Happy Birthday to That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Happy Birthday to you…

It’s time to raise a glass and celebrate a special milestone birthday of our older sibling: That Boutique-y Whisky Company! 10 years young, and despite a wonderful reputation for shaking things up, the very best years are still ahead!

Check out the latest TBWC blog post for all the details of their fabulous release by clicking here (and it really is worth a peak!). We’re rather excited to be bringing a beautiful new baby to your glasses as well. Well - we say baby, but its first bottling is far from young. Ladies and gentlemen, That Boutique-y Brandy Company - or perhaps more specifically - That Boutique-y Calvados Company in the form of a really old, ‘early landed’ bottling has actually landed. We’ll say no more - go check it out - we’ll be here waiting for you when you return.

We might not be enjoying our significant birthday just yet, but that doesn’t mean we’re not pulling out the good juice to mark their occasion. We’ve four fab bottlings to bring to your tasting glasses. A brand new country of origin in the form of our first ‘Distilled by DARSA’ bottling from Guatemala. A return to two wonderful producers in The Netherlands and Madeira - both of which offer something completely new in the world of Boutique-y Rum; And our final treat? Well that's something pretty damn cool. More about that below, but (hint) - it’s from Trinidad.

Let’s toast our buddies with a glass of something awesome…

Distilled by DARSA Batch 1 - 14 Year Old - 57.2% ABV

SFGD Marque

Multi-Column Still Rum, Single Distillery (Guatemala)

It's an absolute pleasure to make our first Boutique-y trip to the central American country of Guatemala for our bottling from Destiladora de Alcoholes y Rones Sociedad Anónima (DARSA). It's a country well known for its multi-cask type solera blends that are presented in the sweeter style, and single cask offerings allow for an unrivalled snapshot of an untouched component before the confusion of the solera.

It's easy for the Rum-geeks to be dismissive of short fermentation, multi-column continuous distillation set-ups, but this bottling reminds us that there is a Rum for everyone, and this is an absolute belter for those taking first steps beyond the mainstream offerings. Ridiculously drinkable, you’ll be surprised just how easily this full proof offering can be enjoyed!

This release was distilled in 2008 and matured in an ex-bourbon cask in Guatemala for four years before being transferred to the UK for a further nine years before bottling.

The label shows a feathered serpent, parting the clouds that shroud the high altitude city of Quetzaltenango "the place of the quetzal bird”. It’s a location some 2,300+ metres above sea level and the home of the ageing stocks of Ron de Guatemala, of which our bottling spent some time before its travels.

Nose: A nutty combo of fresh coconut and brazil nuts. Sweet cane sugar and vanilla, honey and milk chocolate.

Palate: Sweet vanilla onto the palate, with a lovely oily mouthfeel. Overripe mango, sultanas, toffee, dark fudge chocolate.

Finish: Dried hazelnuts, black olive, tannic black tea, and bitter chocolate.

The Flying Dutchman Batch 2 - 4 Year Old - 55.6% ABV

Oloroso Sherry Cask

Pot Still Rum, Single Distillery (The Netherlands)

Our latest bottling from Zuidam Distillery in The Netherlands continues the excellent work of turning people's expectations of a cask profile on its head. Batch one featured old ex-solera production Pedro Ximénez Sherry cask, and our batch two offers a glorious experience of a very old ex-solera production Oloroso Sherry cask - a sipping experience that will make you rethink what you think you know about sherry cask flavour profiles. Oh - and it was matured entirely at Zuidam before transfer to the UK for bottling.

In one of our favourite labels ever, a roiling sea of fermenting molasses, bubbles beneath a nightmarish sky… is this the most ominous label or what? The sharp eyed folks will notice our hero Patrick van Zuidam features in his Willy Wonka garb (now sporting an eyepatch) looking cool as a cucumber despite the hell-scape around him. A member of the crew hands him his telescope - Patrick always has one eye on the future! The good news is that it looks like a pitched battle is being won by the crew of the Howard Pyle. The nearest ship to them has been holed, and is slipping below the waves - the inept, cowardly Captain clinging to the mast. Another ship has turned tail and is making off like a Bat out of hell. Despite appearances, we can’t be far from The Netherlands, as I’m sure that there is a windmill in the background.

Nose: A nose packed full of all kinds of fruit - dried sultanas, raisins, and dates, along with cherry, red grape flesh, and hints of strawberries. Fresh coconut, butterscotch, and a hint of cumin and coriander seeds.

Palate: Soft and sweet onto the palate, with an oily golden syrup texture. Creamy vanilla. Roasted parsnips, brazil nuts, and dry oak.

Finish: A lingering finish of fresh ginger heat and leather and dark, bitter chocolate.

O Reizinho Distillery Batch 3 - 9 Month Old - 57% ABV

Ex-Madeira Wine Cask (French Oak)

Pot Still Rum, Single Distillery (Madeira)

That Boutique-y Rum Company returns to the craft Rum Agrícola da Madeira producer: O Reizinho with a bottling that straddles the vibrant unaged ‘white’ releases, and its genuine aged offerings. Under Madeira Rum law, a Rum needs to be a minimum of three years old before it's considered ‘aged’, however this nine month rested Rum clearly displays the bright gold hue of time in cask, and the interaction that the Rum has benefitted from presents immediately on the palate - the spirit of the new make sugarcane juice Rum is still present (grassy green olive and crisp white summer fruits), but now it nudges up gently against the soft dried stone fruit of the ex-Madeira fortified wine cask that softens the spirit, lends weight and mouthfeel. One of those situations that proves age is just a number when it comes to flavour.

Produced during the 2019 growing season, this nine month old Agricole Rum was matured entirely in Madeira at O Reizinho before being shipped to the UK for bottling.

Nose: Green olive, cardamom pods, and lots of green banana, lychee, crisp white nectarine, and zesty lemon. Delicate floral notes of white rose.

Palate: Sweet syrup mouthfeel, maple syrup and jammy victoria plum. Vanilla and raisins.

Finish: Vanilla custard gives way to gentle tannic notes of peppery dried hazelnuts.

Caroni Batch 12 - 20 Year Old - 63.2% ABV

Islay Cask Finish / HTR Marque

Traditional Column Rum, Single Distillery (Trinidad)

The famed Caroni Distillery closed in 2002 and brought with it the end of ‘heavy’ rum production in Trinidad. The ever-dwindling stocks have become ever more desirable for collectors and Rum enthusiasts alike. Such heavy iconic Rum is generally left in the original casks, and released untouched, but here at Boutique-y Rum HQ, we couldn’t help but wonder what Caroni would taste like if it spent a spell in a peaty whisky cask - I mean we ‘might’ have had one eye on the future eh? Would the cask of the undisclosed whisky producer based on Islay have an influence on the flavour, or would the heavy Trinidad Rum remain unconquered? Our Batch 12 bottling allows you the opportunity to find out for yourself.

Will we be cast into the depths of rummy-hell for the crime of ‘finishing’ a Caroni? I guess time will tell, but in our opinion, it’s a cracking sip ‘o rum!

Nose: Burnt rubber, tarmac, smoky black tea, with hints of eucalyptus, and briny black olive vie against toffee, plummy fruity sweetness.

Palate: Dates, molasses, crispy bacon, fresh walnuts and a zesty orange note.

Finish: More black tea and crispy bacon, dark chocolate, black tea, and smoky-oaky dried almonds, and hazelnuts.


Don’t forget to take a moment to check out That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Master of Malt blog to make sure you don’t miss a trick! And if you've ever wondered who the talent behind the gorgeous TBWC labels is - please do check out this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tS8vVPuvBQY

This series is highly limited - when they're gone, they're GONE! Buy yourself a bottle from Master of Malt, or perhaps try a sample dram if you’d like to try before you buy.