TBWC Wine Series MMXXI

That Boutique-y Whisky have now switched to quarterly themed releases for their whisky. Led by their brand ambassador Dave Worthington @BoutiqueyDave you are taken through some amazing whiskies this time wine finished!

The latest line-ups introduces ten world (non-Scotch) whiskies alongside four rums, with bottlings from both new and established distilleries.

For those that don't know That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) @BoutiqueyWhisky is an indie bottler owned by Atom Brands - owners of Master Of Malt, Drinks by the Dram and a few other well know whisky companies! They specialise in small batch whiskies from around the world - including from some distilleries you might not of heard of yet!

Each 50cl bottle has it's own unique graphic-novel-style label by Emily Chappell. You can read an amusing account of how she came to create whisky labels here!

For this Wine Cask Series @BoutiqueyWhisky say :

"Whether it’s oloroso or PX sherry, port, madeira or other grape-based boozes, in the wide world of whisk(e)y and rum, there is a long tradition of using wine casks in maturation. As winter sets in and Christmas approaches, I tend to reach for this rich, sweet and spicy style more than any other, so we decided to gather up some of the best wine cask examples we could find from all across this whisky-soaked planet we call home."

Boutique-y sent me a tasting set and an invitation to a zoom session with Boutiquey-Dave and Boutiquey-Pete, giving me the chance to try their new releases - here's my brief thoughts:

Armorik (France) Batch 2 5yo Single Malt Our second batch from France’s first whisky distillery, this 5 year Old hails from a Sauternes Wine Cask, one of the most popular French dessert wines, from the Sauternes region of Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from grapes which have undergone ‘noble rot’, causing their moisture to evaporate, hence concentrating the sugars. The sauternes cask brings sweetness and complexity to the mature spirit. Expect fruits like apricots or peaches, you may also find honey or nuts. Outturn of this release: Just 258 bottles at 46.4% abv RRP £69.95		The Veneti (Gaulish: "the kin, the friendly ones") were a Gallic tribe who lived in Armorica, now known as Brittany. We’ve set the scene on this label deep in the forest of Gaul with a still for the cauldron and fields of barley in the background. The white swan is a nod to the late Dr. Jim Swan who gave the distillery guidance, reviewing their equipment, and techniques, proposing a series of small changes.
My thoughts: Appearance: pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: white wine, apricots, chopped nuts, some herbal notes. Palate: smooth arrival, honey, orange zest, dry peppery spice with a lingering herbal note.

Puni (Italy) 4yo Single Malt Our first Italian Whisky, and another brand new label from the pen of Emily Chappell, PUNI is also the first Italian whisky distillery. Spirit first flowed from the Scottish copper pot stills in 2014. Puni produce malt whisky, but malted barley is only one of the three cereals in the recipe. The other two are malted rye, and malted wheat. They have, since 2016, have also been producing 100% malted barley spirit too. This release uses their three malt mashbill, and has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a Pinot Noir Cask, which can increase the fruitiness, freshness and sometimes a brings a bit dryness to the whisky Outturn of this release: Just 346 bottles at 47.3% abv RRP: £74.95		Our label story features the remarkable Puni distillery building at the foot of an alpine scene, and their long and winding SS40 road. There are three flagged casks racing down the hill, and the dogs driving the casks are very familiar to the Boutique-y team.
My thoughts: Appearance: light gold in the glass, swirls leave a thin line which takes an age to bead up and fall as slow thick legs. Nose: floral, buttered popcorn, tropical fruit: coconut, banana. Palate: warming tropical fruit as per the nose with a lovely ginger spice, the buttered popcorn is back too lingering with the spice.

Teerenpeli (Finland) 5yo Single Malt 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. Casks are matured in 40 foot ex-reefer sea containers, which sit outside the distillery, with no heating or cooling. Outside temperatures vary wildly throughout the year, from -35C to +30C Malted barley is sourced from local company Vikinh Malt (Lathi), grown no more than 150km from the site. Outturn of this release: Just 376 bottles at 47.6% abv RRP £69.95		Teerenpeli translates to ‘flirtation’ and also means ‘black grouse’. So we've made sure there’s a reference to both on the label. That’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Jari Mämmi, driving the Zamboni along the rows of shipping container businesses. The original distillery started off within a restaurant, hence the stills in the back of ours. The Pelicans are a local ice hockey team, oh, and Jari is currently sporting a Mohawk - as are the black grouse.
My thoughts: Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls leave a thin line which beads up and falls as slow thin legs. Nose: huge toffee notes, burnt sugar, caramac, some orchard fruit and berries. Palate: thick creamy arrival, fudge, dried fruit, berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries; fruit and nut dark chocolate leaving a slightly bitter dryness. Yummy!

Elsburn (Germany) Batch 2 3yo Single Malt Our second batch from this German distillery. Our first featured in our World Series release. This 3 Year Old has been matured in an ex-Marsala Wine cask. Marsala is a fortified dessert wine from Italy, and this is a great example of using this type of cask to mature whisky, imparting oodles of deep, fruity and nutty aromas. Elsburn whisky is so popular in Germany (people queue down the street for special releases) that it's rarely seen internationally. Outturn of this release: Just 433 bottles at 48.8% abv RRP £99.95		Our label story is a play on the local wingless dragon legend, Hazelworm, and the rather ludicrous amount of German regulations the distillery has to comply with.
My thoughts: Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls leave a thick line which beads up and falls as slow thick legs. Nose: dunnage warehouse, black coffee, black cherries, walnuts and a little smoke. Palate: smooth arrival, brown sugar, dark chocolate and some dunnage warehouse funk. Dried fruit and strawberry jam with a  little sticky toffee pudding - YUMMY!

Corn Whisky #1 5YO @ 47.7% Another new label, and our first ever corn whisky produced in Canada Sadly due to contractual reasons, we’re not allowed to call this a Canadian Whisky on the label (or in writing) but it is a corn whisky that has been produced in Canada - hence ‘Product of Canada’ appears on the label. Confusing eh? Some of the best corn whisky in the world comes from Canada, and I’m really excited to have this in our Boutique-y collection. This 5 Year Old corn whisky has been finished in ex-Oloroso casks Outturn of this release: Just 310 bottles at 47.7% abv RRP £32.95		Our label story takes a look into our compliance team office, or the ‘fun police’ as we often call them...
My thoughts: Appearance: pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: buttery popcorn,  vanilla, almonds, blackberries and plums. Palate: smooth buttery arrival, the popcorn and vanilla from the nose are here along with some hedgerow berries. All rounded off with a gentle ginger spice.

Willowbank (New Zealand) Batch 2 18yo Blended Whisky This is our second batch from this long closed New Zealand distillery. It was the most southerly distillery in the world, producing highly regarded Milford and Lammerlaw Single Malt Whisky. The distillery produced both malt and grain producing such popular whiskies as Wilsons and 45 South. The distillery closed in 1997, and stocks must be surely getting scarcer these days. This release has been matured in ex-red wine casks which bring intense fruit aromas of blackberry and other dark fruits are combining with dark chocolate, tobacco and wood. Outturn of this release: Just 456 bottles at 50.5% abv RRP £159.95		Our label centres around two bunches of grapes with intertwining red roses in full bloom all over a blanket of barley in the background. Did you know that roses are planted at the end of the vines as an early warning system, a ‘canary’ if you like for diseases? The rose thorns acting as protection too for when draft horses were used for working the lines.
My thoughts: Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, bead up and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: furniture polish, blackberry jam, cherries, dark chocolate and oak. Palate: thick fruity arrival, dry oak, dark chocolate and berries : Black Forest Gateau!

Black Gate (Australia) Batch 2 3yo Single Malt One of our very successful Australia Series whiskies, this is the second cask we bought from Brian and Genise Hollingsworth’s Black Gate Distillery. This release is from a ‘solera style’ vatting of casks, all of which were ex-port. A minimum age of three years, although much of the liquid is older. Tawny Port also offers notes of nut, caramel and chocolate. Sometimes even some light taste of tobacco results from the maturing in wood casks. With increasing age, the fresh fruit aromas are transforming into ones of dried fruits and raisins. Outturn of this release: Just 307 bottles at 46.1% abv RRP £109.95		Our label features Brian and Genise’s home distillery. The distillery building is located next to their bungalow home. Kangaroos and emus are a common sight here, often getting onto the property and wandering around outside the distillery. Their small dachshund ‘Frankie’ an unofficial mascot of the distillery has been found herding wandering emus off the property. We’ve recreated some of Frankie’s night-time  escapades on our label here Brian’s motorbike can be seen parked out front now.
My thoughts: Appearance: dark gold in the glass, swirls leave a hairline crack in the glass, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: thick fruity arrival, hedgerow fruit, hazelnuts, baked apples smothered in honey, stewed plums and a cinnamon spice. Palate: dry sugary arrival, berry fruit notes, burnt sugar and some herbal notes. YUMMY!

Saillt Mòr (Germany) 4yo Single Malt It’s another first, and another new label for this German distillery. There’s a long distilling history to tell here, the licence to distil was granted in 1602! Distilling from grain was forbidden on that original licence, but plans for a whisky distillery were drawn up in 2009. Their own whisky is released under the name Saillt Mòr [sɛːlt moːr] which comes from Gaelic and means “large saltworks” because the largest of the former 7 salines (graduation towers) ran on the site of the distillery today. Our Saillt Mòr has been matured in an ex-sherry cask, with a Bourbon cask finish - oddly the other way around to most sherry finished whiskies! Outturn of this release: Just 334 bottles at 64.1% abv (Cask Strength) RRP £69.95		Our label story has a 1600s Baroque feel, referencing the long history of distilling in the region; with distiller Ralf Hauer playing the part of fruit harvesting, distilling, sampling maturing stock, and climbing to the top of the Bad Durkheim saline graduation tower.
My thoughts: Appearance: light gold in the glass, swirls leave a hairline crack in the glass, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: seaweed, smoke, a little dark chocolate. The ABV has jumped up here and it comes across as dried tropical fruit notes. Palate: sweet thick arrival, huge ginger spice notes, woody vanilla, strawberry jam. A little water offers some honey and tropical fruit notes. Nice!

Balcones (USA) Batch 4 2yo Corn Spirit The Balcones distillery was founded in 2008 right in the heart of Texas. It all started in an old welding shop, under a bridge in Waco. After turning a workshop into a distillery, the first spirit ran in 2009. Making a true Texan style whisky was always in their plans. They never wanted to imitate Scotch whisky. This is a Texan Blue Corn Whisky, made using roast Hopi blue corn, that’s been smoked using their ‘Brimstone’ process, and then matured in a PX sherry cask. Brimstone is Balcones’ smoked whisky using a unique process of smoking the whisky using Texan scrub oak. The result is a whisky full of fresh, youthful corn and light fruit notes married with a bold smokiness. Outturn of this release: Just 269 bottles at 50.0% abv RRP £69.95		This label is truly something to behold! Depicting your every day metal concert, courtesy of The Brimstone Cowboys in the fiery depths of Hades. The band members look remarkably like some of the guys from the distillery! That’s Head Distiller Jared out front on the Flying Vee.
My thoughts: Appearance: bronze in the glass, swirls cling as a thick line which beads up and falls a slow thick legs. Nose: dunnage warehouse / musty bookshop notes of old oak, dark chocolate, blackberries, treacle and smoke. Palate: thick smoky arrival, berry jam, burnt coffee and lingering Parma violets to finish - strange but interesting!

The English Whisky Co. (England) Batch 4 9YO Single Malt This is our 4th batch from England’s oldest whisky distillery, and it’s had a full maturation in an Oloroso Sherry cask. The English Whisky Company led the new wave of English whisky makers when they released the first English single malt for more than a hundred years in 2009. This 9 Year Old peated malt has been matured in an ex-Oloroso Sherry cask Outturn of this release: Just 362 bottles at 67% abv (Cask Strength) RRP £79.95		Our label story has been told many times before - the classic tale of St George and the dragon, from inside George’s helmet.
My thoughts: Appearance: light gold in the glass, swirls leave a hairline crack in the glass, take an age to bead up and fall as slow thin legs. Nose: smoked kippers, smoky bacon, seaweed - Caol Ila? Palate: smoky, sweet with a hint of salt - blind you'd say Caol Ila. Some nutty notes and a then you get some strawberry jam - nice!

That Boutique-y Whisky Company Wine Cask Series Lineup:

Armorik Batch 2 5YO Single Malt - £69.95

Puni 4YO Single Malt - £74.95

Teerenpeli 5YO Single Malt - £69.95

Elsburn Batch 2 3YO Single Malt - £99.95

Corn Whisky #1 5YO - £32.95

Willowbank Batch 2 18YO Blended Whisky - £159.95

Black Gate Batch 2 3YO Single Malt - £109.95

Saillt Mòr 4YO Single Malt - £69.95

Balcones Batch 4 2YO Corn Spirit - £69.95

The English Whisky Co. Batch 4 9YO Single Malt - £79.95

That Boutique-y Rum Company Wine Cask Series Lineup:

Secret Distillery #5 7YO Multi-Column Still - £54.95

Foursquare 10YO Pot & Column Still - £59.95

Engenho Nova da Madeira 3YO Traditional Column Still - £49.95

The Flying Dutchman 4YO Pot Still - £59.95

Alongside the ‘headliners’ there’s also a collection of seven Scotch whiskies, from 6 to 30 Years Old, from the Speyside, Highland, and Campbeltown regions, and a grain whisky from a long closed distillery.