Esteemed whisky maker Dhavall Gandhi is supporting this year's Distillers One of One charity auction of unique Scotch whiskies and experiences with the first whisky from his own company, Kandoblanc.
The company's name is a portmanteau of 'kando', a Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of satisfaction and excitement that are prompted by viewing something beautiful, and 'blanc', French for white, which has connotations of purity and brilliance.
As his lot for the Distillers One of One auction Gandhi has submitted Kandoblanc's first whisky, Aga, which is named after his son. The word is also synonymous with 'mountain' in historical Indian Ayurvedic texts.
Aga is presented in a unique decanter that blends Italian battuto glass, a style covered with indentations to represent hammered metal, and the Japanese art of kintsugi, in which cracked ceramics are repaired with lacquer and gold.
The whisky inside the decanter, chosen by Gandhi, is a combination of Highland and Speyside malts that were distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2023.
Gandhi began his career in Scotch whisky with The Macallan before joining The Lakes Distillery in northern England as its whisky maker in 2016. He left The Lakes in 2022 to pursue solo projects, including the launch of his own creative studio.
Gandhi said: "I believe in the art of duality and have a passion for art and whisky. At Kandoblanc our goal is to create individual objects, which are one-off art pieces, never to be repeated. Each object is a celebration of cultural diversity and creative influences.
"Following the launch of the first one-of-a-kind object we will be creating limited-edition pieces and will be collaborating with artists and designers for rarity and exclusivity."
The 2023 Distillers One of One auction is organised by the Distillers Charity (part of the Worshipful Company of Distillers) and auction house Sotheby's and will see unique Scotch whiskies and experiences auctioned for youth charities in Scotland. The sale is taking place on Thursday 5 October at Hopetoun House.
