In this year’s Best of the Best, we continue to honour the brands and people who have continued to create covetable products, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Here, we have The Balvenie x Royal Selangor win ‘best crossover’ in the wine and spirits category
Brands like The Balvenie have long capitalised on the idea of craftsmanship. As distillers of fine single malt since 1892, The Balvenie maintains the whisky’s well-loved essential character through the hands of dedicated craftsmen, from the farmers and malt men to the coopers and malt master.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – it’s one thing to look at a beautiful dram of whisky and another to see it through the eyes of another visionary artist. But The Balvenie doesn’t keep everything in-house for tradition’s sake. Last December, the distillery turned to Royal Selangor, the biggest pewter manufacturer in the world. Forget gold or silver for a while. When it comes to metals and collectibles, pewter more than holds its own. Its value lies in its appearance – the luxury of its soft gleam, strong simplicity and patina. And at Royal Selangor, one would find over 250 skilled craftsmen and a 40-strong in-house design team sharing the same passion as The Balvenie – the passion for craftsmanship.
As part of The Balvenie’s Handcrafted By campaign, this coming together was a first of its kind. The result was a limited-edition collector’s box made from a gorgeous walnut wood and handmade pewter made with Royal Selangor’s signature hand-hammered finish. Each box, which took six days to complete (a true reflection of attention to detail and skill), is given a unique serial number and houses three of The Balvenie’s rarest and finest single malts; any three expressions that are 30 years and above, and with a minimum value purchase of £41,800 (S$77,157).
Only 15 sets have been made exclusively available to high-net-worth individuals in Singapore and Malaysia.
