CALLUM announces a partnership with Annandale Distillery to release a single cask, single malt, unpeated Scotch whisky, bottled at cask strength in a bespoke, CALLUM-designed ceramic bottle: CALLUM 529 by Annandale.

“This collaboration with Annandale fits CALLUM’s notion of taking on out of the ordinary projects that challenge and excite,” says Ian Callum CBE, design director at CALLUM. “We love the stories that sit behind them – ideas that have soul, stir the imagination and give meaning to our work. This collaboration story goes back to my time at school with David Thomson. While our two worlds are now very different, together we have created a luxury product that delivers a fun, unique and authentic sensory experience – both in terms of flavour and tactility.”

“Part science, part art, this is a collaboration that captivates the senses and elicits an emotional response,” says David Thomson, co-founder of Annandale Distillery. “I’m incredibly proud to be able to work with my fellow ‘Doonhamer’ to meld the long history and expertise of Annandale Distillery with CALLUM’s forward-thinking and disruptive design. Owning and sipping this single cask, single malt Scotch is a unique experience both whisky connoisseurs and aficionados of Ian’s designs will want to savour.”

Bespoke bottle design

Breaking with tradition, the single cask, single malt Scotch whisky is enclosed within a ceramic bottle designed by CALLUM. Ceramic provides new textures and visuals unfamiliar in today’s whisky offering, while being a neutral material that has no impact on the spirit’s distinct and respected flavour. The bottle features handcrafted ripples and is finished in a deep, dark navy blue glaze.

“Organic sweeping lines rest easily on the eye and balance beautifully in the hand,” explains Callum. “A dramatic diagonal slice separates the ripples from a contrasting smooth, structured finish, creating a bottle of two textural halves. The ripples are organic and natural, like the material, while the other half is structured, similar to how we’d design a product or car. It creates a really striking contrast and aesthetic while mirroring CALLUM’s disruptive spirit and echoing the slice in our logo.”

This dramatic slice is continued onto the natural cork stopper. CALLUM’s signature deconstructed tartan in accent orange seals the bottle, which is then enclosed in an outer capsule of the same dark navy blue.

“This partnership presented CALLUM with the perfect opportunity to do something we’ve never even thought about before. That is a great place to start in design – approaching a challenge from a new angle, a different point of view, which I feel is clearly evident in our resulting bottle design,” says Callum.

CALLUM 529 by Annandale

As with the bottle design, the whisky has been engineered to find its own unique place in the whisky world and provide an exceptional sensory experience.

Crafted by the award-winning Annandale Distillery near Dumfries, Scotland, just three ingredients – malted barley, water and yeast – have been expertly distilled in two copper spirit stills. Copper has a magical effect, determining and refining the spirit’s flavour and creating consistency of quality. Based at one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Annandale was one of the first distilleries to use two small copper spirit stills rather than one, which increases the copper contact and enhances the process and purity of the spirit.

The whisky has been matured in a once-used ‘fresh’ bourbon cask made from American oak, providing a subtle richness, depth and complexity, as well as ensuring its complete individuality of flavour as single cask, single malt Scotch whisky.

Having reached sensory maturity, cask number 529 has been selected for its exceptional taste profile and sensory characteristics by Callum, Thomson, the CALLUM team and Annandale’s master blender, Keith Law.

The unpeated whisky has sweet, creamy vanilla and caramel hints on the nose, supported by oak and malt undertones, while suggestions of orchard fruits and hay bring a fresh scent that cuts through the sweetness.

Upon tasting, its sweetness has creamy toffee, salted caramel and chocolate notes, accompanied by hints of spices, including cinnamon and cardamom, while subtle low tannins provide the perfect touch of astringency to flawlessly balance the flavour.

Pre-order now for August 2022 delivery

By the very nature of a single cask whisky, only a limited number of CALLUM 529 by Annandale will be available for sale. However, that exact number will not be known until the whisky barrel is broached and its entire contents are bottled at cask strength in July 2022. The whisky will go straight from barrel to bottle – never blended – to produce a truly authentic whisky at its purest and most natural. It’s anticipated yield is around 230 bottles at 50-65%ABV, to be confirmed at the point of bottling. Each bottle will be hand numbered and signed by Ian Callum.

CALLUM 529 by Annandale is priced at £350 per 70cl bottle.

It is available to pre-order at callumdesigns.com/callum-529 with deliveries to begin in August 2022.