French retailer La Maison du Whisky has published its Créations 2025 catalogue. The annual publication catalogues the whiskies and spirits bottled especially for La Maison du Whisky for the coming year.
Entitled Foundations (Fondations in French), the 2025 catalogue is themed around the architectural heritage behind the spirits world. In between previews of whisky bottlings is exclusive content, including archival plans, data, and illustrations from distilleries.
Thierry Bénitah is the director of La Maison du Whisky, which also publishes Whisky Magazine France and runs Whisky Live Paris. “In June 2023, a little group from La Maison du Whisky including myself was invited by Whisky Magazine to the Rothes Glen located in Speyside,” Bénitah explains. “We discovered that this castle had been built by Charles Doig, an architect famous for the so-called Doig Pagoda that you can find in many distilleries. He was an architect but also a pioneer who transformed, modernized and influenced many whisky distilleries (more than 50). From there we started to think of a theme combining the architecture and the origins.”
Bénitah and his team also drew inspiration from the significance of the year 2024. He says, “2024 was the 200th anniversary of many Scotch whisky distilleries. It was also the 90th anniversary of Nikka whisky and the 40th birthday of single barrel bourbon Blanton's. And finally, it was the 20th anniversary of Whisky Live Paris and the 20th anniversary of Whisky Magazine France and the 25th anniversary of Whisky Magazine UK.”
Doig’s work is honoured this year by La Maison du Whisky in its two Artists collections, which feature distilleries designed or influenced by Doig. The first Artists collection is named for Rothes Glen and features the art of Nigerian artist Victor Ekpuk, with whisky from Laphroaig, Highland Park, and Macallan, among others. Another Artists collection focuses on Benromach, which Doig designed in the late 19th century, paired with works of Swiss-born artist Logovarda.
“The idea is to give meaning to everything we do,” says Bénitah. “For example, the Artist Range Rothes Glen is a selection of six single malts from distilleries transformed by Charles Doig. We also had access to the original plans of the distilleries from Charles Doig featured in the catalogue.
“Another example is the Ex-Libris Range with labels named after the titles of novels from famous writers. This year, we selected three single casks from Old Potrero craft distillery in San Francisco. And for the novels, we selected the writer Jack London, born in San Francisco and famous for his books about wild nature.”
It is difficult for Bénitah to decide which whiskies he is most looking forward to seeing released — the catalogue is filled with worthy selections. One that stands out to Bénitah is a 20-year-old Bunnahabhain distilled in 2004, selected to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Whisky Live Paris. The dark-sherry, unpeated whisky has been bottled at cask strength, selected from the warehouse of Signatory Vintage.
Bénitah adds, “I could also mention a single cask from France in the Range Version Française called Blavier 2006, named after a type of still that has now disappeared. A very dark and complex single malt. Unique.”
Whiskies are not the only spirit featured in Foundations. A healthy selection of rums appears, including one with a particularly significant date to La Maison du Whisky. “One of the most unexpected rums is a Cuban Rum from 1956 with a label featuring a piece of art called Hoy Como Ayer from Cuban artist Aconcha,” says Bénitah. “Hoy Como Ayer” is also the name of a famous Cuban song from 1956 (from the Cuban singer Beni More). And 1956 is also the date of the foundation of La Maison du Whisky. The circle is complete!”
Departing Scotland, the Foundations catalogue charts the world whiskies that will join La Maison du Whisky’s ranks for 2025. Spotlighted is Chichibu Whisky’s Paris Edition 2024. An annual release since 2018, the Paris Edition this year has six labels which pair French and Japanese architectural icons, including Notre Dame de Paris and Kōkyo, the Tokyo Imperial Palace.
Foundations will be debuted at Whisky Live Paris 2024, which La Maison du Whisky has hosted since 2004. The event marks its 20th edition at the end of September, and has suitably celebratory plans, including the launch of the World Drinks Awards France.
To read Foundations, visit www.whisky.fr or access the digital version.
