Archives for 2014

Malted Barley

A world-first series of super-macro images of whisky unveils the enigma behind the expert craft and natural beauty of the premium single malt, Aberlour.

Aberlour commissioned David Maitland, one of the world’s foremost nature photographers, to chart the journey of the whiskys creation taking in microscopic views of the rock, water and wood used in the whisky-making process.

Subjects include the granite mountain from where the distillery takes its spring water, the oak staves from specially selected casks in which the whisky is matured, and finally uncovering never-before-seen glimpses of the single malt itself.

The photography uses a variety of techniques to capture some of the natural elements that contribute to the unique flavour of this single malt Scotch, from a glimpse inside each grain of barley to the actual rings from an oak cask and the crystalline structure of the final spirit itself.

The positioning of the distillery at the foot of Ben Rinnes, and surrounded by the natural water springs, plays a vital part in the creation of each bottle of single malt, as do the casks in which the whisky is aged.

Davids photos have shown beyond the glass and cask and allowed us an insight into the natural elements and distillers craft which are vital to the creation of this enigmatic single malt.

The six images are described below (click on the links to view):-

• Pink mountain granite from Ben Rinnes: water runs down Ben Rinnes over this impervious material which maintains the water’s purity and softness before it rises in springs close to the distillery
• Spring water, soft and fresh, rising in the Birkenbush Wood and exclusively used for making the Aberlour single malt range
• Malted Barley: specially prepared to provide the key sugars from which the whisky to be distilled – the platform for its unique flavour
• Sherry cask: special oak casks sourced from Spain in which the spirit makes its transformation into Scotch whisky, made from European oak whose open grain has an unique influence during the years of maturation
• The rich and sweet ‘Aberlour 12-year-old’ award winning single malt
• A’bunadh: Aberlour’s expertly hand-crafted and uncompromising cask strength single malt