A collaboration between Scotch whisky house Royal Salute and high fashion designer Richard Quinn might seem far-fetched, but they have a lot more in common than you think. Both originate from the British Isles and sit at the top of their respective totem poles — whisky and fashion.
Last year, ahead of London Fashion Week, Royal Salute unveiled its first collaboration with Richard Quinn — the 21 Year Old Richard Quinn Edition in a bottle with blue flowers, one of Quinn’s design inspirations. It was such a huge success that the whisky house immediately started working on another blend with the designer.
The result: Royal Salute House of Quinn by Richard Quinn, the second release in the Couture Collection. Master blender Sandy Hyslop chose a few single malts from casks laid down in Quinn’s birth year — 1990 — for this blend. To hand-blow the individually numbered and hand-signed bespoke black crystal decanter, the whisky house tapped on the expertise of British glassware manufacturer Dartington Crystal.
A new iteration of the designer’s petal and thorns motif blooms around the Royal Salute logo on the bottle. Each motif is hand-painted before being exquisitely finished with gold leaf detailing. Only 200 bottles have been made due to the amount of work that goes into each bottle.
Each comes with an exclusive silk pocket square featuring a similar petal and thorns motif designed and printed by Richard Quinn. “I’ve always had an admiration for outstanding shows of craft, and collaborating with Royal Salute on this second release has allowed me the opportunity to celebrate this. Combining so many different skills in one place to make something as beautiful as this edition, from the decanter to the pocket square and the blend itself, has been a dream for me,” Quinn says.
Royal Salute also steps into the digital world with this limited-edition whisky. Bottle 001 came with a non-fungible token (NFT). Although enthusiasm for NFTs has diminished, somebody snapped it up within minutes of it going up on BlockBar, the NFT marketplace for spirits and wines. The buyer, @dejectedBasmati6, paid 4.77 ETH for it, which roughly converts to US$12,500 (S$18,000).
And what about the taste? It’s Royal Salute, maestros of blended whiskies. You won’t be disappointed. Those fortunate enough to have a dram or own a bottle will enjoy a floral flavour, in line with Quinn’s favourite design inspiration, with notes of luscious ripe fruits and a subtle hint of cinnamon. What a treat for the senses.
Only two bottles are available in Singapore at a recommended retail price of $17,799. To reserve, please drop the team an email at hello[at]le-cercle.sg.
