5 Luxury Car Companies That Love High-End Whiskey

5 Luxury Car Companies That Love High-End Whiskey

High-end British car makers have developed a fondness for whisky, with luxury brands like Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, McLaren, and Morgan partnering with top distillers to release special limited-edition offerings. The latest collaboration is The Macallan Horizon, a striking $50,000 single malt scotch created with Bentley Motors.

The Macallan Horizon With Bentley Motors

The Macallan Horizon With Bentley Motors is a collaboration where The Macallan’s master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell visited Bentley’s bespoke vehicle facility in Crewe, England. This venture inspired Campbell to incorporate Bentley’s craftsmanship into a whisky, capturing the essence of Bentley through sensory experiences such as the smell of woodshop and the feel of knurling on switchgear. The result, a non-age-statement whisky at 46.6% ABV, was derived from sampling numerous casks from The Macallan Estate, focusing on flavors rather than age. The selected blend came from six first-fill sherry-seasoned casks, reflecting notes of polished wood, leathers, and raw wood aromas. The bottle’s design also echoes Bentley’s craftsmanship, featuring materials used in Bentley vehicles and a horizontal positioning to evoke movement. With only 700 bottles available at an SRP of $50,000, Horizon offers a rich, complex tasting experience with flavors of sherry, candied orange peel, buttered toffee, and a long, intricate finish.

Bowmore 22 Year Old Aston Martin Master’s Selection Scotch Whisky (Edition 3)

Bowmore Distillery’s 22 Year Old Aston Martin Master’s Selection, now in its third edition, is a collaboration that reflects over 240 years of tradition. This 51.5% ABV whisky is matured in a combination of European Oak, Oloroso Sherry, and American Oak hogsheads. The distillery, known for its use of floor-malted barley and water from the peaty Laggan River, has teamed up with Aston Martin’s chief creative officer Marek Reichman and Bowmore master blender Ron Welsh for this series. The tasting experience reveals lively sherry, rich peat, ripe banana, butterscotch, and citrus notes on the nose, followed by a creamy, silky palate with sherry sweetness, peat, nutty toffee, cocoa, and salted caramel. The finish is extensive, featuring aged oak spice and briny seawater notes. Priced at $400, this exceptional pour has received a 94-point rating from the tasting panel.

Coachbuilt Whisky X Rolls-Royce London 30 Year Old

Coachbuilt Whisky X Rolls-Royce London 30 Year Old is a blend of ultra-aged malt and grain whiskies, with some components aged up to 35 years, primarily in sherry casks. Launched by whisky writer George Koutaskis and former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, Coachbuilt Whisky draws inspiration from the bespoke craftsmanship of luxury cars like Rolls-Royce. This 46% ABV whisky, available in 3,000 bottles at an SRP of $1,900, offers a sophisticated blend of rich flavors. Half of the production is exclusively available to Rolls-Royce London clients, while the rest can be purchased through Coachbuilt’s website.

Jack Daniel’s McLaren Edition

Jack Daniel’s McLaren Edition is a special release celebrating the partnership between Jack Daniel’s and McLaren’s Formula 1 team. Featuring McLaren’s Papaya Orange design and iconic swoop logo, this 40% ABV whisky retains the traditional Jack Daniel’s sour mash profile. Though the whisky itself remains unchanged, the limited-edition bottle, available in 2,000 cases at an SRP of $45, has found significant commercial success, particularly in markets with a strong Formula 1 following.

Morgan Motors’ Balvenie Morgan

The Morgan Motors’ Balvenie Morgan is a bespoke four-seater vehicle created by William Grant & Sons, owners of Balvenie, in collaboration with Morgan Motors. Designed by Balvenie’s malt master David Stewart and Morgan’s head of design John Wells, this hand-built car features ash wood, aluminum, and leather. Auctioned in 2020 for $40,000, with proceeds aiding hospitality workers affected by the Covid pandemic, the vehicle also included a VIP tour of the Morgan factory and a curated selection of rare Balvenie whiskies. This unique offering follows a previous collaboration in 2018, where a custom Morgan was sold with a selection of Balvenie whiskies and a tour of the Balvenie Distillery.