Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky recently announced the third partnership in the distillery’s annual Beyond the Cask series. To celebrate the wood that shapes Glenmorangie’s signature single malt, The Original, Glenmorangie has collaborated with Grain Surfboards of Maine, to create hand-made wooden surfboards from the whisky’s barrels.
Glenmorangie originates in the Scottish Highlands where it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland. It takes a decade of maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks – only ever used twice – to create the smoother, rounder taste of Glenmorangie Original.
The partnership brings together for the two brands who believe in the ideals of true craftsmanship. The connection runs deep, for both New England and the Scottish Highlands offer some of the most prized cold-water surfing in the world. Handmade on Maine’s Atlantic coast, the partnership with Grain represents a shared creative ideal and passion to explore the qualities of distinctive wood. The surfboards are hand finished and meticulously “bookmatched” to showcase continuous patterns – the frame, tailback and central panels are made entirely from whisky casks. On their return to the U.S., the casks made from specially-sourced wood grown in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, united with Grain Surfboards’ signature construction material, a coming together of the Old World and the New in a unique modern sport form: the surfboard. Each board unites Grain’s signature material, Maine-grown northern white cedar, with 12 American white oak staves – approximately half a Glenmorangie Original cask – for stability and a lower overall weight, plus reclaimed red cedar for accent stripes.
“People often ask us what happens to those casks after their whisky-making life is over. Beyond the Cask is our way of working with people who share our creative vision, passion and patience, to take this wood on another step in its journey,” explains Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling & Whisky Creation. “Grain Surfboards are true experts in their field and, like us, they believe in taking time to truly understand the character of wood. Working with them is a great way to reinvent the casks that give Glenmorangie Original its depth of flavor and give them a new lease of life beyond the distillery.”
“We’re both strong brands with true craftsmanship at our core, so we were thrilled to work with Glenmorangie on this project,” says Grain Surfboards Founder, Mike LaVecchia. “Using wood from Glenmorangie casks enabled us to make a board that’s very light but very strong. It’s built to meet the demands of some of the best surfers in the world, as well as being a board that anyone can enjoy the waves on. It’s incredible that you can take a piece of wood that’s already worked hard and then give it a new life as something absolutely beautiful.”
Glenmorangie’s Beyond the Cask series celebrates the casks in which Glenmorangie Original is matured, by repurposing their staves in innovative ways. In 2017, Glenmorangie created the world’s first bicycles made from whisky casks with bicycle pioneer Renovo, and in 2016 released a limited-edition collection of the world’s first Scotch whisky sunglasses, with British eyewear designer Finlay & Co.
The limited-edition Glenmorangie Original surfboard retails for $5,500 exclusively on Grain’s site.
