There is soul in wood: spirit, character – and the mysterious beauty of something that grows according to its own rules. To celebrate the wooden casks which help create Glenmorangie’s unnecessarily well-made whisky, Glenmorangie has formed a pioneering collaboration with Finlay & Co., manufacturers of unique wooden-framed sunglasses.
In a first for the Scotch whisky industry, the British eyewear company will work with oak wood from casks only ever used twice to age Glenmorangie Original for ten years.
Designed and handcrafted in Britain, from Glenmorangie's own American white oak casks, the sunglasses will be launched in March. Each pair will be designed to display its unique grain and natural finish, then numbered and will have the option to be personally engraved for each customer.
The frames represent a coming-together of two brands renowned for their commitment to craftsmanship: While Finlay & Co. takes 16 steps to hand-craft each pair of glasses, Glenmorangie is renowned for its 16 Men of Tain, the legendary Highland whisky-makers who have carried Glenmorangie's secrets down the generations.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, said: “This is a wonderful collaboration between two brands with a deep connection to wood and who share a similar ethos of being unnecessarily well made.
"Time, care and respect for the wood used in our casks, as well as the fact that we only use our casks twice gives Glenmorangie Original its unique character. We are delighted to celebrate our own ethos of craftsmanship with a British company which thinks the same way we do by creating these memorable sunglasses.”
David Lochhead, Managing Director of Finlay & Co. said: “The appreciation of wood is really central both to Finlay & Co. and to Glenmorangie. For this collaboration we were excited to give each cask a new step in its story. There is a real beauty to the American Oak that Glenmorangie use for their casks. It’s a thrill to strip this wood down and reveal the unique grain on every individual pair.”
• Finlay & Co.’s Glenmorangie sunglasses are priced at £300 and go on sale online in March at finlayandco.com website.
