In an ambitious luxury crossover, whisky, yachting, and design collide to create the new Philos by The Glenrothes, Studio Indigo, and Little Halstock. The result is a unique and impressive feat of engineering, with a 1969 Glenrothes at the front and centre.
Whisky has been reimagined as a luxury asset in recent years, and releases such as this truly amplify this sentiment. The question that the Philos sets out to answer (and solve) is: how can people enjoy rare and expensive whisky on yachts without fear of spillage?
The Philos. Image credit: James Reeve
The Case of Philos
Philos is presented in a spherical case, reminiscent of ancient armillary spheres. An armillary sphere is a model of objects in the sky on the celestial sphere that was used in maritime navigation. The aluminium case is hand-painted with blues and greens to evoke images of the sea.
The case is set at a 23.5-degree angle, identical to the rotational axis of the Earth, showing the attention to detail that went into creating this unique work of art. The sphere is also reminiscent of a drinks globe, bringing an air of luxury and dramatisation to the release.
An armillary sphere.
The Engineering Behind Philos
Not only is the case beautiful to look at, but it hides some high-calibre engineering. The case opens by pushing back the interlocking leaves and inside is a four-way gimbal that securely houses the decanter of Glenrothes 1969 Demijohn. The gimbal mechanism allows the bottle to remain upright even when travelling over rolling waves.
If you fancy a dram of the Glenrothes 1969, you can invert the bottle by hand and then lock it into place with a unique key. On top of the bottleneck is a 50ml optic, which is filled with the spirit once an aluminium bezel has been twisted, setting off a hidden mechanism that decants whisky into the optic. The bezel encases a 132-year-old compass from Edinburgh and always points towards Rothes, the home of Glenrothes Distillery. The whisky then flows through a hidden pipe into a glass which is held in the base of the sculpture. The whisky itself is some of the rarest ever produced by The Glenrothes.
The Glenrothes 1969 Demijohn
Although there is older whisky available from Glenrothes, the Glenrothes 1969 Demijohn is some of the rarest whisky that has ever been released by the distillery. Only six of these Demijohns are available, making the run extremely limited.
Adding to the rarity and value of the whisky is the stunning engineering and artistry that helped to create the Philos.
The Collaboration Behind Philos
This remarkable piece of art, engineering, and whisky was made through a collaboration between The Glenrothes, Little Halstock, and Studio Indigo.
Studio Indigo is an interior design firm based in London, curating beautiful and functional spaces in homes, commercial spaces, and even on yachts. Prior to the creation of Philos, Studio Indigo was helping Glenrothes redevelop Rothes House, the guesthouse on the distillery grounds. The idea for Philos came about through this working relationship, and the idea for the gimbal device was thought up by Anna Lisa Stone, head of creative at The Glenrothes.
Studio Indigo was vital in bringing the design to life, with a focus on the maritime aspects of the design, such as the links to navigation by the stars, the colours that bring the sphere to life, and the topographical map of Glenrothes that serves as the base for the sphere.
The Glenrothes Philos combines elements of whisky, design, engineering, and luxury yachting.
A team of craftspeople at Little Halstock was commissioned to build the globe for the Philos, the design for which drew inspiration from armillary spheres and antique drinks globes. However, using metal instead of traditional wood gave the piece a more futuristic feel.
The name Philos was chosen for Philo of Byzantium, who first described the gimbal in the 3rd century BC, and is believed to have had a hand in its invention. The naming of the Philos for a Greek engineer and physicist also calls back to ancient times when devices such as celestial spheres were used for navigation.
The Glenrothes Philos is a fusion of three industries as well as ancient and contemporary imagery and is Glenrothes’s most luxurious release to date. Now, whisky connoisseurs can safely sail with their expensive Glenrothes, comfortable in the knowledge that the whisky is safe. It begs the question as to what Glenrothes might do next.
