Storytelling has been a critical component of the marketing of many rare whiskies, and it is rare to find a cask ownership or a bottle at auction which does not have a story to tell.
Whilst rarity and a finite quantity are part of the reason why a spirit from a silent distillery such as Port Ellen is so desirable, another component is the history of the distillery itself and why it no longer exists to produce fine whisky.
Does the tale a spirit weaves matter more than its taste? To an extent yes, and here are some of the reasons why.
Art Is Storytelling
The first explanation comes down to a simple train of logic; whisky production is an art form. All art is storytelling. Therefore, whisky production is a form of storytelling.
The initial statement is uncontroversial; the subtleties of single malt production are akin to the brushstrokes of a fine artist working with oil on canvas.
Art, on the other hand, is a form of storytelling in itself, even if that art does not follow a conventional narrative form, every brushstroke, everything captured within the frame or within the context of its presentation is a form of performance and mythmaking.
Because of this, if we believe that whisky is art, then whisky is also a form of storytelling, and that means that the history, the people involved and the context of the casking and distilling processes are not just part of the marketing, they are as part of the experience as the taste and the nose.
Framing Shapes The Experience
Much of the joy of drinking a rare whisky does not just come from the taste itself, although that is a large part of it. Instead, it is about the ritual, the preparation, the bottle and the overall experience.
Many rare whiskies are presented in beautiful bottles that are often works of art in themselves, stored in luxury boxes with accoutrements that inflame the senses and accentuate the central tastes and smells that make each whisky bottle unique.
Whisky Is More Than A Product
The word whisky originates from “aqua vitae” or the water of life, and this etymology highlights just how much whisky is more than a product to be consumed.
There are blended whiskies and supermarket single malts that can be consumed without contemplating the stories of each drop that went into the bottle, but for many, whisky is about connection, about roots and about tradition.
Every distillery has a story behind it. This takes many forms, including history and tradition, the stories of the decisions that led to a bottle ending up the way it is, and a group of artisans who create the heart of the drink.
What makes whisky different from many other drinks is that overt sense of humanity. There are obviously people at the heart of the production of single malt Scotch that infuse their creativity, effort and heart into the drinks they make, and leave a piece of themselves in each bottle.
Part of the worth and value of a rare whisky is that they often tell stories from people from a bygone age who live on through the casks and bottles they helped to fill.