Near the village of Saint-Aimé-des-lacs, Quebec, there is a stunning mountain whose steep cliffs abruptly plunge into a valley furrowed by water. A calm, warm wind accompanies me as I crest the top of the dome nicknamed the Acropolis of the Draveurs.
To the Beginnings of the World
BY SARAH RENAU-CÉRÉ
Near the village of Saint-Aimé-des-lacs, Quebec, there is a stunning mountain whose steep cliffs abruptly plunge into a valley furrowed by water. A calm, warm wind accompanies me as I crest the top of the dome nicknamed the Acropolis of the Draveurs.
landscape. I remain there, sitting on the rock shaped and polished by time with the same emotion reverberating in my mind: how could the brutality of the elements create such beauty? How is it possible that after so many chaotic episodes and geological eras crossing that these landscapes breathe so much harmony? And we are only at the beginning of the experience of the five senses. This moment of contemplation
Here I am on the summit, with a full view of a breathtaking
20
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2023
moves me but never brings me entirely back to the present moment. For this I need my palate. So it’s time to take out my dear flask of whisky! Reward for all the effort made during the ascent and element that hooks me back to reali- ty, the moment lived. As I unscrew the cap, the wind fades and calms down, al- most to silence. A precious moment tinged with impatience. One sip and here I am, 100% anchored in the landscape, living the moment. This whisky tells me a story, the adven - ture of the men who walked and worked this land, the story of the elements, of fire, water, air, wind. Landscapes are an unrivaled source of inspiration but we don’t “taste” them. Using four of our senses, sight, hearing, touch and smell is definitely a fabulous experience. But if we are allowed to add to this the fifth which is taste, then the immersion is total. It is at this moment that a tempest arises, as sudden as it is brief, exalting a gust of wind that never ends, like the wave that rages at the bottom of this sip. I know the universe is falling into it with me. This whisky tells me the story reminiscent of the landscape that I devour with my eyes. A dive deep into experience and serenity. He is an old man, just like our dear planet and they both have spanned decades. The mouth feel is bitter and yet tender chocolate which brings me back to the earth, to the ground. This is not a whisky that seeks to impress crowds. It is a diamond in the rough and like an elder, is whole, humble and knows its body: copper, charac - ter, gentleness but at the same time power. He exists, he is there, simply proud to “be”. It is a whisky in the image of the Scottish people. He tastes the truth, he tastes the elements of the Earth and its beginning. He is the 15 year old Glenfarclas, comforting just like my grandfather. It is then with a heart nourished by a new warmth that I re - turn home, the feeling of having shared a precious moment with an old friend.
21
the whisky explorer magazine
FALL 2023
Page 1 Page 2Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online