Friday, April 17, 2009

Season opener

Early in the evening, a farmer turned rich black soil about a mile west of the cooperage in the village of Craigellachie, Scotland. Coopers there construct wood barrels for a thriving whisky industry in the surrounding valley, formed by the confluence of the Spey and Fiddich rivers. We don't know what this farmer will plant, but we like to think it will be barley chosen for a fine 12-year-old single malt scotch whisky at the old Abelour distillery, located just over the horizon.