Other: Artists In Residence
Every year Glenfiddich invites artists from all over the world to live at the distillery for three months. To date, the programme – called Artists in Residence – has produced some diverse works, including watercolours, photography, films and installations. It has been established in 2002. A unique feature of the Glenfiddich’s Artists in Residence programme is the open brief that allows each artist the freedom to explore and be inspired by the people, heritage and stunning surroundings of the distillery, without prescription on the work they create.
Glenfiddich asks breakthrough and award winning artists from all over the world - Canada, China, Scotland, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States of America - to use the historic setting, deep in the Highlands of Scotland to create original pieces of art. Every summer since 2002, Glenfiddich brings new talent to stay on the distillery for a 3 month period. They are given 15.000 pound and a chance to collaborate with eachother.
On this page I only focus on the contributions that release/have released a whisky.
Eau de Robidou
A very unique bottle of spirit was produced as part of the Artist in Residence project.
In 2004 French artist Stéfanie Bourne filled three different Oval casks. Two would go on to yield 24 litres of spirit and the other only 10 litres due to leakage. It's not known which one of her casks leaked but we do know that she selected Bourbon, New Oak and a Sherry wood. These casks were created by a French Cooper on site, traditionally used as panniers in France on the side of pack horses for transporting wine. The liquid was left to age until 2010 when Glenfiddich Malt Master Brian Kinsman and Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart decided that it was spectacular. The casks where married and bottled that year.
Due to the casks size/shape, this liquid did not meet the specifications of the Scotch Whisky Association meaning that technically it is not allowed to be referred to as Scotch Whisky.
Also, due to a production error a significant number of these bottles leaked after release. These were never on general sale and only a few of the remaining have been sold to benefit local charities and gifted through the Artist in Residence Scheme.
All 591 bottles are signed by Stéfanie Bourne.
Vintage: 2004
Name: Glenfiddich Eau de Robidou
Bottled: October 2010
ABV: 53,1%
Size: 9,5cl
Bottles: 591
A Drink To Us When We're Both Dead
Source on this release: Dave-Dyment.com
Working with the staff at the Glenfiddich Distilleries, Dyment created a reinforced barrel, filled it with uncut spirit and buried it in Warehouse 8, among large stones from the river Fiddich in 2008. It will be excavated 100 years later, in 2108. This whisky has been pre-sold, though it will not be available to drink for 100 years. Buyers will receive an extruded wood casket housed in a linen box, a map of the warehouse, a small diary documenting the process, and a contract to pass on to their descendants, to collect the whisky in a hundred years time. "A Drink To Us (When We're Both Dead) is available in an edition of 25 copies. The full story is available HERE.
