Ahead of this year’s London Fashion Week, Simon Wittenberg attends the exclusive launch of the second whisky release as part of the collaboration between Royal Salute and the acclaimed British fashion designer Richard Quinn.
Perched eight floors up in a private suite at The Standard hotel overlooking the St Pancras skyline in Central London, and in the company of fashion director journalist Zadrian Smith and TV personality June Sarpong, this was an apt setting for the unveiling of Royal Salute’s second expression in partnership with the renowned fashion designer Richard Quinn.
Hot on the heels of the release of the Royal Salute Couture Collection 21 Year Old Richard Quinn Edition last September, which featured white and black flagons with blue floral patterns, is the House of Quinn by Richard Quinn.
Limited to just 200 individually-numbered hand-blown decanters made from black Darlington crystal and finished with gold leaf, the recommended retail price tag has been set at US$12,000 (around £8,800).
Inside is a non-age statement whisky, but the blends are a minimum of 21 years old, with one being 31 years old – the age of the esteemed fashion personality.
Those lucky enough to try the spirit will be treated to a balanced floral flavour, which combines with oaky tones to reflect Richard’s elegant yet very understated style. There are hints of ripe fruit on the nose, such as mango, banana, apricot and orange, whilst the aroma delivers creamy vanilla fudge and a touch of cinnamon spice.
When it comes to the taste, there are luxurious notes of blossom honey, which are complemented with chocolate and hazelnut. Underlying this is a beautiful concoction of oak spice married with a subtle smokiness, which is enveloped by flavours of syrup-soaked peaches and smooth cream.
Each decanter is housed in a simple but eye-catching black box bearing Richard Quinn’s autograph in gold. In return for their investment, owners will also find a 100% silk pocket square graced with the same bespoke floral print boasting purple and blue hues that line the House of Quinn decanters.
The number 1 decanter is the reserve of BlockBar.com
The first numbered bottle in a new whisky collection is normally reserved for a distillery’s archives, so it is an extremely rare event that a brand gives up one of its most prized possessions to whisky aficionados.
Royal Salute has done just this for the House of Quinn by Richard Quinn release, and a non-fungible token (NFT) featuring the number 1 of 200 bottles has been dropped on BlockBar.com, the world’s first direct-to-consumer NFT marketplace for wines and spirits.
In simple terms, the way that BlockBar works in this new crypto era is that customers enter an online lobby with their virtual wallets, demonstrating that they have the funds to purchase such an item.
From those present, a participant is then picked at random to “win” the item. The lucky “winner” is then free to retain the product, such as the Royal Salute decanter, in their wallet (where the contents are visible to other BlockBar users) for as long as they want, retrieve the item in its physical form, have it stored at a Fort Knox location or re-sell it for financial gain.
The advantage of buying from BlockBar is that they only drop products that are acquired from brands themselves (rather than collectors), so the authenticity can always be traced back to a genuine source. For brands, BlockBar offers another valuable marketing channel to high-net-worth clients.
The remaining 199 decanters will be sold via luxury retailers worldwide and are expected to sell out quickly, especially in Asia.
Royal Salute House of Quinn – Where and How?
For more information on the latest release from Royal Salute, visit www.royalsalute.com.
For photos from the launch of the House of Quinn by Richard Quinn, take a look at Luxurious Magazine’s Instagram page.
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