.81 distilling process. The spirits themselves are exceptional, showcasing the depth and character for which Mortlach is admired around the world.” The design The liquids at the essence of the Mortlach L’Evolution collection are protected by innovative and durable 3D-printed cages resembling the brain's ‘gyri’, or ridges. Each spirit is given a different material and colour to reveal its identity, 'the subconscious of the whisky'. Begin is presented with an aluminium case, Beyond in refined pink copper, and Become with an organic design with a soft-to-touch finish. “I always work to the centre, at the bone. With Mortlach, everything started from the liquid. The spirits we created turned out to be so innovative that I didn’t want to hide them, to cover them. The bottle itself was not my obsession, the blends were. That is why the original bottle remains, and I just placed it in a cage," Starck explains. “The form of the cage comes from the gyrus, the circumvolution of the brain. It is human intelligence creating human intelligence to reveal the subconscious of the whisky. Yet, this is not an additional decorative element. The case is technically interesting because it creates a permanent shadow that protects the spirit, and when in metal, it ensures temperature inertia – whether it is cold or warm, it guarantees a delay on temperature change." He concluded: "This is pure semantics: we created the most beautiful whisky, and we put it in a cage to protect it. Everything in my work has a meaning and a reason to exist.”