Benromach Partners With Paper Artist Helen Musselwhite for Handmade Festive Sculpture

As part of its ‘Firsthand‘ campaign, Benormach single malt looks to celebrate all things handmade. Their new collaboration is with renowned paper artist Helen Musselwhite who has created a sculpture themed around the Speyside distillery and its whiskies.

Helen’s meticulous process began with a trip to Forres, Morayshire, to meet distillery manager Keith Cruickshank and experience the whisky making process first hand, taking inspiration from the award-winning flavour profile of the Benromach 15 Year Old single malt and the distillery’s traditional process.

The resulting 3D sculpture, which stands at almost 1m high, celebrates the values shared by Helen and the distillery – that the care, skill, passion and patience that go into a handmade approach can deliver extra special results.

Visitors will be able to see Helen’s work of art first hand, on display at the distillery’s visitor centre from January 2023. Window displays of the design can also be viewed at Jeffrey St Whiskies in Edinburgh, and at Amathus City and Amathus Shoreditch in London from 5th December.

The collaboration is part of Benromach’s Firsthand campaign, which brings people closer to makers worldwide who embody the passion and craft of handmade. Helen’s sculpture was created by a series of cuts, folds, scores and layers of various types of paper to create an intricate view of the distillery and its whiskies.

Keith Cruickshank, Benromach Distillery Manager, said: “It was wonderful to welcome Helen to the distillery and share our story and process, and explore areas where our worlds overlap. Both processes require a deep understanding of the layers, tools and complexities that go into creating something unique.

“The level of detail in Helen’s finished sculpture is remarkable. It’s a unique work of art guaranteed to intrigue and delight in equal measure. It’s the perfect illustration of the beauty of handmade things.”

Helen has honed her craft over 16 years and has worked with brands including Royal Mail, Molton Brown and Hoegaarden.

Helen Musselwhite said: “My visit to Speyside and the Benromach Distillery provided the ideal inspiration. I was struck by the age-old traditions employed in the whisky-making process and the passion and expertise of those who work there, The beautiful surroundings and aroma and taste of the whiskies also helped to shape my design.

“There are natural synergies between their craft and mine. Both take care, pay attention to detail and take time to make something worth waiting for - although my process is thankfully not quite as long! It took me around a month to make my paper sculpture, from initial sketches and a basic scale model through to the final piece. I got lost in the details which is always my favourite part, from the individual peppercorns to the roof tiles on the distillery roof.”

Visitors who purchase Benromach whisky at the distillery shop or website or at any of the retailers with window displays will receive a gift bag detailing Helen’s design, as well as a specially printed Christmas card.

For more information, visit the Benromach website.