12 Comical Whisky Labels

Scotch is a serious thing. Think old dudes in thick sweaters reading dusty tomes by Robert Burns while hunting dogs sleep at their feet. There’s a fire roaring. There’s pipe smoke. And a bottle of something that’s really hard to pronounce/spell sitting on the side table. Scotch is not to be taken lightly. Please, no smiling, right?

Not according to That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC), which works with some of the world’s most renowned distilleries to release small batch spirits that otherwise wouldn’t see the light of day. According to the company, some of these whiskies are experiments, some are pet projects and others are tweaks on popular recipes. TBWC gives these rare spirits a chance to shine through limited releases (they’ve just started doing something similar with gin, too). It’s a noble effort. But I really like what they’re doing with their labels, which are given a ridiculous, comic-book treatment. Imagine a well-aged single malt from Allt-a-Bhainne that’s wrapped in a label where cows are singing lyrics from House of Pain.

Personally, I appreciate the levity that the labels bring to this classic spirit. Here are my 10 favorite labels from their whisky series.

1 of 12 Allt-a-Bhainne is best known for their blended whiskies, but this single malt delivers notes of pepper and cinnamon.

2 of 12 The BeinRiach distillery has been around since the 1800s. Sure, they took 60 years off during the first half of the 20th century, but still. That's impressive.

3 of 12 A blended whisky with all kinds of fruit and chocolate notes.

4 of 12 This single malt comes from the northern coast of Islay.

5 of 12 The Deanston distillery is partly powered by hydropower. That's cool.

6 of 12 Fettercairn has a unique way of distilling their Scotch so that it has a lighter body than most of its counterparts.

7 of 12 Is it just me, or does this label look like a scene from The Walking Dead?

8 of 12 Probably my favorite label of the bunch. Simple, but super weird.

9 of 12 Apparently, the Glenrothes distillery is home to a ghost, which you can see on this label.

10 of 12 That Boutique-y Whisky Company doesn't just bottle scotch. They also pulled some hooch from Heaven Hill, one of our most storied bourbon producers.