Boutique-y Clynelish 20 Year KWM Cask
$164.99
It is finally here... we have been teasing and talking about this whisky for months, and it was worth the wait. We are thrilled to introduce you to our first ever KWM exlcusive single cask from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Although the bottle doesn't explicitly tell you which "Highland" distillery the whisky is from, there are clues on the label... 578 bottles have been filled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market at 51%. But we have nothing holding us back from telling you that Boutique-y Highland #2 is Clynelish... That's right, this is 20 year old Clynelish!
Andrew's Note on the Whisky & Label
Could that be a cat in the clouds, a Wild Highland Cat perhaps? Is it not strange to see a waxy candle-powered balloon? Incidentally, it is lifting the KWM whisky team aloft. And what of the monument? If we told you it was a controversial monument near the town of Golspie dedicated to the infamous Duke of Sutherland, would that give you all the information you need to know? What Highland Distillery has a Wild Highland Cat as its symbol, a waxy profile, and an infamous Duke as its founder?
This label is a cheeky take on a shared memory, with embellishments, embedded details, and Easter eggs, in the tradition of the best Boutique-y Whisky Company Labels. More importantly, it tells a story, which is personally important to my family. My mother was born into the Clann Gunn in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Her ancestors roamed swaths of what is now Caithness and Sutherland in northern Scotland. That is until they were compelled to leave Scotland in the late 18th century, cruelly and rudely displaced to make way for sheep during the early days of the Highland Clearances.
On the label there is a ship at sea, heading to Canada presumably, as hinted at by the flags (the Canadian flag as it is today was only introduced in 1965). On the flat coastal plain at the base of the mountains sheep can be seen grazing. In front of the monument stand a pair of Canadians stand in hockey jerseys. Sam Simmons, Head of Whisky at Atom Brands, and a native Torontonian, stands closest to the monument in what appears to be a hockey jersey. Further back, a native Calgarian, yours truly can be seen waving a white hat, an iconic symbol of "Cowtown", whilst sporting a local hockey team jersey of his own. In the balloon Keith, Evan, Shawn & Curt can be seen waving at Andrew & Sam below. Speaking of those two, what are they doing atop Ben Bhraggie? Funny story that.
When TBWC offered us this cask of Highland Malt, they asked us what we wanted on the label, and I had a cheeky idea. In 2006 I made my first trip to Scotland, and on that trip, I hiked up Ben Bhraggie, a small mountain (really a foothill by Canadian standards) to see the monument of the infamous Duke. Someone had spraypainted the word "Monster" in neon green at the base. When I was sure no one was looking I dropped trow and relieved myself on it. I sent Sam an email of this tale, my connection to the area and my idea for the label. I was sure it was just a little too edgy...
Minutes later my phone was ringing... it was 3 AM in the UK, but Sam wanted to make sure I had seen his reply. He too had hiked Ben Bhraggie in 2005, and he had also paid his own respects to the infamous Duke of Sutherland...
One last little nugget, Keith, who is a personal trainer and headed to Beijing as a Team Canada Skeleton coach, felt his arm didn't look appropriately burly, in an early draft of the label. So we had the artist, Emily Chappell, 'bugs bunny' his arm... In case it isn't already apparent, nothing is sacred (especially when it comes to The Duke of Sutherland and Keith's pipes)!
And the rest as they say is history. On the back of every bottle, That Boutique-y Whisky Company includes the following text: "We are passionate about great whisky, we don't take ourselves too seriously and we LOVE a good story." No wonder these chaps are such a great fit to work with!
Boutique-y 10 Year Canadian Corn Ltd. Ed
$77.99
This limited edition Boutique-y Canadian Corn whisky has been finished in PX and ex-peated Octave casks before bottling at 10 years of age and 45.8%. The label appears to show Dr. Whisky (Canadian Sam Simmons) as a flapping head Canadian South Park character on a dark board... or are we reading too much into this!
DBTD Premium Gin Advent Calendar 2024
$129.74
The Premium Gin Advent Calendar from Drinks By The Dram is all new and updated for 2024! Instead of sticking to 25 wax-sealed gin samples like prior versions, the 2024 Edition includes a bonus 25th for Christmas Day. Or for December 3rd, depending on how quickly you get through the calendar!
Producer Description
"Gin enthusiasts need look no further for the ultimate way to enjoy the festive countdown in style – allow us to present the Premium Edition of Drinks by the Dram's Gin Advent Calendar! There are 25 little doors, and behind each of them hides a different 30ml wax-sealed measure of top-shelf juniper-based brilliance, sourced from some of the world's top producers. It's just the thing to help you countdown to the big day and ought to seriously delight anyone serious about gin."
Boutique-y Irish SM Batch #1.4 50ml
$10.00
This 50ml / mini bottle of Irish Whiskey was featured on Day 11 of our 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar
Could this juice be from Cooley? The signs look good... and boy do we love the juice from Cooley! A 14 year Irish Single Malt bottled at 47.6%.
Producer Description: "Our fourth batch from this undisclosed Irish distillery is a 14 Year Old, a release of just 2,116 bottles at 47.6% abv. If you know your Irish Whiskey history, then you should be able to close down on the distilleries this could come from. It’s a single malt, so that rules out Ireland’s largest distillery, Midleton as they don’t make a single malt."
About the Label
"The inspiration for this label comes straight out of a British made sitcom called ‘Father Ted’ It originally aired on Channel 4 from April 1995 and ran for just three series up until May 1998 Set on the fictional Craggy Island, a remote location off Ireland's west coast, the show is about three priests exiled on the island for various past incidents. Our label comes from an episode called ‘A Song for Europe’ that featured ‘My lovely Horse’"
Boutique-y Aberlour 9 Year Old 50ml
$12.00
This mini bottle from That Boutique-y Whisky Company was featured on Day 19 of our 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar
This is the 6th Batch of Aberlour was bottled released by That Boutique-y Whisky Company in 2018. It was bottled at 9 years old and at 49.7%. 3080 of the company's standard 500ml bottles were made in total. Though you cannot tell by the colour of the whisky alone, this bottling of Aberlour sure looks like it could be a lot less sherried than the official releases we see from the distillery.... Interesting.
About The Label
"The label on our Aberlour bottling features the Mash Tun whisky bar in Aberlour - though who’s that nervous fellow peeking out of the window?"
Boutique-y Macduff 10 Year 50ml
$10.50
This mini / 50ml bottle of Macduff from That Boutique-y Whisky Company was featured on Day 23 of our 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar
Sadly, we have no larger-sized bottles of this decadent Macduff to sell. 50.2%
Label Notes from TBWC
"The Macduff distillery was founded in the 1960s and is kitted out with five stills, four of which have lyne arms that are rather oddly arranged, with one of the wash stills’ lyne arms being U-shaped too, just so they’ll all fit in the still room! They don’t release whisky themselves under their own name - they release it under the name The Deveron. This is why the name Macduff might be more familiar to you from Shakespeare’s play, ‘Macbeth’. We’ve even put one of the deleted scenes from the play on the label of our Macduff bottling. Press the stopper down to hear the director’s commentary from Shakespeare himself (probably a lie)."
Boutique-y Teerenpeli Batch 1 5 Year
$119.99
The first ever That Boutique-y Whisky Company batch of Teereneli, a Single Malt from a Finnish Distillery, has been bottled after 5 years in Oloroso Sherry at 47.6%.
Producer Description
"Another brand new label with our first Teerenpeli release! Family owned Teerenpeli Distillery was established 2002 in Lahti, Finland. Today the distillery is the biggest distillery in Finland specialized in producing single malt whiskies. Our Teerenpeli is a 5 Year Old single malt with full maturation in a Spanish ex-Oloroso Sherry cask which really does bring out those darker flavours."
Boutique-y Willowbank Batch 2 18 Year
$274.99
This Blended New Zealand whisky is from a closed distillery, matured 18 years before finishing in ex-Red Wine Casks. 50.5%
Producer Description
"This is our second batch of Blended Whisky from this long closed New Zealand distillery. It’s an 18 Year Old, bottled at 50.5% abv."
Boutique-y Rum Signature Blend
$37.99
Bottled at 42% this no age statement blended rum is composed of Martinican Rum, unaged Jamaican Rum and 4 year old Jamaican Rum.
Producer Description
"A predominantly unaged blend of funky rums from Jamaica and fresh, fruity Rhums from Martinique. The blend includes an aged marque from Jamaica, which lends body. This blend is vibrant, bright and characterful, with clear grassy notes from the unaged Martinique rum, and characteristic funk and body from the Jamaican component. No age statement."
About The Label
"Created by Jim’ll Paint It, the label represents the blending of two different styles of rum to become greater than the sum of their parts. Two liquids pour in from the top and spread out into a zig zag pattern incorporating a wider range of colours. The white snake represents Martinique, taken from the flag. The Lignum Vitae represents Jamaica, as it is the country’s national flower."