Former Macallan whisky maker launches Japan-inspired spirit

Dhavall Gandhi, former whisky maker at The Macallan, is set to launch the first expression under his new Kandoblanc brand as part of the Distillers One of One auction in October.

Kandoblanc, Gandhi’s brand, has been named after the Japanese word ‘Kando’, which describes the simultaneous feelings of satisfaction and excitement when encountering something of value.

Kandoblanc’s first whisky, AGA, is set to launch at the Distillers One of One auction in partnership with Sotheby’s in October 2023.

Its decanter has been inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi — the centuries-old Japanese art of highlighting imperfections by fixing cracks in pottery with gold. Battuto, an Italian technique of engraving glass to make it resemble beaten metal, has also inspired the decanter.

AGA was named after the founder’s son, and is synonymous with ‘Mountain’ in the ancient Indian texts of Ayurveda, according to the whisky’s maker.

The spirit combines a Speyside malt and Highland malt Scotch whisky, handpicked by Gandhi, which were both distilled in 1979 and bottled in 2023.

Explaining the concept behind the new whisky, 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 influencers. 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.”

Gandhi began his career in corporate finance, but turned to distilling during a visit to a Bourbon distillery. He later undertook a postgraduate degree in Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, before joining The Macallan as a whisky maker. Prior to launching Kandoblanc, Gandhi worked for English whisky producer The Lakes Distillery.