Big Peat Christmas 2021
$104.99
A festive holiday tradition of sorts, the 2021 Christmas Edition is bottled at a strength of 52.8% and is blended from the Islay distilleries of Caol Ila, Port Ellen, Bowmore and Ardbeg.
Boutique-y Auld Alfords Blend Bt.1 52Yr
$249.99
This Blended Spirit can't be called whisky because it has fallen below the legal threshold of whisky (40%). Bottled at 35% only 140 bottles have been released of something that would have cost 8-10 times the price had it only kept its head above water...
Producer Description
"Like its younger cousins in this range, the inspiration for this label came from a classic blended Scotch whisky of yesteryear (Ainslie’s “Old Liqueur Whisky”). This time our youngest team member inspires the (ironic) name, and our cask buyer (and bonsai plant collector) Felix get immortalised as well. Having fallen below 40% abv in cask, we can no longer call this whisky, but that makes it no less delicious! "
About the Label
"All those wonderful words; “Vintage” “Specially Selected” and my favourite “Too Late”, in this case referring to the long maturation taking the abv below 40% and therefore no longer Scotch whisky (and a “spirit drink”)."
Boutique-y Whisky Holiday Calendar 2022
$259.99
Back for another year, the Holiday Whisky Calendar is a collaboration between That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Drinks by the dram. It features 24 whiskies, 30mls each, from 6 countries. The whisky list can be found below in the tasting note, but we always think it's best to be surprised... there are too few surprises left in this crazy world!
Nomad Outland Whisky
$65.99
It seems this one is the brainchild of Richard Paterson (Whye & MacKay) and Antonio Flores (Gonalez Byass). When alcohol is involved, you never know what's going to happen, right? A few drinks, a bit of amorous chat, and suddenly - surprise! - there's a wee offspring that's got a little bit of both parties in it (though it seems neither can properly make any sort of claim).
Nomad is a blend of more than 30 different Speyside malts and grains, ranging in age from 5-8 years, that were married together and matured in ex-sherry butts for 3 years, before being moved to Jerez, Spain for an additional year in ex-PX sherry casks in the warehouses of Gonzalez Byass. The producers say that "Nomad, over time, will absorb the native yeasts which are present in the atmosphere of the cellar, and it will be imbued with the tastes and flavours of the old Pedro Ximenez casks, previously used to age sherry, giving the whisky its unique character." The latter claim, certainly; the former, well...anyway...
Of course, what this all really means is that it may be Scottish by birth and bloodline, but under Scotch Whisky Association regulations it has had to relinquish its citizenship. In other words, it's no longer Scotch whisky.
A fun little experiment, nevertheless.
41.3%
Eau Claire Rupert`s Maple Whisky
$34.99
LMDW Compass Box Wisdom
$237.99
Blended and bottled for La Maison du Whisky by Compass Box, this Blended Scotch is bottled at 50.1%. One of a limited 654 bottle release.
Producer Description
"Produced primarily from a Highland blended malt, Wisdom also includes two vintages from the same Lowland single grain and a small percentage of blended scotch. Glowing with floral and herbaceous freshness, deliciously honeyed, fruity and gently spiced, this version also reveals a palette of aromas and flavours that combines both youthful spirit and… wisdom."
About the Compass Box Artist #11 Pentalogy
"Compass Box has created an entire ARTIST range for La Maison du Whisky. We had no doubt the project would inspire John Glaser — the man behind the Artist Blend — as we clearly speak the same language. The ARTIST #11 PENTALOGY collection is designed to be a work in its own right, presented in five separate acts. Created by the talented whisky maker James Saxon, the range features five whiskies, each with its own evocative name. In tribute to the theme of origins, the names are directly inspired by the Aristotelian philosophy that encourages finding the right balance of virtue and the rejection of all excess. This quest for harmony and balance is a perfect reflection of a master blender’s work."
North Star Blended Grain 50 Year
$429.99
North Star Ardbeg 14 Year
$391.99
Boutique-y North British Batch10 25 Year
$67.50