Whisky Focus - Aberlour As You Have Never Saw It Before Super-Macro Images

So you think you know your whisky? Well well perhaps you should think again as Aberlour are giving you a chance to have a closer look at their premium single malt spirit. In a world-first series of super-macro images of whisky, Aberlour shows us what lies beyond the glass and cask and have allowed us an insight into the natural elements and distillers’ craft which are vital to the creation of this enigmatic single malt.

The images have been taken by David Maitland, one of the world’s foremost nature photographers. Aberlour commissioned him to chart the journey of the whisky’s creation taking in microscopic views of the rock, water and wood used in the whisky-making process, such as the granite mountain from where the distillery takes its spring water, the oak staves from specially selected casks in which the whisky is matured, and finally uncovering never-before-seen glimpses of the single malt itself.

The photography uses a variety of techniques to capture some of the natural elements that contribute to the unique flavour of this single malt Scotch, from a glimpse inside each grain of barley to the actual rings from an oak cask and the crystalline structure of the final spirit itself.

The Six Super-Macro Images Charting The Journey Of Aberlour's Creation:

Pink Granite:
Beautiful Pink Granite was collected from Ben Rinnes (the mountain is formed from different granites) – the spring water used for the Aberlour flows down from the mountain and retains a unique softness thanks to the granite base over which it flows.

The granite was cut into thin sections just 30 millionths of a meter (30 μm) thin so that the rock becomes transparent. The granite is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and quartz with intermixed brown biotite. There also are tiny flecks (inclusions) of all manner of trace elements. Here, all elements combine to form a miniature landscape. The image was taken using crossed polarized light at a magnification of 200x.

Water:
The water was captured at 400x magnification using differential interference contrast to get the colours. David used polarized light, which allows us to see the optical properties specific to the water and reveals detailed information concerning the structure and its composition.

The colours in the water are a result of the way the water interacts with the polarized light. Due to the varying refractive indices, the water appears multi-coloured. The polarized light can be further enhanced using sophisticated polarizing techniques such as Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) which also produces a sense of depth and a 3-D quality.

David captured the water images by freezing the water and photographing it melting under the microscope - the colour background is bent by the melting water into the interesting forms and shapes in the picture.

Barley:
The barley grain is mostly starch which is stored as individual grains (amyloplasts). These amyoplasts are grains within the grain, which act as a fermenter, to make the whisky’s alcohol, as well as give its depth of flavour. These tiny structures – the smallest grains are about 2 millionths of a meter (μm) in diameter, while the largest are about 20 μm.

The picture is taken at 400x magnification using differential interference contrast (DIC) lighting techniques.

Sherry Cask:
All Aberlour single malts display the influence of maturation in ex-Spanish Oloroso Sherry Butts which are constructed from mature European or "Spanish" Oak trees, Quercus petraea petraea, (formally Q. sessilis).

A thin transverse section or slice of oak (20 millionths of a meter, 20 μm thick) shows an intricate pattern of tracheids (large rings through which the tree draws water) and lignin-strengthened parenchyma wood cells within the heartwood of the oak. During the whisky’s maturation process within the oak cask, the alcohol works on heartwood components (lignin, hemicellulose and tannin amongst others) to produce the complex caramel and aromatic flavours, colour, and fragrances unique to Aberlour whisky. The image was made at 200x magnification using a special form of Interference contrast lighting.

Aberlour 12 Year Old:
For the 12 Year Old, David evaporated a large volume of this beautiful whisky (such a waste!) which leaves behind a super-concentrated solution of dissolved complex natural elements which originated from the different casks in which the whisky was matured. This blend of natural elements can sometimes be made to crystallise in remarkable and unique patterns.

Here, Aberlour’s 12 Year double cask matured whisky has produced a wonderful feather-like crystal pattern. This photograph was captured at 400x magnification using differential interference contrast (DIC) lighting techniques.

Aberlour A’bunadh:
The hand-crafted and small scale produced Aberlour Whisky was photographed after evaporating a large volume of A’bunadh, which left behind a super-concentrated solution of dissolved natural elements which originated from the cask in which the whisky was matured. Certain elements within this can sometimes be made to crystallise in remarkable and unique patterns. Elements of Gallic Acid (a product from Tannin in the oak cask) have been captured forming an exquisite crystal tree. This photograph was captured at 200x magnification using differential interference contrast (DIC) lighting techniques.

Dr Maitland, a European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, said: "I was asked to discover how all the different elements help craft Aberlour. The positioning of the distillery at the foot of Ben Rinnes, and surrounded by the natural water springs, plays a vital part in the creation of each bottle of single malt, as do the casks in which the whisky is aged. Having the chance to photograph this journey was a rare privilege.

"Super macro photography can reveal many surprises. The crystal structures in the 12-year-old and A’bunadh were simply beautiful and frequently appeared to echo the unique and subtle characters of each whisky."

 

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