A good bottle of whisky is indicative of good taste. At least, that’s my excuse for consistently having a couple of single malts on the go at any one time. But nothing says good taste better than a boutique whisky. I’m not talking about the usual Glens that litter most pub top shelves. I’m talking about the more intriguing, unusual liquids that you just don’t see that often. Often, they come with a distinctive flavour profile, often they’ll come with labels that demand attention but always they’re worth trying. So, if you’re using your whisky collection as shorthand for your impeccable taste – or simply want to sample off the beaten Highland track – look no further.
Wharf Distillery Equinox, £85
A port finish whisky is always a good bet if you like smoother, sweeter drams – as I do. Seriously, I can’t get enough of the stuff, and Wharf Distillery’s twist on the theme has everything you could want. It’s not just a touch either. The whisky’s aged in much smaller casks than normal, giving the liquid an accelerated aging process, offering the kind of complexity you’d expect from a whisky many times its age. If that weren’t boutique enough, there’s also a pagan flavour to the aptly named Equinox. That being, well, the Equinox. Each barrel is filled on the Vernal Equinox and bottled on the Autumnal equinox. Whether that helps the flavour or not, I can’t rightly say. But it’s a cool thing to know about your whisky all the same.
More details at Wharf.
Woven Hemispheres, £50
Woven is all about creating unusual blends. Most mainstream whiskies are blended and they can often show off something greater than the sum of their parts. Those parts however are usually at least geographically similar; not so with Hemispheres. On the one hand you have single grain whisky from Scotland, the consistent base to most Scotch blends you’ll have sampled before. On the other however, you have a single malt from New Zealand label Thomson based on a manuka-smoked distillate. The result is equal parts smoky and floral, two very different whiskies finding harmony. Think orange, incense and a herby finish, soft and lingering. It’s fantastic – and worryingly affordable for something like this.
More details at Woven.
Samaroli Single Malt Speyside 2022 Scotch Whisky, £98
I promised fantastic labels and that was pretty much all directed at Samaroli. The Italian whisky curator took one look at some of the funky labels coming out of New World wines and thought, ‘we can do better.’ And so, they did, approaching whisky with an oenophile’s palate. The descriptions of their drams are written like poetic riddles, but the general rule of thumb is complexity and intensity. Their 2022 Speyside edition is rich and spicy, with toasted notes and plenty of florality. It’s as well balanced as you’d expect from the legendary whisky area, but dialled up to new heights. If you have this on your shelf, someone will want to try it. If you let them, they may well try to leave with the bottle.
More details at Samaroli.
House Of Hazelwood Legacy Collection The Transatlantic, £1,300
A fine whisky isn’t always about flexing your wallet as much as it is your palate, but every now and then you can do both. First, House of Hazelwood don’t do things in halves and ‘premium’ doesn’t come close. The fact that this bottle sits at £1,300 and is still their de facto entry level says a lot. But more importantly, it does what the brand does best: surprises. The Transatlantic is named such for a very good reason. If you were to blind taste test the liquid, you’d assume it was bourbon rather than Scotch. That’s not just because of the American oak, but the creaminess, the sweetness and the mouthfeel of a fantastic bourbon, underpinned by aged Scottish grain whisky. It’s miraculous. You can also win a virtual tasting session with House of Hazelwood here.
More details at House of Hazelwood.
That Boutique-Y Whisky Company North British, £89.95
Combining unusual distilleries and stories with the kind of labels that would put Beavertown to shame, That Boutique-y Whisky Company does what it says on the tin. In this instance, that tin denotes a maize-based blended grain whisky from the historical North British Distillery, aged for 35 years. It also has Blofeld and his signature cat on the label… and I’m not sure which of those two makes me want a bottle more. This is a particularly light whisky for its age, perfect for introducing people to what makes a great, mature dram. Think vanilla and tropical on the nose, with a sweet-spicy flavour and oak aplenty. If this doesn’t have non-believers lining up to sample it, nothing will.
More details at thatboutiqueywhiskycompany.com
