Boutique-y has long been known for its hand-illustrated labels and 50cl bottles. The labels have received recognition, praise, and inspired a few other indie bottlers, but we have always had a lot of flack for our ‘small’ bottles. Last September we introduced a core range, in the European industry standard, 70cl (700ml), a collection of five whiskies that are deer-liciously repeatable. (We’ve already repeated them several times too!)

We also had requests for more information to be on our labels, with cask details, and tasting notes.We managed to get this incorporated into the labels for both the core range, and our last series outturn, The End of The World.

We received a lot of praise for these changes, as well as a few awards, so we thought we’d try it with a limited edition release of 70cl bottles, in keeping with our core range style, but without losing any of the brand recognition that we’ve established over the last (almost) twelve years.

Our labels have always told stories, and are instantly recognisable. This allows us to use the same distillery label, even if we’re not actually able to name the distillery on the label! A cunningly construed plan indeed!

We've built up this recognition over the years, and wanted to maintain all of that great work we’ve done with telling the stories, through the artwork from Emily Chappell. At the same time, following on from the successful Core Range, we loved the huge faces of the deer, or moose, on our labels.

So, we've picked out a character from each of the original distillery labels, and have applied them to this limited edition selection of 70cl bottlings, with named distilleries. We’ve brought these characters front and centre, ala the deer, and you’ll see a ghosted image of the original label, its ‘heritage’ behind. We’ve adopted the colour code from our core range too.

Behold!

LE Core Selection

From Islay, a 12 Year Old Caol Ila
700ml 45.8% abv rrp £64.95

Our first 70cl release from the Caol Ila distillery is a 12 Year Old, thats been finished in an ex-rum barrel, and why not? Maturation in rum casks will bring out the fruitier notes from this Islay whisky.

We’re expecting to get around 349 bottles at 45.8% abv.

N: Strong wafts of wood, tropical fruit, and salt and pepper with underlying subtle creaminess
P: Creamy sweeter notes emerge from the salinity, while more ripe fruit and a hint of ginger arrive

From Speyside, a 10 Year Old Mortlach
700ml 45.8% abv rrp £59.95

This 70cl release of a 10 Year Old Mortlach, started life in the industry standard refill hoagie before we popped it into an ex-rum cask.

Mortlach’s main claim to fame, production wise, is as the home of the most devilishly complex distillation regime in Scotland. It’s also one of the distilleries to use a traditional wormtub to condensate the distillate.

We’re expecting around 371 bottles of the rumtastic Speysider

N: Big, bold, and fruity! Dried fruits; Raisins and prunes, Caramelised pear, toasted almonds, with hints of chocolate and ground coffee.
P:It’s bold on the palate too. Thick and oily. Fruit and nut chocolate , Coffee grounds and dark wood, with some spicy cinnamon, hints of liquorice, with a long fruity finish.

From the Highlands, an 11 Year Old Balblair
700ml 45.8% abv rrp £64.95

A classic 11 Year Old Balblair that we’ve finished in in the finest (hand picked) first fill ex-Bourbon barrel, and not a cask that was once used for transporting bananas as you might expect from the nose of this beauty…

We’re expecting around 292 bottles of this Highland malt.

N: All the bananas! Green banana, foam bananas, and there’s even some banana custard! Vanilla with a pinch of pepper, and some caramelised apple. Delightful!
P: Sweet and creamy. Vanilla custard, white chocolate, Chai Latte, green banana, a little herbal, and a good pinch of pepper. Loveable!

A 35 Year Old Single Grain from the North British Distillery
700ml 45.8% abv rrp £89.95

The North British is Scotland’s third largest grain distillery, and is the only one that continued to use maize after all of the others switched to wheat.

Our 35 Year Old release was distilled in 1988 and has spent it’s lift, quietly maturing for us in a ‘refill barrel, (the finest, hand-picked obvs) until we bottled it. We’re expecting to fill around 274 bottles.

N: Vanilla wafers dipped in milky breakfast tea, soft oak and pineapple rice cream
P: Less sweet on the palate with custard and spice along with all the gorgeous signs of maturity, warehouse, oak and time.

From Canada, an 8 Year Corn Whisky
700ml 45.8% abv rrp £41.95

Now here’s an interesting twist on our delicious Canadian corn whisky. This release marries whiskies finished in Pedro Ximenez and ex-Islay octaves.

It’s the Canadian corn that we all know and love (the 5% rye mashbill) with an interesting dimension of Pedro Ximenez Sherry, with a hint of Islay. Smokin’!

N: Sweet and savoury, candied beer nuts, cherry compote, and a mysterious “what IS that?”. Fun!
P: The smallest impression of smoke before a big spice explosion and rich maple sweetness, all balanced by oak and beautifully bodied spirit.

WRAP UP

  • Chill-Filtered? Never!

  • Caramel E150? Of course not!!!

All of these releases are in 700ml/70cl bottles, have been bottled at 45.8% abv, are non-chill filtered, and naturally coloured.

These Limited Edition 70cl bottles are available alongside our award winning Core Range from all of the finest retailers now!

Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our UK distributor;Off-trade/on-trade enquiries should be directed to our distributors; Maverick Drinks./Master of Malt Trade

Cheers!

Boutique-y Dave x