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AND AWAY WE GO! KWM 2021 Whisky Calendar Day 1: That Boutique-y Whisky Co. 24 Year

Posted on December 1, 2021

by Evan

Welcome to the 2021 Kensington Wine Market Whisky Calendar!

Today is the day! We have finally reached the time to start diving into the 2021 KWM Whisky Calendar. Time to crack open the larger-than-other-doors door number one. Pull out that glass, read the scroll and take a look at that beautiful first mini of whisky! What do we have here? A 24 Year Old on day number one?!?!

That's right. We are opening on the well-matured side of things this year. This is That Boutique-y Whisky Company's Speyside #4 Batch 1 24 Year Old. That is a mouthful. But what does it all mean?

That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC) is part of the Atom Group, which also owns the UK retailer Master of Malt and several other subsidiaries. They are a dynamic and innovative firm that was the first to develop and release a Whisky Advent Calendar concept. Established in 2012, TBWC bottles whiskies from around the world, though the bulk of their offerings are of Scottish origin. Most of their bottlings are small-batch releases, Blended Malts, and Blends. Their "Head of Whisky" is Canadian Sam Simmons who ages ago operated a great blog titled Dr. Whisky. He also spent a few years as Global Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich.

We are big fans of That Boutique-y Whisky Company and are proud to carry a large number of their offerings. What sets them apart from other independent bottlers is their quirky and geeky sense of humour, which is showcased on the label of every bottle they sell. Each 500ml bottle from TWBC contains a comic-book-esque picture telling a story about the distillery the whisky comes from or some of the staff at the company doing something weird. Sometimes both are portrayed in the same picture. These labels are also typically laced with hidden elements or easter eggs related to the distillery or its history.

You can browse our current selection of That Boutique'y Whisky Company bottles here

Now, back to the bottle at hand. 

This is Batch 1 of Speyside #4, which still doesn't tell us very much. What do we know? It is a Speyside Single Malt, bottled at 47.8%, after 24 years. We did have 30 bottles of this in full-size about a year and a half ago. We cracked one and loved it, so when we found out that we could 50ml bottles of it for our KWM Whisky Calendar we jumped at the opportunity. Here is some information on the funky label directly from TBWC themselves:

"This label is based on the beginning of a Manga-inspired story featuring Dave Worthington as a ‘Wild West of Scotland’ a whisky warrior. This will be the first story of the series of labels of his detailed adventures. Beginning with this one the bestowing of his powers by the Whisky Gods. The setting is dark with just a few single spot lights on Dave to give light around him. There are heads carved within the stone surrounding him, as he is in a chamber. To the left hand side in the foreground is a cloaked women with her hood down. Her head is raised, mouth open and arm raised aloft, clutching Banjolnir, a Banjo, the mystical instrument of the Whisky Gods which is fizzing with light energy. In the centre Dave is kneeled with his head bowed but in respect, not fear, mindful of the awesome responsibility being given to him. He is dressed in jeans, a shirt and waistcoat, with a single leather, Bandolero strap across his chest - with, instead of bullets, a range of different pipes as well as a couple of harmonicas in it. His beard should have some real quality to it - it is quite likely that his beard may turn out to be where his power is held as the story evolves."

So, what does that tell us? Dave Worthington loves banjos. I don't think it gives us any clue as to which Speyside distillery this hails from. Unless it is from Speyside Distillery itself? I don['t think so, but you never know... Regardless, this 24-Year-Old mystery needs to be tasted, and now is the time to do so. Crack open that tiny little cap and christen your brand new KWM Whisky Calendar Glencairn glass with it!

That Boutique-y Whisky Co. Speyside #4 Batch 1 24-Year-Old - 47.8%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Malty with roasted almonds, banana chips, pineapple upside-down cake, shortbread cookies and rice crispy squares, toasted oak, and a gentle waft of pipe tobacco smoke. Could there be a slight touch of peat in this?

Palate: A burst of spice and fruit and a creamy texture. Baked plantains, seedless grapes, morning oatmeal with milk and a drizzle of honey stirred in, angel food cake, white chocolate, macadamia nuts, and kettle corn with a dash of salt, 

Finish: There is that touch of peat again. Light, spice-driven and earthy in style with sweet barley notes sticking around to counter them.

Comment: It would be a wonderful whisky even without it, but love the lightly peated twist this one has. It is hard to tell if the malt itself was peated or if it was aged in a cask that previously held peated whisky. Either way, it is a lovely and characterful dram that I was very happy to revisit.

There you have it - whisky number one is in the bag. Only twenty-four more to go! Don't forget to join us for our whisky recap sessions via zoom which will be held on December 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 27th. Stay tuned tomorrow for door number two!

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

This entry was posted in Store, Whisky, Tastings, Whisky Calendars, Independent Bottler, KWM Whisky Calendar 2021

 

 

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