Glenturret Distillery, part of the Lalique Group, has released the summer edition of its Still Life series, coinciding with whisky maker Bob Dalgarno’s 40th anniversary in the industry.
The collection is inspired by the Scottish seasons and is presented in a Lalique decanter. Winter and Spring were the previous releases, with Autumn coming next year.
Still Life Summer – the third decanter in the series – is intended to represent the “daylight hours, blue skies, warm days and balmy evenings” of the season before the harvest begins.
Dalgarno explained: “Summer is traditionally a quieter time for Glenturret Distillery as this is when our silent season occurs. Historically this has been partly due to water shortages in the warmer months and production workers having to help out on farms during the busy summer – many farms were directly owned or connected to the distilleries.
“Although this dynamic has changed in modern times, most distilleries still have some operational downtime during the summer for necessary maintenance. Even though production is quieter, farming never stops and I enjoy watching the barley grow under the warmth of the sun and turn from green to gold.
“Every year I look forward to walking through the fields, chatting with the farmers and watching the progress of the harvest.”
The whisky was selected from five Glenturret casks – three refill hogsheads and two first-fill sherry casks. Its notes include sun-ripened tropical fruits, cinnamon, sweet vanilla, pineapple and wood spices.
Bottled at 40.5% ABV, the whisky can be purchased from the distillery’s website or in the distillery’s shop for £5,000 (US$6,613), with only 105 decanters available worldwide.
Dalgarno added: “Since my childhood in the heart of Speyside and throughout my career, distilleries have always been a part of my life. As well as distilling, I have always had an interest in farming.
“As a child, I watched my father working the land on the family farm. After school, I first worked on a local farm where I learned to look after livestock, drive a tractor, plough and sow barley – little did I know then how big a role this crop would play in my future career. The memories of this will forever be part of my still life.”
The decanters in which the Still Life whiskies are presented were designed by Marc Larminaux, artistic and creative director at Lalique, and are hand-crafted in the Lalique factory in Alsace.
The carafes are delivered in custom-made boxes whose colors represent the respective season.
Speaking about the collaboration with Larminaux, Dalgarno said: “Although our crafts are very different, Marc and I share a passion for paying attention to even the smallest details. I have worked with Lalique for many years, long before I joined The Glenturret, and to be able to celebrate that relationship with the creation of Still Life – a true partnership between whisky and crystal – has been one of the highlights of my career.”
Glenturret is Scotland’s oldest working distillery and recently launched a whisky with Gleneagles Hotel and unveiled its 2024 core collection of eight single malts.
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