RAISE EXPECTATIONS
The Glendronach
meets Rankin
How might an esteemed whisky behemoth affect what is contemporarily known as a “glow-up” when it has been around for nearly 200 years?
The Glendronach distillery has stood proudly in the Scottish Highlands, nestled in and protected by the ‘Valley of Brambles’ for two centuries. Founder James Allardice introduced this whisky to the world in 1826 and since then, generations of artisans have remained dedicated to time-honoured methods, relying on intuition and their senses to raise expectations of what’s possible in whisky.
The key in presenting this whisky to modern drinkers lies in balance. It takes an adroit hand to take charge such a momentous task. History must be observed; the sanctity of tradition and the preservation of roots. Enter: Rankin. Probably the most well-known photographer today, his subject list reads like a Time 100. The video campaign was dubbed ‘Raise Expectations’ and it centred on the ‘sherry crescendo’ of Glendronach. There are three videos in all, each one a powerful visual metaphor that captures the essence of The Glendronach’s distinctive maturation process.
The single malt is slowly matured in the finest Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks sourced from Andalucia, Spain. This brings together a unique duality of robust Highland spirit and Spanish flair. And there is only one true medium with which one might encapsulate said flair—flamenco.
Flamenco dancer Rocia Dusmet Orellana paints the foreground with liquid zeal as the dram behind her splashes along with her flowing red dress. There is marked collision of cultures that somehow yields something akin to perfect fusion. This is all, of course, down to the brilliance of the director.
“As a Scot by birth, the idea of bringing Flamenco to the Highlands stirred a passion in me that I just couldn’t resist… Having worked on whisky before I’ve never seen anyone use this concept as a way of expressing or explaining that. If you get it right as an idea, it could be really visually very stunning.”
—Rankin, Photographer
As part of the reimagined design of the bottle itself, the addition of a curated pattern depicting the bramble and rooks that surround the distillery speaks to place. In the case of The Glendronach, place is tantamount to history—to the very fibre of this great whisky house. While the aesthetic has evolved, the award-winning core portfolio remains unchanged, continuing to mature in rare Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks from Andalucia, Spain. The permanent range of Single Malts, 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, and 18 Year Old, will be the first to be presented to welcome in this new chapter.