From Novelty Bottles to Oak Spirals – 4 Whiskies with Fascinating Gimmicks

Whether it’s a shiny new Lego set, a viral recipe that’s doing the rounds on social media, or a bottle of booze, if there’s one thing that I’m a sucker for, it’s a good gimmick.

Now, when it comes to gimmicks, it’s safe to say that opinions are divided. Some people believe that they’re tacky and a complete waste of money, whereas others appreciate the quirkiness of them and enjoy something that stands out. I’m definitely more of the latter.

For those of you who have been loyal GreatDrams readers for a number of years now, you may remember back in 2019, how I wrote about the Top 10 Whisky Bottles By Design. Since then, a lot has changed in the world of whisky, and indeed, in the world in general, yet as you can see from that previous list, some things have remained the same.

For today’s topic, I thought I’d do something similar and look at whiskies that stand out. So, without any further delay, here’s a look at four whiskies with fascinating gimmicks.

Oak & Eden Bourbon & Spire Whiskey

Long before I started working with whisky for a living, I would often dabble in home brewing. As well as whisky, I made everything from beer and cider to gin and mead.

While browsing the homebrewing shop one day, I came across oak spirals. These are basically small spirals of oak that are designed to fit inside demijohns or bottles. They basically mimic the effects of oak cask aging your tipples. They’re shaped like a spiral to increase the surface area and allow more of the oaky tannins and notes to leach into the liquid. And do you know something? They really work.

American distillers Oak & Eden are also clearly fans, as their Bourbon & Spire whiskey utilises these very products, and the results are very impressive. After aging their bourbon in charred American oak casks, the whiskey is then bottled where it undergoes an additional in-bottle finish thanks to the addition of a toasted and charred oak spiral, or spire, as they call it.

The oak spire helps to impart a more tannic, oaky character, along with more concentrated sweet honey, coconut, vanilla, brown sugar, and toffee notes like you’d expect from a bourbon.

The Dalmore Stag Whisky Bottles

I’m a big fan of The Dalmore whisky. This Highlands distillery is renowned for its slightly sweet, slightly floral, fruity, complex drams. Trust me, they’re very moreish, though I’m sure you probably know that already.

Not only do I enjoy the whisky they produce, I also love the branding and their bottles. A Dalmore bottle is unmistakable due to the silver coloured 12-pointed metal stag sitting proudly at the front of each bottle. The stag emblem was gifted to Clan Mackenzie after their leader saved King Alexander III from a feral stag in 1263.

I actually covered this story a few years ago, so feel free to give that a read as it’s a fascinating tale. Once you know the story behind the stag, this really makes you appreciate The Dalmore even more. It’s an iconic whisky with an iconic Scottish brand, and I’m all for it.

Shotgun Blast Whiskey

This next whiskey gimmick from Machine Head is bound to divide people, and it has certainly proved controversial to say the least.

The whiskey itself is a limited-edition bourbon blend made from their 3.8 year and 11 year old bourbon. Made from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley. It offers all the notes you’d expect from a bourbon, though there’s a definite spiciness thanks to the rye.

That all sounds fairly normal and above board so far, right? Well, now we get to the presentation. You see, this set is presented in a decorative case, and features not one, but two bottles of bourbon, in the shape of shotguns, or, sawed off shotguns, as they say in Hollywood! As if that wasn’t OTT enough, you also get two shot glasses in the shape and design of shotgun shells.

Personally, I’m not too sure about the design, but it’s definitely different, I’ll give them that.

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie

Finally, this bottle design from Bruichladdich was certainly a bold move considering the fiercely loyal single malt fanbase that Scotch whisky enjoys. It was certainly a gamble, and I’m very happy to say that it paid off as the dram has been receiving rave reviews for quite some time now.

The Classic Laddie from Bruichladdich is a 10 year old single malt made from 100% Scottish barley. Despite being an Islay expression, it is unpeated and offers up sweet, oaky, floral, herbal notes with a much lighter feel. This is thanks to the American and Spanish oak casks used for the maturation, combined with the coastal environment of Islay.

The gimmick-y side of things comes in the form of the bottle. Rather than a conventional clear or dark glass bottle, The Classic Laddie comes in an aqua blue coloured matte bottle which is made from 60% recycled glass. If you’ve ever seen a bottle of Cornish Twin Fin spiced rum, the bottles are very similar. It definitely seems to be a popular design choice for drops matured in coastal environments.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Tags: Fascinating GimmicksNovelty BottlesOak Spiralswhiskies

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.