The Macallan and Bentley Motors: Celebrate Partnership At Monterey Car Week

The House of The Macallan at Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week

Having taken place between August 11th through the 20th, this year’s Monterey Car Week turned out to be yet another successful iteration of the iconic California event. Coming from the hills of Speyside, Scotland, storied whisky brand The Macallan returned to the Monterey Car Week program. The Macallan has had a presence at the event for three years as a result of their partnership with Bentley Motors, but this was the first time guests were able to visit the House of The Macallan, bringing rare whisky into the automotive realm. The result was a perfectly paired match of the classic and the contemporary; in an event so saturated with style, craft, anticipation and aesthetic, The Macallan’s participation naturally became part of the fabric.

Bentley Motors annual private Beach Dinner at Seal Rock Beach during Monterey Car Week

The week of events included, The Quail Motorsports Gathering, the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance, Bentley’s annual private Beach Dinner at Seal Rock Beach and a Bentley Drive experience, which offered exclusive test drives of new releases with Bentley representatives. Once the cars were parked, we enjoyed an exclusive dinner with renowned Chef Thomas Keller and The French Laundry. That experience included Macallan whisky tastings, where guests were able to sample some of the maker’s classics before delving in deeper at the House of The Macallan.

The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell

In conversation with The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell, I learned more about the recent collaboration between The Macallan and Bentley Motors. Both iconic names in their own right, the two brands came together at Monterey Car Week, announcing the prototype of The Macallan Horizon, a limited edition single malt whisky set to be released in spring of next year. Surprising, refreshing and yet totally seamless, the collaboration makes perfect sense.

The Macallan Horizon prototype, on display at The House of The Macallan during Monterey Car Week.

As Kirsteen puts it, the partnership itself is what inspired the flavor and the new whisky, The Macallan’s Horizon. Alongside the creative team led by Jaume Ferras, Global Creative Director for The Macallan, the creative process was heavily influenced by a visit to Bentley’s facility, where she toured the various departments that work to build Bentley vehicles. Treating it like a sensory experience, she took in the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the facility, noting the impeccable attention to detail exhibited at every step of the manufacturing process.

Bentley Motors at The House of The Macallan during Monterey Car Week

The hands-on approach of the Bentley team reminded her of her own experience at The Macallan, and just like that, the idea for The Macallan Horizon began to take shape. Finding herself fascinated by the possibility of an automotive design brain thinking creatively about something as different as a bottle, she set the groundbreaking project into motion.

Close-up of The Macallan Horizon prototype, a limited edition single malt whisky

According to Kirsteen, the final design is very true to the original concept, down to the build and shape of the bottle. Meant to reference the horizontal, forward projecting direction of the automotive world, the bottle acts as a vessel for the whisky, but also for the stories, heritage, and legacy that joins these two starkly different yet subtly similar brands. While the whisky maker always hopes her product is sampled and enjoyed, she also understands the collector’s value of this latest piece. The Macallan Horizon was created to satisfy the palette but also to function as a work of art, whether enjoyed privately or set on display.

At The House of The Macallan during Monterey Car Week

While touring this year’s Monterey Сar Week events, I was able to stop by the House of The Macallan in person and learn more about the rich heritage behind the brand- it’s this shared respect for heritage that really bridges Bentley and The Macallan as partners. Stepping into The Macallan House, There, I had the opportunity to sample rare varieties of The Macallan whisky and view the prototype of The Macallan Horizon myself, which was astonishing against a backdrop celebrating the company’s nearly 200 years of operation. The Macallan boutique, Harmony Cafe and Speyside Bar were also on site, providing goods, drinks and light bites.

The Macallan Boutique at The House of The Macallan in Pebble Beach during Monterey Car Week.

While the Bentley x The Macallan collaboration was surprising at first, the thinking behind it became more and more evident as I learned more about The Macallan’s long history of craftsmanship. Both brands are as attached to their histories as they are to reaching new levels of innovation.

Bentley Motors and The Little Car Company's 'Blower Jnr’, a recreation of the 1929 4½-litre ... [+] Supercharged Team Car No. 2 in Bentley’s Heritage Collection.

Founded over a century ago, Bentley is a household name in motorsports, and usually carries a huge presence at Monterey Car Week. This year, the company announced two new releases- the spacious Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Mulliner luxury SUV and a re-creation of the 1929 Bentley Blower by the Little Car Company. The latter is the first Little Car Company vehicle to be designated road-legal, and was announced as an all-around urban car.

House of The Macallan during Monterey Car Week

While Monterey Car Week events never disappoint, the introduction of the House of The Macallan to the festivities was a remarkable addition to the mix. Taking the conversation slightly beyond the automotive world yet still touching on all the aspects that drive it, The Macallan x Bentley collaboration is re-defining the absolute best of both worlds.