In 2018, the Glenmorangie casks are reinvented in the shape of limited-edition surfboards handcrafted by Grain Surfboards from York, Maine. It is the third Beyond the Cask collaboration, an initiative to give a new life to ex-Glenmorangie casks.
Each numbererd surfboard has been made using traditional methods inspired by boat-building – and has a heart of 12 staves formed from the fine American white oak casks, only ever used twice to age Glenmorangie Original.
If you thought surfing was about sun and sand, think again. Northern Scotland is home to some of the world’s most extreme surfing conditions. It’s a magnet for hardened cold water surfers from far afield. And it’s not for the faint-hearted.
In the freezing waters off the remote town of Thurso near John O’Groats, the waves are at their best in deepest winter, and according to Vice magazine “the best right-hand breaking wave in Europe.” The punishing waters of Thurso are just a short drive from the Glenmorangie Distillery on Scotland’s North East Highland Coast – the perfect place to put Grain Glenmorangie Original limited edition surfboards through their paces.
Wood
A shared passion for wood & creation
Wood is no ordinary material. It has a story, a character, a heritage and a meaning. It has secrets that only the true expert can reveal – in the flavours of a classic single malt whisky or the grain of hand-finished woodcraft.
Glenmorangie Original’s flavours develop in the distillery’s prized ex-Bourbon American oak casks, made from specially-sourced wood grown in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Now this wood returns to the USA and Maine for a new life as Grain Surfboards’ limited edition Glenmorangie Original surfboards. Handmade on Maine’s wild Atlantic coast, the Glenmorangie Original surfboard represents a coming-together of two brands who take time to explore the qualities of truly distinctive wood.
Whisky
The iconic Glenmorangie Original
Glenmorangie Original is Glenmorangie’s signature expression. Its award-wining aromas and tastes arise from spirit distilled in the distillery’s copper stills – the tallest in Scotland. This spirit is then matured 10 years in the house's finest American oak casks – crucially only used twice, to ensure they remain full of flavour and creating this single malt's unique character.
The Original is renowned for its smoother, rounder taste. The whisky’s complexity ensures its appeal to single malt connoisseurs, while its softness means that this is an expression which is also appreciated by those who are new to whisky.
