Whisky and art pairing launches in Harrods

A collection of rare whisky paired with contemporary art is to go on display at Harrods following an exclusive partnership deal.

Harrods has launched the second series of a collection of contemporary art paired unique whisky

McLean’s Artist Malts, which offers a collectible series of limited edition Scotch malt whiskies which have been uniquely bottled for contemporary artists, selected the famed London department store as the exclusive retailer for its second series.

Founded by Liam McLean, the company selects whiskies from a number of Scottish distilleries before putting them through a second period of maturation, a process the artists are involved in.

“From concept through to completion, every artist imparts their own unique style to the project,” said McLean. “The results are artist editions unlike any other, playing on sight, smell, touch, sound and, of course, taste.”

The second series of McLean’s Artist Malts sees whisky paired with work by Canadian artists Rodney Graham and 2013 Turner Prize winner Laure Prouvost.

Work by both artists has been paired with a 21-year-old Auchentoshan Scotch whisky aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, which has then undergone a second maturation in Sherry casks.

Nick Fleming, wine and spirits buyer for Harrods, said: “I see a similar discipline behind the creation of both great whisky and art whereby craftsmen and women dedicate themselves to produce works to be discussed, evaluated and of course enjoyed.

“These strong, witty and relevant pieces are matched with liquid of real calibre and are aimed to attract a cross over audience interested in contemporary and modern works.”

Customers can buy the whisky and a photographic self-portrait by Graham for £3,600, while Laure Prouvost’s offering is a multimedia installation and is priced at £3,000.

Both editions, of which there are only 35 of each available, will be displayed until the 12 April in The Wine Rooms, in Harrods, and are restricted to one purchase per customer.