
The first release in The Glenlivet Eternal Collection is a fifty-five year old whisky housed in a purposefully simple decanter and a delicately detailed stand. The combination has been designed in collaboration with computational artist Michael Hansmeyer to reflect both the simplicity and complexity of scotch whisky, and The Glenlivet itself.
I spoke to The Glenlivet team and Hansmeyer to find out more about the release, and what we can expect in the future from The Eternal Collection.
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The Eternal Collection, First Edition 55-Year-Old
The Glenlivet 55 Year Old is the inaugural release in The Eternal Collection. There are five annual releases planned, with each edition a year older. The First Edition, 55 Year Old is available from select retailers for $55,000. There is also a 1 of 1 version that is a completely unique whisky and presentation that was sold via auction last month and raised over $66,000 (£52,500) for charity.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to the launch party for the 55-year-old and try the whisky for myself. The 200-years-old anniversary event was hosted in The Glenlivet stillhouse, in the heart of Speyside, and what better setting to sample whisky, so of course it tasted fantastic.
After the event I spoke to Jayne Murphy, Global Marketing Director of The Glenlivet to discuss the new series in more detail. “This marks the beginning of a truly special and unique series of highly aged and incredibly precious single malt scotch whiskies,” Murphy explained.
“Each edition in the collection will be accompanied by an original art piece, designed by a visionary artist, representing an additional layer of creativity and craftsmanship. We wanted to create something that people will treasure for years to come, and The Eternal Collection is just that – combining the worlds of pioneering art and whisky.”
It’s a bold statement and they have created a stunning whisky to match. Kevin Balmforth, The Glenlivet Cask Master, shared his process for deciding when such an important release was ready.
“This whisky really is the absolute pinnacle of The Glenlivet portfolio and our team of cask experts, past and present, have been carefully monitoring it for decades to get the timing spot on. There’s a very delicate balance here that’s not just about the number of years the whisky has aged, but the character it’s developed over time.”
The Art Of Scotch
“My role is to constantly supervise the whisky as it matures to assess the flavor profile, complexity and balance, ” explained Balmforth, and his role as Cask Master is at the heart of the pure, whisky making side of things. “When it reaches a point where these elements harmoniously marry together, that’s when it’s ready. For the 55 Year Old, this resulted in a complex and distinct finish that is deliberately long so every moment of this precious whisky can be savored.”
While those like Balmforth, who are inside the whisky industry, focus on flavor, profile, and craftsmanship, artists—whether photographers, architects, or designers—bring a different perspective to the process. They view whisky as a concept, offering an interpretation that’s outside the norm. With a background in fine art from long before I got involved in whisky, I am eternally fascinated with the dynamics of art collaborations within the scotch whisky industry.
For the first edition of the Eternal Collection The Glenlivet has collaborated with Michael Hansmeyer, a computational architect by trade. It’s an intriguing choice, as he’s neither a traditional artist nor a luxury brand, which is what I might initially have expected from a hero release like the 55 year old.
“Innovation is also at the heart of Michael Hansmeyer’s unique approach; he too has a pioneering spirit where he merges traditional craftsmanship with technology and continuously pushes boundaries in form and design,” Murphy elaborated on their choice and the way Hansmeyer’s work reflects The Glenlivet’s ethos. “Our partnership with Michael resulted in his creation of highly original and intricate art pieces, which reflects and stands alongside the craftsmanship at the heart of our most ambitious whisky expression yet.”
Michael Hansmeyer And The Eternal Collection
Hansmeyer’s presentation chose to reflect a vision of the deceptive simplicity of whisky making and the valley where the distillery is situated. The display he has created illustrates how these external interpretations drive innovation and push the brand forward. As well as hearing from The Glenlivet team I was fortunate to get to ask Hansmeyer himself some questions on the process of working on the momentous project.
“I had the pleasure of flying up to Scotland to visit The Glenlivet Distillery very early on in the partnership. During my time there, I saw the full process of making the 55 Year Old whisky. I found it fascinating how it only takes such a simple set of ingredients to really create something so complex and open to individual interpretation like the flavor of The Glenlivet whisky. The degree of complexity, despite the simplicity of the process and the inputs, is where I could draw on parallels and similarities to my work.”
It is this almost deceptive simplicity that Hansmeyer focused on for the bottle that he’s created to house the 55-year-old whisky. “The simplicity was the bottle shape, which turned into something very magical, designed to perfectly complement the complex liquid contained within. It comes back to this idea of taking something very simple, that is open to interpretation, and then evolving it into something so much more.”
For the sculpture that houses the bottle Hansmeyer turned to the surroundings of the Speyside distillery. The computer generated complexity of the creation cleverly juxtaposes the simple elegance of the bottle itself.
“On my visit to Scotland, I witnessed firsthand the beauty of the Speyside countryside, including the Livet Valley—where The Glenlivet was born. The sculpture which accompanies the Eternal Collection, First Edition, 55 Year Old mirrors this natural beauty.”
The 200th Anniversary Edition
A 1 of 1 version of The Glenlivet 55 Year Old has also been created to mark the 200th Year Anniversary Edition. The presentation of this special bottle also involved Hansmeyer. The simple decanter itself was elevated with precious metals and jewels while the computational side of his design has also been elevated. For this bespoke piece a gold plated sculpture sits upon a green quartzite plinth. The whisky itself is different from the standard offering, with a unique ABV, and the successful bidders are also invited to The Glenlivet for a “once in a lifetime whisky experience.”
The November sale marked the beginning of a new partnership between Sotheby’s and Chivas Brothers, The Glenlivet’s parent company. The partnership will be presenting a series of special releases from the distillery so we can look forward to more iconic and bespoke bottles from Chivas Brothers’ portfolio of distilleries.
Whatever your feelings about statement bottles like the First Edition or Anniversary 1-of-1, I do think that this is the way the market is going. Scotch is no longer a product that is just for drinking. At its core it will remain a product that is consumable, but as the global market for scotch has grown it has evolved into something larger than the sum of its three simple ingredients. The scotch whisky market supports, both directly and indirectly, a huge number of jobs in Scotland and is 2% of all UK goods exports. As a significant market for the UK and with global fans it is important that it maintains and grows. Collaborations can do that by building brands and introducing whisky to new audiences.

Halo bottles like The Glenlivet 55-Year-Old are key to making connections. They draw out conversations around more than just the drink, and by involving artists and brands from different spheres can also introduce new drinkers to the complex yet simple world of scotch whisky.