Jeanne Gang wraps world's oldest whisky in bronze branches

Jeanne Gang whisky bottle: Gordon & MacPhail 85 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery

American architect Jeanne Gang has designed a bottle wrapped in bronze branches for the Gordon & MacPhail 85 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery, which is the world's oldest whisky.

Named Artistry in Oak, the bottle for the oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled was designed to evoke the protective nature of tree branches.

Jeanne Gang whisky bottle — Jeanne Gang designed a bottle for the world's oldest whisky

"I thought about the way trees naturally shield things in nature, like nests, and wanted to design a vessel that shared this sense of protection," Gang told Dezeen.

"I drew four separate structures, like branches, that spiral upward and wrap around a suspended glass vessel, cradling the precious liquid inside."

World's oldest whisky bottle — The bottle is formed of four branches

Gang, who is the founder of US architecture practice Studio Gang, was informed by the oak trees that whisky barrels are made from.

"I wanted to create something that had a relationship to the natural materials and processes involved in whisky-making," explained Gang.

"From the beginning, oak was important because it's a beautiful, strong tree and it provides the wood from which the barrels are made," she continued.

"There's also an interesting connection between Scotland and the US, as the oak used in the barrels that house the whisky came from the US."

Bronze branch whisky bottle — The form was made from bronze

Produced in a limited run of 125, the branch-like enclosure was made from bronze. Gang chose the material due to both its durability and way it changes colour over time.

"It was important to select a material that was worthy of holding the world's oldest single malt scotch whisky ever released," she said.

"I selected bronze for the entwining branches because it's incredibly durable and becomes more beautiful as it develops a patina, just as whisky's amber colour and character deepen over the years," she continued.

"This also acknowledges the role of oak in whisky-making because the wood helps the liquid transform as it ages."

Bronze whisky bottle — It was designed to change colour as it ages

To design the bottle, Gang aimed to learn and understand the whole process of whisky making.

"I was excited to learn about everything involved in whisky's creation, from barley grains with their herringbone patterns, to airtight casks made of white oak staves and the hammered copper stills with their strange yet purposeful forms," she said.

"Each careful step – and there are many more – lends something to a whisky's unique flavour," she continued.

"Then, there are years of protecting the casks so they can age, a practice so at odds with contemporary urges of instant gratification."

Artistry in Oak bottle by Jeanne Gang — It was named Artistry in Oak

Throughout the design process, Gang reflected on the similarities between creating buildings and the long process of making whisky.

"Working on this project made me reflect on the layers of time involved in both architecture and whisky-making," said Gang.

"Architects have to consider the history and context of the site, the materials and where they came from, and how these can all come together to create something lasting," she continued.

"So much history has unfolded as this whisky has been aging, from when the process started, to everything that's happened in the 85 years since. Both architects and whisky-makers value the essence of time as part of their craft."

Other architects to design distinctive bottles include Daniel Libeskind who created an angular cognac bottle to "embody the legacy of Richard Hennessy", while Frank Gehry created a crinkled gold bottle to mark 150th anniversary of Hennessy X.O.

The post Jeanne Gang wraps world's oldest whisky in bronze branches appeared first on Dezeen.