I first tasted the regular release of Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky a few years ago as part of an international whisky tasting that I co-organised. Bain’s is from South Africa and so it added not just another country, but another continent to the line-up. It had other things going for it too, as it was well reviewed, balanced the budget for the tasting, and seemed to be a good opening dram because it is a low ABV single grain.
That Boutique-y Whisky Company are one of my go-to’s when it comes to independent bottlers. Behind the light-hearted cartoony labels, there’s a passion for challenging whisky norms. They’re not afraid to bottle something left-field. They’re committed to age-statements, no matter how small. And, perhaps most importantly, they recognise that tastes are as diverse as the liquid they bottle. I don’t enjoy, nor write about whisky because it all tastes the same – I’m here to be adventurous. So are Boutique-y.