For several years now—though the exact starting point is unclear to me—the English retailer Master of Malt has organised its Whisky Santa event. Participants send their whisky wishes through social media for a chance to win, with some exceptional bottles chosen by the team at MoM as special prizes. Occasionally, this humble author took a chance, fully aware that winning seemed unlikely due to residing in France and the shipping restrictions caused by Brexit. Despite this, I continued to participate, and Whisky Santa eventually granted my wish at the end of last year by sending the Boutique-y Whisky Company 2024 Advent Calendar.
Since Whisky Santa could not ship directly to France—something about elves with outdated passports and a sled under repair—the calendar arrived at a trusted friend’s address. Coincidentally, that friend happens to be Dave Worthington, Boutique-y Whisky’s own brand ambassador. When we met again in London at the end of May, during a short trip with my children, the opportunity arose to collect all the whisky previously sent to Dave due to similar shipping challenges.
As this calendar now belongs to last year, and with plans to explore a Cognac advent calendar this year, I’ve decided to open it outside the traditional season. The tasting will not follow the original order; instead, some drams will be grouped together for review. For now, I’ll skip door number one and instead reveal door number two, which contained an Irish Single Malt Whiskey #1, 15-year-old Batch 6 from That Boutique-y Whisky Company.
Irish Single Malt Whiskey #1 15yo Batch 6 That Boutique-y Whisky Company (2024) Review
Behind door number two of the 2024 Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar awaited the Irish Single Malt Whiskey #1, 15-year-old Batch 6. This expression originates from an undisclosed Irish distillery and was bottled in small 375 ml bottles, with a total production of 6,600 bottles. It carries an ABV of 46%, with no added colour or chill filtration. Despite the relatively large outturn, the whisky appears sold out, which is unsurprising given the attractive price of £45 per half bottle—a very good value for a 15-year-old Irish single malt.
Colour:
Pale straw with a grey hue.
Nose:
Neat: The nose releases a burst of fruit aromas, featuring pears, peaches, apples, and apricots. It carries a pleasant intensity at 46% ABV—neither timid nor overpowering. After the fruits aromas dissipate enough appear fresh cereals, dried herbs, and a tangy candy hint.
Palate:
Neat: The palate offers flavours reminiscent of Jaffa cakes dusted with a generous blend of milled pepper and chili pepper. Dry wood spices and spent black tea leaves introduce a slight bitterness, with the fruitiness less pronounced than on the nose. On a second sip, the Jaffa cakes evolve into orange-infused dark chocolate, where the chocolate flavour dominates over the orange. The mouthfeel feels oily and coats the mouth thoroughly.
Finish:
The finish lasts long, with persistent dark chocolate and espresso notes complemented by a lingering peppery warmth.
Comments:
The nose impresses with superb fruitiness, but the palate tells a different story, lacking the bright fruit character suggested by the aroma. Instead, the finish shifts towards more empyreumatic notes, accompanied by a firm pinch of pepper. The decision to bottle this whisky in half-sized American bottles comes as a surprise, suggesting it may have been intended for a specific market, possibly the US (and batch 5, with the same age statement, was a US exclusive bottled in the same bottle size), even though it showed as sold out on Master of Malt. Regardless, this smaller format still offered excellent opportunity and value.
Rating: 7/10
The label design (from the talented Emily Chappel) draws inspiration from the TV show Father Ted, although this connection does not appear in the main images on the home page or my social media posts. These images evoke what the label inspired me, despite the fact that I never saw Father Ted, something I hope to rectify in the future.