Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Year Old Scotch Whisky is whisky as botanical art: a collaboration between Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation, and Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto, built on the Japanese concept of shinra bansho — the celebration of the natural world. The 23-year-old Highland single malt, distilled in 1998, married ex-bourbon-cask spirit with a pocket finished in French oak ex-Chardonnay casks from Meursault, Burgundy — the first Chardonnay casks ever used at Glenmorangie. Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof), non-chill filtered, in a 700mL bottle. Makoto's response was a living sculpture, Shinra Bansho, exhibited at London's Saatchi Gallery. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 92 proof (46% ABV), non-chill filtered, natural colour
- Size: 700mL
- Age: 23 years (distilled 1998)
- Casks: ex-bourbon + French oak ex-Chardonnay (Meursault, Burgundy) finish
- Collaboration: Dr Bill Lumsden × botanical artist Azuma Makoto
- Origin: Glenmorangie Distillery, Highlands, Scotland
Shinra Bansho in a Bottle
After a Highland walk with Lumsden, Makoto built a botanical sculpture from flora native to both Scotland and Japan — tree bark, moss, roots, blooms — while Lumsden dug out a pocket of 1998 spirit he'd tucked into Burgundy white-wine casks back in 2006. The whisky drinks like the sculpture looks: fragrant, layered, alive. Lemon balsam, honeysuckle and damson float over roasted chestnuts and sourdough, with a darker, woodier depth than the 18-year-old this collaboration followed. Browse the Glenmorangie collection, explore more Scotch whisky, and shop the full whiskey shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
A rich, heady nose: syrupy fruits — peach, pineapple, damson, plum — then burning oak bark, roasting chestnuts, baking sourdough and damp forest floor, with orchids and vinous notes with water. The palate is rich, sweet and waxy: lemon balsam, honeycomb, poached pears, a dusting of cocoa. The finish lingers, mellow, with eucalyptus, lemon and toasty oak.
How to Enjoy
This is a contemplative pour: neat in a tulip glass, small sips, no rush. If you must mix, do it the Highland way — a drop of still water, never ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Azuma Makoto?
A renowned Japanese botanical artist known for dramatic floral sculptures — he once launched a bonsai into space and plunged bouquets into the ocean.
Why is this Glenmorangie special?
It's the distillery's first-ever bottling finished in Chardonnay white-wine casks (from Meursault, Burgundy), and only the second Lumsden × Makoto collaboration.
What does 'shinra bansho' mean?
A Japanese concept celebrating the natural world and all it encompasses — the theme uniting both the whisky and Makoto's sculpture.
Find the Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Year Old at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a collector's piece that drinks as beautifully as it looks.