Whisky Focus - Catto's Blend Gets A New Look

Catto's, one of Scotland's oldest blends gets a new look.

International Beverage’s blended Scotch whisky Catto’s is one of the oldest blended Scotch whiskies around but sadly we see very little of it here in the UK as most of it heads to overseas marketplaces.

The whisky’s founder, James Catto is a legendary figure in the development of the Scotch Whisky industry, being credited as one of the very first whisky blenders. It was in 1861 that he began his business in Aberdeen by deciding to blend the high quality local Highland malt whiskies he sold in his grocery store with popular Lowland grain whiskies until he felt he’d created the finest blended Scotch – his whisky was an instant success. James was an ambitious businessman and this pioneer of blending who was one of the first to ship whisky around the world.

Still popular today, Catto's portfolio includes Rare Old Scottish, Deluxe 12 year old and the 25 year old which featured in the 150th anniversary edition which I was lucky enough to try back in 2011.

The folks at Inter Bev have decided to give the whisky a makeover and have unveiled a new look bottle and packaging for the whisky. The dynamic and elegant new bottle design has a contemporary aesthetic whilst retaining core whisky cues. The label shape takes inspiration from a boat’s bow and the bottle features a ‘ripple effect’, as though a boat is cutting a path through the waves on the ocean. The design pays tribute to the whisky’s early connections with the golden age of ocean travel on P&O and White Star shipping lines which also hail from Aberdeen, it reflects the story of the ocean liners that would have taken Catto’s Blended Scotch whisky to all the corners of the world.

Catto’s new look is being unveiled to the global industry next month launching first in Canada, Russia and Spain, then rolling out globally in 2016.

Meanwhile you may be lucky and find some with the old packaging available from the specialist whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange.
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

Whisky Focus