Launched in 2011, La Maison du Whisky’s Artist range is a curated gallery of exceptional cask-strength whiskies, primarily sourced from the storied distilleries of Scotland. Each year, the collection’s labels are reimagined by a rotating cast of visual artists, bridging the gap between fine art and rare spirits. For its fifteenth edition, the range embarks on a journey to Islay in a prestigious collaboration with Elixir Distillers.

Founded by the Singh brothers in 1999, Elixir Distillers has long been synonymous with the "Queen of the Hebrides," a bond immortalized through their Elements of Islay and Port Askaig ranges. This connection has deepened into a permanent legacy with the construction of their own distillery, Portintruan, on Islay's rugged southern coast. Titled Something in the Water—a nod to one of Sukhinder Singh’s favorite songs—this edition celebrates the intangible magic that flows through the island’s unique water sources and peat bogs.

Exploring a comprehensive spectrum of peated profiles, Artist #15 features the evocative work of North Indian artist Radhika Surana. Her indigo-dyed textiles, adorned with meticulous embroidery, act as dreamlike cartography. Like abstract maps, her designs trace imaginary paths across Islay’s wild landscapes, mirroring the intricate and deeply layered whiskies within the bottles.

Tracing its lineage back to 1815, this iconic distillery has weathered a turbulent history—from its silent years following a 1981 closure to its phoenix-like rebirth in 1989. After being acquired by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 and subsequently the LVMH group in 2004, the site underwent a massive transformation, culminating in a 2021 expansion that doubled its production capacity to four stills.

This Ardbeg bottling captures the spirit in an exceptionally complex light. The depth of the distillate is most vividly revealed in the "empty glass" test, where the dried extracts leave behind a lingering, haunting trail of soot and peat smoke intertwined with succulent mango and rich, buttery toffee.