Nestled in east-central Scotland, The Glenrothes has a history of making rare Speyside malt whiskies since 1879. This legacy has lived on through the craft of the distillery’s small team of lifelong whisky makers.
The 18, one of the distillery’s latest offerings, is a product of the long-term collaboration between The Glenrothes brand-owner Edrington Group and London design group Lewis Moberly, formed in 1984 by Mary Lewis and Robert Moberly.
The Lewis Moberly team, along with creative production and procurement company HH Global, designed a bespoke gift canister for The 18. Mark Tosey, Lewis Moberly Head of Production, says: ‘The structural design process, working from early sketch concepts through to working models, final prototypes and eventually printed samples, was highly collaborative with our design and production teams.’
A distinctive feature of the packaging is a dual layered turning cylinder that opens to reveal the bottle within, which required many tests throughout the process. This canister was developed using only ‘paper, card and pulp-based materials’, with no metal or plastic in the structure, ensuring 100% recyclability of the product.
The design was inspired by the geographical contours of The Glenrothes Speyside estate, which manifested as organic topographic lines. When looking for a high-quality finish, the production team sampled various specialty papers. Tosey says, ‘Sirio Pearl paper was the most successful in delivering the pearlescent finish, showcasing the bespoke colours for each release.’ Sirio Pearl was also used for the bottle’s neck label, providing continuity. The Glenrothes Master Whisky Maker Laura Rampling, a rising star in the whisky world, contributes handwritten tasting notes to the whisky’s front label.