The Aodh I appreciate your trust in my translation abilities, but I must be transparent: I do not have sufficient expertise in Buginese (Basa Ugi) to provide the accurate, professional-grade translation this design competition content requires. Buginese is a low-resource language with limited translation resources, and providing an inaccurate translation for professional A' Design Award materials could be harmful.

Press Kit

Unique Properties

A whiskey of near-mythical rarity, The Aodh is an ultra-rare, limited release of just 88 bottles that bring together taste, immersion, technology, and a bottle of futuristic brilliance. A dance of cask, time and skill to craft a whiskey of daring character, presented in a bottle that draws on technological innovation to elevate and astound.

Personal and meaningful, The Aodh's bottle is held in an innovative electronic exo-display unit - the ultimate vessel of desirability and mythology.

Dimensions & Packaging

Exo-Display: 230W x 200D x 300H

Bottle and Exo-Display share a similar concept: organic shaping with gold/amethyst detailing. Whilst the bottle received a delicate golden band with incrusted amethyst stones, culminating in a pocketed brass and obsidian closure, the display unit has the main structure with grooved and knurled golden details, where the arms receive the amethyst finished detailing. Mirror and LED in the main frame add further depth and sensorial richness to the entire experience.

Tags

Whiskey, Whisky, Luxury, Packaging, Display, Bottle, Design, Collection, Product

Production Technology

Presented in a dizzying spiral of gold, precious stones and glass, but with an innovative technological design that elevates it beyond the everyday, The Aodh is desired by all who look at it. The Exo-skeleton display is based on a winged chassis that locks the bottle in place, opened by a subtle touch sensor on the brass base and self-illuminated by several halo LED profiles and mirrored surfaces, coming together in a fluid graceful series of movements.

Design Challenge

The grand conceptual challenge within the creation of The Aodh was truly the augmented immersion through an automated display unit, something that has never been done for this range of products or spirits, and in such a delicate jewellery-like scale. All the mechanisms had to be able to operate heavy solid metal clasps with a delicate flow and minimalist sizing, giving The Aodh its luxurious, delicate appeal and feel, elevating the product as an object of desire.

Research

The R&D stages for The Aodh consisted in a combination of efforts in developing, at the same time, an iconic and appealing vessel that would generate the connection with the mythological premise, and at the same time an ultra-futuristic and innovative display, challenging the boundaries of mere packaging and into creating a display unit capable of a fully immersive interaction and storytelling with minimal contact, making the user a viewer into this unique theatre of taste, colour and luxury.

Inspiration

Derived from the Old Irish for fire, Aodh is the legendary god of the underworld and eldest son of Lir, also holding a place in Irish mythology as a captivating seducer. With the whiskey's rarity adding its own mythological character, The Aodh draws on these legends to tell its story.

Just like its namesake, The Aodh demands attention and adulation. Yet this ultra-rare whiskey is destined only ever to be owned by a rare few, with just 88 bottles released of this ultra-rare Irish single malt.

Project Duration

Designed around July 2021, the Aodh was under technical development for around 6 months in order to perfect the entire touch sensor system and electronic arms movement. Only after it was fully perfected, the 88 units have been under finishing touches and handmade detailing in order to bring the ultimate design to life this Spring 2022, with each unit being handcrafted and finished throughout 2022.

Operation Flow

The usage of The Aodh as a statement product is based on a fully immersive and performative experience. A touch sensor is the only direct interaction from the user, as it will then turn the LED rings on, and gradually open the clasps electronically, unleashing the exquisite luxurious vessel held inside.

The obsidian closure also contains a hidden compartment inside, where the user can store a small gift/piece of jewellery, giving a more personal and intimate touch to the entire experience.