Macallan 25 Year Old That Boutique-y Whisky Company Batch #12

It may be hard to imagine today, but for much of the 20th century, Macallan was primarily a constituent malt in blends. It was not until the 1980s downturn in the market that the distillery decided to focus on its single malt brand. Fortuitously, this coincided with the crest of a wave of enthusiasm for the high quality releases that the distillery had licensed to Campbell, Hope & King and Gordon & MacPhail in the 1960s and 1970s. These remain some of the most collectible on the market. While global single malt sales volume is still lead by Speyside neighbours, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet, Macallan is easily the most sought after. So much so in fact, that they had to open a brand new distillery in 2018, a subterranean architectural masterpiece within the Easter Elchies estate, boasting 36 copper pot stills.

Launched in 2012, That Boutique-y Whisky Company is an independent bottler and subsidiary of the Atom Group in Kent, England. Their releases are notable for their use of comic book style graphic labels, often with irreverent industry jokes concealed within them. Their catalogue is hugely expansive, covering whiskies from all over the world, and they are now joined by sister companies who bottle Gin and Rum.

Batch #12 yielded only 31 bottles.