Undisclosed Speyside Archives - More Drams, Less Drama

Official Glenlivet 12 and Speyside #4 Batch 13 Boutique-y

7th March 20247th March 2024Coldorak

Glenlivet is a distillery that left an indelible mark on Scotch whisky, particularly in the Speyside region. Many distilleries appended ‘Glenlivet’ to their name for years to align themselves with its esteemed reputation and the distinctive style of whisky crafted in Speyside. For further insight into this historical context, I recommend reading an article by the Professor on the now defunct scotchwhisky.com. Originally, this review was intended to feature a Glenlivet 12-year-old bottled in the 1970s or 1980s. Unfortunately, half of my miniature bottle evaporated, rendering the whisky flat and lifeless. Instead, we’ll explore an official Glenlivet 12-year-old from 2018, alongside a mysterious Speyside #4 Batch 13 from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Yes, we may have tried a few other whiskies from Boutique-y recently! The identity of the secret Speyside #4 distillery remains a mystery, of course!

That Boutique-y Whisky Company's core range

That Boutique-y Whisky Core Range

6th November 20236th November 2023Coldorak

That Boutique-y Whisky Company has gained fame for its extensive collection of independent bottlings released since 2013, and at this date a total of 883 of them have been documented on WhiskyBase. Recently, the company expanded its repertoire by introducing its first five core range expressions, effectively extending this impressive list. Additionally, there is a sixth core release in the form of their World Whisky Blend, which we have previously reviewed and will omit from this discussion. Instead, let’s focus on examining the remaining five releases from That Boutique-y Whisky’s core range.

Secret Speyside 1994 Les Grands Alambics

12th August 202312th August 2023Coldorak

We’ve previously reviewed just a single whisky from the French off-licence and independent bottler, Les Grands Alambics – a delightful Croftengea. It seems fitting to rectify that by exploring more of their offerings. Operating from Chambéry in Savoie, France (situated to the east of Lyon and south of Geneva), their independent bottlings fall into two prominent lines: one inspired by jazz, and another themed around birds. In today’s review, we delve into a 1994 Secret Speyside that Les Grands Alambics bottled as part of their bird series back in 2020.

Quick review: Speyside #3 8yo b1 TBWC

2nd December 20192nd December 2019Coldorak

Behind the second window of That Boutique-y Whisky Company’s 2019 Advent Calendar we will be reviewing each day until the 24th of December was hidden a 8 year-old whisky from an undisclosed distillery in Speyside: Speyside #1 8yo Batch 1. Bottled at 50.7% abv, this whisky is not yet available in UK or France, but if we trust the Boutique-y brand ambassador Dave Worthington, it’s available at least in Denmark and Netherlands.