Luxury packaging artisan Hunter Luxury has partnered with Tomatin Distillery to celebrate the exquisite artistry of blended whisky with two exclusive packs for The Antiquary, an award-winning range of premium 21- and 30-year-old expressions.
Like the whiskies themselves, the packaging contains a captivating combination of traditional and modern elements. Based on a design concept from renowned design agency Contagious, the rigid box features a large window that frames the Edwardian-inspired cut glass bottle like a painting and is enhanced with a range of modern finishing techniques that demonstrate Hunter Luxury’s trademark attention to detail.
The rigid boxes are printed in different colors to differentiate the whiskies. The box for the 21-year-old whisky, which took home a prestigious Double Gold medal and Best in Class award from the Singapore World Spirits Competition, features an opulent burgundy hue that calls to mind the Tawny Port from the casks it was aged in and is premiumised through the delicate application of foil detailing using three different foil colors. The box for the bold 30-year-old expression, meanwhile, uses a rich brown and gold color scheme, with the interior finished using embossed gold foil.
“These whiskies are the result of centuries of artistry, passed down through generations of craftspeople,” said Paul Hamilton, head of wines & spirits at Hunter Luxury. “We really wanted our packaging to be a love letter to them and their art, which is kept alive by talented teams like our friends at Tomatin. The blended whisky revival is one of the most exciting trends shaping the spirits market now, and we wanted to capture that unique blend of sensations that makes it so exciting for today’s consumers.
“We decided to combine a traditional shape with bold modern elements and eye-catching finishing techniques. Just like the whiskies themselves, these boxes might look simple at first glance, but each one contains hidden depth and complexity in the form of the detail on the inside of the box.”
The revived Antiquary range, which is also available as a 15-year-old expression, pays tribute to the brand’s storied history, having been founded in 1880 by J&W Hardie. Over its 150-year history, it became known for its packaging, in particular its eye-catching diamond-shaped bottle.
“Capturing the personality of a brand with so much history is the sort of challenge we relish,” added Hamilton. “From concept to creation, working with the brand to deliver packaging excellence is what we do.”
