In the world of luxury spirits, rarely has an object embodied so much more than a simple container. Philos, created by the distillery The Glenrothes in collaboration with the designers Studio Indigo and the artisans of Little Halstock, is this type of object, sculpture, mechanism, case intended to honor one of the rarest whiskies of the house: the Demijohn 1969.
Founded in 1879 in Speyside, the beating heart of Scotch whisky, The Glenrothes has established itself as a unique distillery through its patient and meticulous approach. Unlike many houses that communicate on age in years, Glenrothes has long preferred the concept of “vintages”: highlighting the year of distillation, as one would for a grand cru, in order to underline the unique character of each harvest. This philosophy, focused on long time and precision of aromas, has forged an identity where elegance, complexity and balance are the key words.
Over the decades, the distillery has built a reputation for understated refinement, producing single malts prized by discerning connoisseurs and prestigious blenders alike. Today, The Glenrothes continues to embody this quest for authenticity and craftsmanship, blending Speyside tradition with contemporary creative boldness.
The whisky: Demijohn 1969
A legendary distillation
July 31 1969, as humanity first set foot on the Moon, The Glenrothes placed a cask that would become legendary in its Speyside cellars. This liquid, nourished by the Scottish air and carefully selected wood, would rest for more than four decades in the silence of the warehouses.
44 years of maturation
Durant 44 years, the whisky has patiently aged in oak barrels, absorbing the aromas of wood, dried fruits, spices and sherry. But time, relentless, always threatens to impregnate the liquid with too much of the wood's tannins. To protect this rarity beyond reason, the cellar masters have chosen an exceptional method: transferring the whisky to glass demijohns, large airtight bottles, in order to stop the process of contact with the wood while preserving the purity and aromatic freshness.
A unicorn in the world of whisky
This whisky is not only old, it is out of time. Choosing to preserve it in glass ensures that it will never change again, that it will remain frozen in its state of perfect balance. It is this timelessness that makes it so precious: a moment from 1969, captured forever. This is why this drink is called a “unicorn whisky,” literally, a unicorn whisky, not only for its extreme rarity, but for its effect: “ One of those whiskies that stops you in your tracks, then haunts you with the knowledge that you may never see it again. »(Laura Rampling, Master Whiskey Maker of The Glenrothes)
This is indeed a whisky of absolute rarity: only six bottles were filled, each containing about three liters of this nectar. The Demijohn 1969 is therefore not a commercial whisky: it is a collector's item, reserved for a privileged few and, from now on, protected by the mechanical case of Philos.
Aromatic profile (as described by the distillery)
- Nose : ripe tropical fruits (mango, pineapple), dark honey, hint of tobacco.
- appetizer : silky, enveloping, with notes of dried fruits, marmalade and Christmas spices.
- Final : endless, rich in candied fruits and woody sweetness.
Philos: the object, the intention, the experience
The challenges were multiple: protecting the whisky, serving it safely at sea, offering a ritual, a ceremony worthy of this rarity, blending aesthetics, engineering, craftsmanship, and theater. Philos is a decanting-gimbal (decanting gimbal) housed in a protective spherical casing, consisting of six articulated "leaves", a bit like mechanical petals, which close the sphere. The entire structure is made of finely worked aluminum.
The hand-blown crystal bottle (Portugal) contains 70 cl of this Demijohn 1969 whisky, suspended in a four-axis gimbal system, so that it remains perfectly stable despite the rolling of the boat.
To serve, the process is both mechanical and ceremonial:
– The box is opened by spreading the leaves.
– The bottle is turned over by hand, locked with a secret key.
– A glass is held at the mouth of the bottle.
– We are shooting a aluminum bezel around a antique compass (made in Edinburgh in 1891) which is recessed into the base. By rotating this bezel, a system of hidden cogs is activated to load a 50 ml dosing chamber.
– The whisky then flows through a hidden tube, to appear in a secure glass, also positioned in the base, incorporated into the topographical patterns of the latter.
This object does not use any electrical or pneumatic power; everything is purely mechanical.
Another striking detail: the sphere is inclined 23,5°, an angle equal to the Earth's axis of rotation. This nod to navigation, the stars, the sky, reinforces the link between sea, cosmos, whisky, travel.
Craftsmanship, design and partners: a multi-handed work
Studio Indigo, the imagination of the open sea
Based in London, Studio Indigo is a design firm renowned for its holistic approach to luxury spaces, from private residences to bespoke yachts. Their role in Philos was not just to "design a beautiful object," but to tell a coherent story : that of a whisky designed to be enjoyed at sea, in a changing, sometimes theatrical environment.
They transposed their know-how from the yachting : fluid lines, references to celestial navigation (such as the 23,5° inclination that recalls the Earth's axis), a color palette evoking the marine depths. Their work gives Philos an identity that goes beyond the simple container: a narrative object, both sculpture and travel instrument.
Little Halstock, the hand of artisans
In Dorset, England, Little Halstock is a rare, almost secretive house, specializing in the design of unique pieces for an ultra-demanding clientele. Custom-made furniture, boxes, art objects: each creation emerges from their workshops like a piece of haute couture applied to wood, metal, or the finest composites.
For Philos, Little Halstock provided the material manufacturing of the whole, from the protective sphere to the invisible mechanisms. Their expertise is seen in the finesse of the assemblies, in the manual painting of the hull in blue-green gradients, but above all in the care given to the purely artisanal mechanics. No motor, no electronics: only gears, cogs, a perfect balance of weight and balance. Their expertise transforms a concept into tangible and functional object, where each detail, hinge, lock, key, bezel, has been thought of as a work in itself.
The Glenrothes, the vision of Anna Lisa Stone
At the heart of this project, the creative voice is that ofAnna Lisa Stone, Head of Creative at The Glenrothes. His mission: not only to preserve an extremely rare whisky, but offer an experienceShe set out the specifications which combine several imperatives:
- Protect the exceptional liquid from the Demijohn 1969
- Create a tasting ritual worthy of this rarity
- To give whisky a spectacular and functional case, capable of traveling at sea
Under his leadership, Philos has become more than an object: a mechanical theaterEvery gesture—opening the petals, turning the key, operating the compass—is a staging designed to celebrate the moment of service. She has brought together designers and artisans around a clear vision: to make Philos a bridge between Scottish tradition, contemporary art, and timeless engineering.
Philos as a collectible, a ritual
Philos goes beyond a simple whisky container: it is a collector's item, a prestigious object, a conversation piece. It is designed for a particular use (at sea), but also to be displayed and admired. The materiality, the weight, the gesture of opening, the lock, the unlocking, the pouring with the key, everything contributes to a ritual. It will undoubtedly be especially suitable for extreme enthusiasts, collectors, users of private yachts... but also for those who like it when a whisky tells a story, a technique, a mythology.
Philo of Byzantium: the engineer who tamed chaos
Imagine Byzantium in the 3rd century BC: a cosmopolitan city, buffeted by the winds of the Black Sea and crossed by the influences of Athens, Alexandria, and Rhodes. This is where Philo, which we will later nickname Mechanicus, as he devoted his life to understanding and perfecting the workings of mechanics.
We imagine him as a child, fascinated by the ships rocking in the port, the amphorae rolling on the decks, and this haunting question: How to provide stability in a changing world? This curiosity accompanied him to Alexandria, the intellectual capital of the time, where scholars, philosophers, astronomers, and mathematicians rubbed shoulders. In the galleries of the great library, Philo immersed himself in the writings of Archimedes and Ctesibius, but did not just read: he experimented.
He builds models, manipulates air and water, observes how pressure can set a metal arm in motion, how a fluid can trigger a mechanism. His workshops are as much laboratories as they are theaters: we see automatons that come to life on their own, fountains that sing, war machines that launch projectiles further and more accurately than ever before.
But his most poetic invention, perhaps his most lasting, is also his simplest: an inkwell suspended in concentric circles. Thanks to this device, ancestor of the gimbal modern, the ink did not spill, whatever the angle of the support. Behind this domestic detail hides a genius: Philo knew that the art of the engineer is not only to build weapons, but also to make everyday life safer, more stable, more fluid.
From his great treatise, the Mechanikè Syntaxis, only fragments have come down to us, but enough to glimpse a curious, methodical and visionary mind. His texts nourished Hero of Alexandria and other engineers, extending his legacy into the Renaissance, and even today in the most contemporary objects, such as the Philos from Glenrothes, which takes up his idea of perfect suspension.
Philo of Byzantium was one of those who, long before the modern era, thought that man could tame disorder through mechanicsBetween science and poetry, he embodies the eternal obsession: to seek balance, even in the heart of tumult.
Why this reminder of the past is significant
The choice of this name and this principle (the gimbal) for Philos is not nostalgia, but a perspective: connecting ancient engineering with contemporary art, the idea of stability – protection – precise measurement, all of this finds in Philo a rich source of inspiration. The very old whisky (1969), the classic-contemporary design, the measured gesture, all of this comes together in a kind of symphony between past and present.
Philos is part of the spirits-as-object trend, not just a liquid. Luxury isn't just about taste, but also about the experience, the decor, and the rarity of the object. In this sense, The Glenrothes with Philos brings together all these elements: whisky, design, yachting luxury, and a prestigious object. It's comparable to artistic collaborations (bottles with designers), but here, we go further: the object is intended to become a museum piece, an art object.
Philos is not just an accessory or a whisky container, but a bridge, between history (Philo of Byzantium), the heritage of a century-old distillery, and the contemporary art of design and engineering. It embodies a vision: not to consume aged whisky, but to celebrate what it represents: time, matter, gesture, in a perfectly balanced whole, capable of defying the rolling of a yacht and the chaos of the modern world.
The Glenrothes signs a new chapter in its history with the installation of its residence PHILOS to the legendary Maybourne Riviera. Perched on the rocky peninsula of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, this exceptional palace, a member of the world's hotel elite, becomes the Mediterranean setting for a unique object in the world. In the cozy intimacy of its suites and panoramic terraces, PHILOS transforms the tasting of the mythical Demijohn 1969 into a true sensory opera, where the technical rigor of Speyside meets thelifestyle azure.
This ephemeral residence, inaugurated during the prestigious Monaco Yacht Show 2025, embodies the avant-garde vision of The Glenrothes: to place its whiskies in iconic locations on the luxury planet, to offer an elite of connoisseurs not just a tasting, but a moment of eternity.
Ema Lynnx
Photos: James Reeve
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