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What Happens When One Of The World’s Most Sought-After Whisky Brands Enters A Design Event?

Something very cool, that's what.
  • ByTeam The Word.

Content creators Rizwan Bachav, Shrima Rai, entrepreneur Aishwarya Bhende, and Creative and PR Strategy for Design POV, Siddhi H. Dolas at The Macallan Tasting Experience

The spirit of the finest flavours came alive, last month, as the prestigious single malt scotch whisky brand, The Macallan, hosted a special tasting evening in Mumbai. This closed-door sensory experience was held at the Design POV 2026 event, a platform that brings together architects, artists, designers, brands, and creative thinkers to explore the role of design beyond objects and interiors. And The Word. Magazine joined in to learn more about the notes, history, and flavours of the whiskies, in the company of the city’s tastemakers.

Founded in Scotland in 1824, The Macallan has built a reputation for craftsmanship and sensory storytelling. Every expression is designed to be experienced through layers of aroma, colour, texture, taste, and memory—an approach that resonated strongly with Design POV’s own philosophy.

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The Macallan presented their much-loved whiskys at Design POV 2026, from The Harmony Collection
to the Macallan 15 and Macallan 18
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The Word. Magazine Editor-in-Chief Nandini Bhalla at The Macallan Tasting Experience
at Design POV 2026 in Mumbai

The collaboration came to life through an invitation-only evening, centred around Design POV’s special arena called ‘The Circle’, where an installation was displayed titled Shared Frequencies. Created by Doyel Joshi and Neil Ghose Balser of ‘How Are You Feeling Studio” in collaboration with Saurabh Suryan of ‘Fourthreefive’, the installation was conceived as an open environment for conversation, exchange, and collaboration.

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Co-founder of Design POV, Gagan Bhatia at the whisky tasting
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'The Circle' was designed by Doyel Joshi and Neil Ghose Balser of ‘How Are You Feeling Studio’ and
Saurabh Suryan of ‘Fourthreefive’
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The Macallan Brand Ambassador, Karandeep Arora took guests through a tasting session of whiskys

Guests moved through a guided tasting hosted by The Macallan Brand Ambassador Karandeep Arora. The journey began with The Harmony Collection Vibrant Oak, offering notes of fragrant pear, vanilla, and toasted coconut, before progressing to the Double Cask 15 Years Old, layered with baked apple, butterscotch, nutmeg, and dried fruits. The tasting culminated with the Sherry Oak 18 Years Old, revealing richer notes of dried orange, cinnamon, and dark chocolate. 

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Manprit Minhaas and Teena Ahuja at The Macallan Tasting Experience
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Dior India Communications and PR, Sudiksha Joshi in attendance

The Macallan Classic Cut 2023, with notes of pear, elderflower, vanilla pod, and almond biscotti, was served as part of a cocktail experience. And in what became the evening’s most unexpectedly lovely touch, guests were invited to create personalised potpourri sachets inspired by the flavour notes they’d encountered. Taking the sensory experience home, quite literally.

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Content creator Akshita Chandwani and entrepreneur Rahul Kakkad

What stayed with us was the underlying idea: that design and whisky-making are, at their core, the same discipline. Both are about detail. Both are about atmosphere. And both, when done well, create experiences that people talk about long after the evening ends.

All images: Courtesy Design POV/The Macallan India