That Boutique-y Whisky Company launched on 12 September 2012 with four single malts: two from Ardbeg and Macallan, and two from Caperdonich and Port Ellen. Start as you mean to go on.
The idea was to create a brand that was a departure from the serious, earnest whisky world. Artist Emily Chappell provided (and does to this day) graphic novel-style labels capturing the character of the distillery or the whisky itself which gave TBWC a completely different look from any other whisky bottle on a back bar or shop shelf. Had anyone ever put a dinosaur fighting a shark on a whisky label before? No. These bottles are not only distinctive but collectable pieces of art.
That Boutique-y Whisky was made by and for a very particular type of whisky nerd. The company has carved out a distinctive niche in the vast panorama of whisky with its unique approach to bottling hand-selected single malts, grains, and blends from renowned distilleries and brands across the globe.
There’s venerable Scottish single malts and robust American bourbons for those who want them, but TBWC has also been a pioneer in presenting the best of what’s exciting in whisky with stock from cutting-edge new distilleries as well as ranges based on concepts like smoke in whisky, cinema, and the end of the world as we know it (the whiskies taste fine). Old grains and blends prove that there’s no snobbery at TBWC too.
After more than 10 years of the single cask, small batch, limited edition, and unrepeatable bottlings, TBWC did the unexpected once again by creating a core range in 2023. Made up of five whiskies, it comprised three single malts from Islay, Speyside, and the Highlands, as well as a Blended Grain Whisky, and a Canadian Corn Whisky (a nod to TBWC head of whisky Sam Simmons, Dr. Whisky himself).
Just months later in 2024, TBWC put together its first cocktail competition for mixologists of any level: The ‘Boutique-y vs. The World’. Entrants were tasked with using TBWC’s Canadian Corn Whisky and up to four additional ingredients to craft a cocktail, totalling five ingredients in homage to the moose on the label. Judges evaluated the drinks on drinkability, creativity, garnish, and the cocktail's name and story and the winner got the chance to bottle their own whisky (with guidance and expertise from Simmons, no less) and had a say in the label design. They also received the first bottling of the whisky, with the remaining bottles sold here at Master of Malt. Pretty cool.