The Balvenie is the world’s most handcrafted single malt. And they have been handcrafting it the traditional way for a long time in their Spreyside distillery.
Today, they’re renowned and have won multiple awards for their malt whiskies.
As testament to their commitment to and support of traditional craftsmanship, they have gone on a journey to find other craftsmen worldwide, assisting them with a bursary fund titled The Balvenie Commission.
In search of craftsmen dedicated to their craft
Heard of The Balvenie but can’t quite put your finger as to where?
Well then, you might have seen the videos on Youtube with Anthony Bourdain titled raw craft.
In the videos, he goes all over America in search of craftsmen, true to The Balvenie tradition.
James Stroud x The Balvenie
Similarly, The Balvenie has partnered with worldly acclaimed photographer, James Stroud.
After spending time with the people at the distillery and hearing their stories, Stroud was inspired by their dedication to their work. Hence, he chose their one-of-a-kind Spreyside distillery as his subject.
Succession
“I became fascinated by the fact that one human started a process that would be finished by another, years down the line.”
Stroud termed his art exhibition, succession, and focused on a theme, Time.
“I was surrounded by flaking paint and weather-battered equipment in a place of tangible ageing, where everything and everyone was maturing and getting better with time. My aim was to capture the sense that everything improves with age, just like a barrel of whisky.”
The process and result
Taking a year to assemble, the project was completed using a multitude of photography techniques, both old and new.
In the end, the collection features 11-unique pieces. These pieces showcase the spirit of craftsmanship at The Balvenie distillery in Dufftown, Scotland.
The exhibition was held in Singapore just recently.
Each image is broken up into grid systems and framed using wood from a 150-year-old American Church.
The result?
Absolutely stunning images that showcase the brand’s famed distillery coupled with a touch of pure craftsmanship.
Furthermore, Neil Strachan, regional brand ambassador for The Balvenie in Southeast Asia, elaborated,
“Many of our craftsman have been at the distillery their entire working lives and we are the only location still using all the five rare crafts of whisky making by hand, so James’ concept of time reflects our practices and ethos perfectly. The collection is astonishingly beautiful and wholly unique.”
Our Thoughts
The exhibition, succession, was hauntingly beautiful. Particularly, we loved how you could visibly see the ageing processes that feature so strongly in the 11 pieces.
Now, more so than ever, the commitment that The Balvenie has towards craftsmanship is admirable.
With technology steadily taking the human elements out of businesses, we are still offered some hope that craftsmen like James Stroud and ardent supporters like The Balvenie are still around. Trust us, we are all the better for it.
The Balvenie
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For more information about The Balvenie Commission, click here.
For more about The Balvenie x James Stroud partnership, click here.
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