April Label Stories...

This month we're sharing some English Whisky label stories to mark St George's Day, with some labels from distilleries that were due to feature at this years Spirit of Speyside Festival.

St George is the Patron Saint of England, and St. George's Day falls on April 23rd every year. The first new whisky distillery to be built in over 100 years was the English Whisky Company's aptly named St George Distillery in Roudham Norfolk. There are now 16 distilleries listed as making malt whisky in England, and we've now bottled two of them.

The Spirit of Speyside is an annual event that fall on or around the last weekend of April,. Access to distilleries not ordinarily open to the public is often granted to distilleries like Glanlossie and Linkwood, both distilleries rarely available as single malts. Although not technically classed as a Speyside distillery, this year the Ardmore distillery was opening it's doors to visitors, and hence why we've included it in this months batch.

Cotswolds Distillery

This label is based on the theme of a bright colourful vintage leaflet of a typical Cotswolds village; Castle Combe. The elegant swan on the river represents Jim Swan who helped found the distillery. Distillery founder Daniel Szor is pictured driving the company land rover over the bridge. There's a slight ‘Midsomer Murders’ feel going on too with a body badly hidden under the bushes!

English Whisky Co

Our label features the epic struggle between St. George and the dragon as experienced from within the plucky George's helmet. What we can see is what the dragon is guarding - why that armoured fellow isn't
freeing a maiden, he's after the gold! The golden whisky, that is...

Linkwood

Our label makes reference to a joke in an old British sitcom called ‘Only Fools and Horses.’ One of the characters, Trigger, goes on about his favourite broom he’s had 20 years, just with different heads and handles. It’s still the same broom, though. Right?
The Linkwood distillery was a new distillery, built alongside the old distillery, eventually taking over completely. It’s a different distillery, but it’s still Linkwood. Right?

Glenlossie

Our label features a diagram of the onion-shaped stills that produce Glenlossie's whisky. We’ve taken the name a little too literally and have even included a spring-onion-lyne-arm and a garlic-bulb-condenser!

Ardmore  

Few distilleries have had such a long and solid relationship with the same blend that Ardmore has with Teachers. The distillery was founded by the Teachers family. Our label teaches (teachers, get it?) you about the parts of a cask.
It’s a shockingly bad pun...

March Label Stories...

We're all stuck indoors, it's time to discover more! Delve into the world of Boutique-y's labels, let us tell you their stories...

To celebrate March playing host to Irish Whiskey Weekend, St Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day we present to you a compilation of label stories we have shared throughout the month over on our @boutiqueywhisky Instagram account. With the inspiration coming from Sitcoms to distilleries, find out more about the slightly mad ideas behind our Boutique-y labels.

Irish Single Malt 1 Batch 2 

The inspiration for this label comes straight out of  British-made sitcom ‘Father Ted’.

It originally aired on Channel 4 from April 1995 and ran for just three series up until May 1998 and was 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’

Shop here

Irish Single Malt 2  Batch 2 

Back in the 19th century the Irish whiskey industry had little interest in the new, more efficient column stills being developed, even if the man behind the Coffey still was an Irishman. On the other side of the table on this label is a panel of loyal Irish Whiskey enthusiasts letting their thoughts on the new invention known.

Buy yours now

Single Malt Irish Whisky Batch 2

The label shows a close-up view of a spirit safe, but instead of traditional sprouts inside there are 3 straight linear pipes, all of which are emanating from this optical illusion. Clear spirit is flowing from the end of each of the 3 pipes into spirit receivers. A single curved piece of glass covers the front of the safe.
It's a play on triple distillation - the common misconception is that all Irish Whiskey is triple distilled - that's because at one time there were only two Irish distilleries, and both triple distilled

Shop now

February Label Stories... A Summary

As it was National Storytelling Week in February we thought we would compile some of our favourite label stories that we have shared across the month, starting with our Category Winner at the World Whisky Awards 2020 -  Blended Whisky Batch 1!

Blended Whisky Batch 1:

It’s not Scotch, and it’s not a Japanese Whisky, but a blend of whiskies, malts, and grains from both Japan and Scotland.⁣

⁣The idea for the label came first, so we had to make the whisky to fit!⁣ A Japanese Dragon and a Scottish Rampant Lion take centre stage, but in the background is Mount Fuji in mid-eruption. Also included in the landscape of mountains is Ben Nevis.⁣

Shop yours now

James E Pepper - Batch 1:

Our label is set in an old school soda float shop, where distillery owner Amir Peay is pointing to a barrel shaped soda fountain that pertains to the finish style of our whiskies. Did you notice the four large mason jars labelled Corn, Rye, Barley, More Rye, amongst the shelves of lots of yummy colourful sweets?

Buy yours now

Aberfeldy - Batch 2:

The Aberfeldy distillery resides up in the Scottish Highlands, and has been producing whisky since 1896. They draw the water used for their single malt from the Pitlie Burn, which is also well known for its gold deposits. Our label features whisky writer Ian Buxton, who lived rather close to the distillery, looking to strike gold!

Shop now

Inchgower - Batch 1 :

Did you know there is a Goat Island in the middle of Niagara Falls? It’s the inspiration for our Inchgower label. Its name comes from Scots Gaelic for ‘island of the goats’. Standing between the Bridal Veil Falls and the Horseshoe Falls you can look across to Canada from Goat Island, which we’ve depicted with fields of icewine.

Buy yours now

Teaninich - Batch 1:

This label is based on a true love story from many years ago about Captain Hugh Munro (founder of this distillery). He was shot in the head behind his eyes, but lucky enough to survive from this, however he lost his eyesight in the process. His sweetheart who he was due to marry was forbidden by her father to marry him as he didn't want her marrying a disabled man, so she married someone else.

Shop yours now

Langatun - Batch 1:

Our label shows a map that looks to be tracking something that's gone from America to Spain to Switzerland and finally to England...Perhaps this journey holds some secret about the whisky...? From the Ozarks, to Jerez, to Switzerland… Have you got it yet? Do we really have to spell it out? American oak, Sherry casks...

Buy now