A few months ago, I was at Aloha Whisky Bar (where I film all my videos) and chatting to David, the owner, about the inconsistency in a certain company's labels across a multi-year series and I said to him "I should make a video about this, and design in general". You beat me to it! Really enjoyed listening to your analysis, and personally would love to see more of these!
Haha great minds. I have been planning to do this from the start with the series being called "drams by design" It just took so long to work out how to do it. Currently working on another one so keep your eyes peeled. Cheers!
Commenting before I’ve watched this video. But I’m going Longrow, Kilkerran, Hazelburn, Springbank, Glen Scotia. Excited now to see how you ranked them.
V. much enjoyed this. New to whisky but luv design. Looking at this botles the variation of Glen Scotia should be the winner. Then the colorus of Springbank, Art of Kilkerran then silver Hazelburn than boring Longrow
Glad to hear you liked it. I will start planning on doing more. Certainly learnt a lot when creating this one. You don't seem to be alone with Springbank! Cheers for watching!
Hey Dram Dribbler! Love this idea, as you do 'drink with your eyes, before your drink with your mouth'. Have you ever seen the Willet Pot Still bourbon? apparently mid-shelf bourbon, with a hell of a cool bottle that means a load of people pick it up... But then struggle to find somewhere to actually store it! I'm always torn as to whether it's a good design or a bad one.
I have seen it and am only aware of it due to how it looks 😂. It must be good design if it sells the product even if it is bad design. A bit like Mellow Corn. Cheers for watching, I will have to do another of these.
Great video! Love the Glen Scotia current/old labels... not a fan of the large logos that have been recently introduced to match the new Loch Lomond branding Springbanks consistent colour scheme is great and works very well for them, but I agree with the reservations for Hazelburn. The silver foil labels aren't great, and avoiding the clear issues with the print. The black on silver at the edges makes the whole aesthetic look very scruffy, especially when the edging gets scuffed on the shelf and in transit
I regret not talking about the Neon Green Cows in the old Glen Scotia packaging! Now that would 100% won. I didn't think about how the label would age and how the Hazelburn silver sticker would become dated. Cheers for watching and commenting!
Very interesting video for me (i'm not a designer but "used to be" a painter & also studied calligraphy) but I'm biased too because of the content appreciation of those bottles...(it would also be interesting to put those labels to the test to designers who doesn't drink whisky). You did a great job there I think....Personally I struggle to give a satisfying order of ranking also because of label variations (for instance I'm a huge fan of the "S" iconic logo of Springbank & its cream labels, showcasing way more the distillery class than those current "close to neutral" bi-color labels, I do love the Local Barley ones but prefer the first generation of Local Barley bottlings, I absolutely agree about what you said on the Longrow / Hazelburn & also Glen Scotia in a way, though I prefer their pre-rebranding font...My biggest problem is with the Kilkerran logo....For some reason the black & white choice for me here enhances the idea of poor content, plus the rest of the label, and the tower view comes across for me as a jail view (terrible !) because of the 2 vertical bars (it must just be me I guess ???) so I discard it....I even prefer the previous 'WIP" bottling labels from them....Anyway I think you're adding a great value to your channel doing these kind of videos (you must be the only one to do this) & I would like to see it more, for instance every year (or even every 6 months ?) you could do a "Labels of the Year"/ "Bottle design of the Year" video, I'm sure it'll get some interest for whisky lovers....Cheers & great job here, Jeff ! 👍
Never knew you studied calligraphy, it is something that I have always wanted to get into! I can see what you mean regarding the jail view on Kilkerran. I plan on doing a lot more design based breakdowns!! Cheers
@@JeffWhisky I was just a 1 year credit (not sure it's the correct translation in English) in University, I also had one several years about cinema (including experimental one) but mainly i have a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts & Esthetic (Philosophy applied to Arts), including one year of English related to Arts, loved that as it made me discover great British painters such as Turner, Constable & the Preraphaelites, but also the German Romantic Tradition (C.D. Friedrich being one of my favorite painters ever)...Long story (I have a painter's website too, btw)
I really like the Kilkerran label. Yes, it makes me feel like I'm a prisoner behind the two vertical bars, but what it's showing is the view *outside* the prison, something aspirational or dreaming; not just the spire but also the clouds in the sky. I really like the block-cut printing impression of the KK logo/picture/design. It's not slick and nor should it be, but it is strong/bold and powerful. And I like the text "border" to the picture, i.e. words running up & down the sides. There is a view from the distillery yard through a gap in a stone wall of the church spire that matches the picture used on this logo. I agree that the pastel coloured WIP/early KK labels looked very striking. Others (probably Whisky Mystery/Phil & Deepa?) have commented on older Springbank labels with the background of repeated rows of text, which were very striking/pleasing. I like the font of the text Springbank but am less keen on the big S itself with the cut/slice through the middle. The "tail" on the top of the S is striking. I like the different colours/colour-coding of the standard releases although they're often hard colours rather than the lovely pastel tones of the KK ones mentioned above. I also really like the picture of the barley field used for the Local Barley: quintessential. I'm less keen on the font used for Longrow, but I do like the "old-fashioned" look of the picture of the distillery buildings. It "looks" 1930s or earlier, by the artistry as well as the scene itself. Yes, I know: 1830s not 1930s, but. I like the old Victoriana "stamp" label design, and the GS logo--it looks too fat/wide and yet that's also what makes it distinctive/memorable. Not keen on the tall bottles and the embossed bottle doesn't particularly appeal. Bring back the disco coos! I like the row of three pot stills on the Hazelburn label as that's such an efficient use of design/means of conveying the concept, but like the grey labels and coloured text the least of all these. All the J&A Mitchell labels include hand-drawn elements including the font, which conveys the craft aspect of the business/operation. There's a slightly clunky/sharp-edged/blocky aspect to them. Something smoother/slicker would feel wrong/give the wrong message/impression. They're not Nike/Apple and don't want to be. I think you could do some more of these sorts of vids, Jeff. Maybe all the labels of a given region is too much work but instead do a selection of some? In one sense I think: the labels matter so much less than the contents of the bottles, and hence I really like e.g. Signatory Vintage UCF collection plain white labels, and dislike many of the cartoonish images used by some other brands' non-standard collections or some IBs. But discussing the ideas behind design choices can be quite interesting. In one sense using the letters "Jeffs" as rankings is a bit naff, but actually I like that it's not serious/taking itself too seriously. You could use my above order to ascribe my "rankings" of the labels, and I wouldn't disagree with such, but I don't generally have or like having "favourites"--whether of whiskies or many other such intrinsically analogue things--so ranking/scores is the least interesting part of the exercise, to me.
For me Glen Scotia on top shelf ... only reason is that I made my shelves so that the top shelf can contain taller bottles. And apart from that: only importance for me is that the label is readable. And prefer (but not more thatn that) if the logo is distinguishable. Slàinte mhath
Love to hear what your most distinguishable logo is Peathead? When you are next around, fancy building my shelves so I can fit on the taller bottles? Cheers for watching!
I'm more drawn to the design than the size of the bottles. Not everyone's shelves have the same size limit I suppose. The Glen Scotia look more modern and would be my favourite but I think Springbank would be my 2nd fave then Longrow then Kilkerran and finally Hazelburn.
Another Hazelburn at the bottom! Cheers for watching and interesting order. I really need to invest in a taller shelf to store the growing list of annoyingly tall bottles: Bimber, Glen Scotia, Penderyn etc...
Alright, watched the video. I’m in Brand Strategy, but not a designer myself. So you’re much more knowledgeable than me in this area. What I do love about the Glen Scotia is the embossed “Campbeltown Fine Whisky” on some of their bottles. But can’t understand why they haven’t kept that as the core feature with a simple color-schemed label across the range. Each bottle just feels too different to me to feel like recognizable, quality branding. Hazelburn is the one Campbeltown whisky I don’t currently have on my shelf, but, while I feel like it’s not a great design, I at least like the three stills logo and the fact that the range is consistent in its appearance. The color variations are bad. But it passes the squint test. Also, the shorter bottle with the embossed “Campbeltown” or “Springbank” puts all of the Springbank range above Glen Scotia for me. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. 🤣
Always great to see someone else in the industry but doubt I am more knowledgeable! Great Ted Talk and agree on your points with Glen Scotia, even more so with their new bottles. Cheers Adam!
Enjoyed this mate not being a design minded fella my choice is more towards the brand name and if I've tried the liquid I suppose. So Hazelburn J then Springbank followed by Glen scotia , Kilkerran and Longrow. Cheers mate
It is always great to get thoughts from non designers as between me and you... designers are the worst 😂 Interesting choice mate however not sure if I can forgive you for having Hazelburn and Longrow the wrong way round! Cheers for watching!
Hey Dram Dribbler! I would move Glen Scotia down to the bottom F. But otherwise I agree with the order… I find that while the base design for Glen Scotia is good it gets put to use somewhat incoherently across the different bottlings.
Never guessed your background is in design... never talk about it 😁😁. Enjoyed watching this, but think the JEFFS score is confusing, could go with A+, A, B, C etc.
@@JeffWhisky fair enough...when I climb out of Khmer lady pit and get off my top shelf and reefer ...I will take a gander at the various bottle designs. In my collection Sexiest...Glenmorangie Signet Coolest ...Craigallechie 13 Simple but sublime...The Balvenie 15 single barrel from.2010 ... My Glen Scotia 16 was a liter ..so taller than most anyway...but, I do have other liters that were wider and not as tall.. I am in a rainy season flight with hot than hot local coming over...she can cook before she goes to work at the 'coal mine' late shift... Cheers buddy
I have zero interest in the design of the labels or the shape of the bottles but for some reason watching you speak about them is entertaining. I thinks it because of how little you value your own time and opinion. You seem to know how unimportant this stuff is which is endearing for some reason. I never want to see another one of these videos but I feel like if you make another one I'll probably still watch it? I have serious issues.
Everything I do on this channel, is wildly unimportant with no value... that is the Jeff Whisky Guarantee! I have been planning on doing another one, sadly time has eluded me. Cheers
A few months ago, I was at Aloha Whisky Bar (where I film all my videos) and chatting to David, the owner, about the inconsistency in a certain company's labels across a multi-year series and I said to him "I should make a video about this, and design in general". You beat me to it!
Really enjoyed listening to your analysis, and personally would love to see more of these!
Haha great minds. I have been planning to do this from the start with the series being called "drams by design" It just took so long to work out how to do it. Currently working on another one so keep your eyes peeled. Cheers!
Commenting before I’ve watched this video. But I’m going Longrow, Kilkerran, Hazelburn, Springbank, Glen Scotia. Excited now to see how you ranked them.
Is this rating what you will pick or what you think I would go for? I watched it back and think I could change my mind again!
Enjoyed this Jeff. Only feedback I would say is make the images bigger to better see the bottles. Looked good!
Thanks for the constructive feedback, note made and will make it clearer in the next video 👌
V. much enjoyed this. New to whisky but luv design. Looking at this botles the variation of Glen Scotia should be the winner. Then the colorus of Springbank, Art of Kilkerran then silver Hazelburn than boring Longrow
Thank you! Strong list and reasons behind it. Lots of people have put Glen Scotia as their number one.
Interesting video Jeff.. my top design of Campbeltown whisky is definitely Glen Scotia... Nice tall bottle with embossing... Love it... Cheers Buddy
I just looked at my Glen Scotia Festival 2021 box and feel like I was too harsh. For me though, not a fan of a tall bottle. Cheers for watching!
I quite enjoyed this one Jeff, you should do them more, I don’t see anyone else doing them so it’s really refreshing. Springbank no.1 for me!
Glad to hear you liked it. I will start planning on doing more. Certainly learnt a lot when creating this one. You don't seem to be alone with Springbank! Cheers for watching!
Hey Dram Dribbler!
Love this idea, as you do 'drink with your eyes, before your drink with your mouth'.
Have you ever seen the Willet Pot Still bourbon? apparently mid-shelf bourbon, with a hell of a cool bottle that means a load of people pick it up... But then struggle to find somewhere to actually store it! I'm always torn as to whether it's a good design or a bad one.
I have seen it and am only aware of it due to how it looks 😂. It must be good design if it sells the product even if it is bad design. A bit like Mellow Corn. Cheers for watching, I will have to do another of these.
Fun fact, a Willet bottle was what the "I Dream of Jeannie" genie bottle was made from.
Do you plan on doing more of these? Really enjoyed this breakdown.
I would love to do another soon! It does take quite a while to set it up but planning on doing an Island one within the next month. Cheers!
Great video! Love the Glen Scotia current/old labels... not a fan of the large logos that have been recently introduced to match the new Loch Lomond branding
Springbanks consistent colour scheme is great and works very well for them, but I agree with the reservations for Hazelburn. The silver foil labels aren't great, and avoiding the clear issues with the print. The black on silver at the edges makes the whole aesthetic look very scruffy, especially when the edging gets scuffed on the shelf and in transit
I regret not talking about the Neon Green Cows in the old Glen Scotia packaging! Now that would 100% won. I didn't think about how the label would age and how the Hazelburn silver sticker would become dated. Cheers for watching and commenting!
Nicely done, Jeff. We all think it but no one dives into the topic. Well done, you. Cheers.
Very kind of you to say. Thought I would bring two passions together, will be planning another soon 👍
Looking more recovered from your last video fella. For me design is how good it looks behind the bar and if it pulls me in. Not tried any of these.
Thanks for watching. It is a flattering angle 😂. Cheers
@@JeffWhisky lol do more like that then!
Very interesting video for me (i'm not a designer but "used to be" a painter & also studied calligraphy) but I'm biased too because of the content appreciation of those bottles...(it would also be interesting to put those labels to the test to designers who doesn't drink whisky). You did a great job there I think....Personally I struggle to give a satisfying order of ranking also because of label variations (for instance I'm a huge fan of the "S" iconic logo of Springbank & its cream labels, showcasing way more the distillery class than those current "close to neutral" bi-color labels, I do love the Local Barley ones but prefer the first generation of Local Barley bottlings, I absolutely agree about what you said on the Longrow / Hazelburn & also Glen Scotia in a way, though I prefer their pre-rebranding font...My biggest problem is with the Kilkerran logo....For some reason the black & white choice for me here enhances the idea of poor content, plus the rest of the label, and the tower view comes across for me as a jail view (terrible !) because of the 2 vertical bars (it must just be me I guess ???) so I discard it....I even prefer the previous 'WIP" bottling labels from them....Anyway I think you're adding a great value to your channel doing these kind of videos (you must be the only one to do this) & I would like to see it more, for instance every year (or even every 6 months ?) you could do a "Labels of the Year"/ "Bottle design of the Year" video, I'm sure it'll get some interest for whisky lovers....Cheers & great job here, Jeff ! 👍
Never knew you studied calligraphy, it is something that I have always wanted to get into! I can see what you mean regarding the jail view on Kilkerran. I plan on doing a lot more design based breakdowns!! Cheers
@@JeffWhisky I was just a 1 year credit (not sure it's the correct translation in English) in University, I also had one several years about cinema (including experimental one) but mainly i have a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts & Esthetic (Philosophy applied to Arts), including one year of English related to Arts, loved that as it made me discover great British painters such as Turner, Constable & the Preraphaelites, but also the German Romantic Tradition (C.D. Friedrich being one of my favorite painters ever)...Long story (I have a painter's website too, btw)
I really like the Kilkerran label. Yes, it makes me feel like I'm a prisoner behind the two vertical bars, but what it's showing is the view *outside* the prison, something aspirational or dreaming; not just the spire but also the clouds in the sky. I really like the block-cut printing impression of the KK logo/picture/design. It's not slick and nor should it be, but it is strong/bold and powerful. And I like the text "border" to the picture, i.e. words running up & down the sides. There is a view from the distillery yard through a gap in a stone wall of the church spire that matches the picture used on this logo. I agree that the pastel coloured WIP/early KK labels looked very striking.
Others (probably Whisky Mystery/Phil & Deepa?) have commented on older Springbank labels with the background of repeated rows of text, which were very striking/pleasing. I like the font of the text Springbank but am less keen on the big S itself with the cut/slice through the middle. The "tail" on the top of the S is striking. I like the different colours/colour-coding of the standard releases although they're often hard colours rather than the lovely pastel tones of the KK ones mentioned above. I also really like the picture of the barley field used for the Local Barley: quintessential.
I'm less keen on the font used for Longrow, but I do like the "old-fashioned" look of the picture of the distillery buildings. It "looks" 1930s or earlier, by the artistry as well as the scene itself. Yes, I know: 1830s not 1930s, but.
I like the old Victoriana "stamp" label design, and the GS logo--it looks too fat/wide and yet that's also what makes it distinctive/memorable. Not keen on the tall bottles and the embossed bottle doesn't particularly appeal. Bring back the disco coos!
I like the row of three pot stills on the Hazelburn label as that's such an efficient use of design/means of conveying the concept, but like the grey labels and coloured text the least of all these.
All the J&A Mitchell labels include hand-drawn elements including the font, which conveys the craft aspect of the business/operation. There's a slightly clunky/sharp-edged/blocky aspect to them. Something smoother/slicker would feel wrong/give the wrong message/impression. They're not Nike/Apple and don't want to be.
I think you could do some more of these sorts of vids, Jeff. Maybe all the labels of a given region is too much work but instead do a selection of some? In one sense I think: the labels matter so much less than the contents of the bottles, and hence I really like e.g. Signatory Vintage UCF collection plain white labels, and dislike many of the cartoonish images used by some other brands' non-standard collections or some IBs. But discussing the ideas behind design choices can be quite interesting.
In one sense using the letters "Jeffs" as rankings is a bit naff, but actually I like that it's not serious/taking itself too seriously. You could use my above order to ascribe my "rankings" of the labels, and I wouldn't disagree with such, but I don't generally have or like having "favourites"--whether of whiskies or many other such intrinsically analogue things--so ranking/scores is the least interesting part of the exercise, to me.
For me Glen Scotia on top shelf ... only reason is that I made my shelves so that the top shelf can contain taller bottles.
And apart from that: only importance for me is that the label is readable. And prefer (but not more thatn that) if the logo is distinguishable.
Slàinte mhath
Love to hear what your most distinguishable logo is Peathead? When you are next around, fancy building my shelves so I can fit on the taller bottles? Cheers for watching!
I'm more drawn to the design than the size of the bottles. Not everyone's shelves have the same size limit I suppose. The Glen Scotia look more modern and would be my favourite but I think Springbank would be my 2nd fave then Longrow then Kilkerran and finally Hazelburn.
Another Hazelburn at the bottom! Cheers for watching and interesting order. I really need to invest in a taller shelf to store the growing list of annoyingly tall bottles: Bimber, Glen Scotia, Penderyn etc...
Nice one Jeff, something a bit different.
For me:
J= KK, E= GS, F= SB, F= LR, S= HB
Just my two Pence worth 😄
Always glad to get your pence! Very similar order to what I envisioned it would be... Longrow was my dark horse. Cheers for watching mate!
Alright, watched the video. I’m in Brand Strategy, but not a designer myself. So you’re much more knowledgeable than me in this area. What I do love about the Glen Scotia is the embossed “Campbeltown Fine Whisky” on some of their bottles. But can’t understand why they haven’t kept that as the core feature with a simple color-schemed label across the range. Each bottle just feels too different to me to feel like recognizable, quality branding. Hazelburn is the one Campbeltown whisky I don’t currently have on my shelf, but, while I feel like it’s not a great design, I at least like the three stills logo and the fact that the range is consistent in its appearance. The color variations are bad. But it passes the squint test. Also, the shorter bottle with the embossed “Campbeltown” or “Springbank” puts all of the Springbank range above Glen Scotia for me. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. 🤣
Always great to see someone else in the industry but doubt I am more knowledgeable! Great Ted Talk and agree on your points with Glen Scotia, even more so with their new bottles. Cheers Adam!
Enjoyed this mate not being a design minded fella my choice is more towards the brand name and if I've tried the liquid I suppose. So Hazelburn J then Springbank followed by Glen scotia , Kilkerran and Longrow. Cheers mate
It is always great to get thoughts from non designers as between me and you... designers are the worst 😂 Interesting choice mate however not sure if I can forgive you for having Hazelburn and Longrow the wrong way round! Cheers for watching!
@@JeffWhisky lol 😆
Hey Dram Dribbler! I would move Glen Scotia down to the bottom F. But otherwise I agree with the order… I find that while the base design for Glen Scotia is good it gets put to use somewhat incoherently across the different bottlings.
I think it is quite an apt nickname these days! 🤣 Are your thoughts still the same with the Victoriana bottle? I was gutted to find they changed it.
should have more videos in the Pink Room. Like the chewie hanging on the wall. Glen Scotia is the best design out of them all I say!
I will have to do some more! Lots of people have gone for Glen Scotia and I can see why! Cheers.
Interesting watch Jeff; I'd definitely stick Glen Scotia at the top. Cheers
Glad you enjoyed it. As you know, it is the annoying height of Glen Scotia bottles that let it down and mean can't be displayed with the others 😂
Never guessed your background is in design... never talk about it 😁😁. Enjoyed watching this, but think the JEFFS score is confusing, could go with A+, A, B, C etc.
Haha maybe I have mentioned it once or twice 🤣. Yeah I may do that next time to avoid confusion 👍
The Glen Scotia is the only one I can find in Cambodia.....
I wish I could participate in this design contest...
Cheers Jeff
Still let me know your thoughts Jeff. You can look at the bottles online. Good you got Glen Scotia at least. Some fantastic whiskies. Cheers.
@@JeffWhisky fair enough...when I climb out of Khmer lady pit and get off my top shelf and reefer ...I will take a gander at the various bottle designs.
In my collection
Sexiest...Glenmorangie Signet
Coolest ...Craigallechie 13
Simple but sublime...The Balvenie 15 single barrel from.2010 ...
My Glen Scotia 16 was a liter ..so taller than most anyway...but, I do have other liters that were wider and not as tall..
I am in a rainy season flight with hot than hot local coming over...she can cook before she goes to work at the 'coal mine' late shift...
Cheers buddy
That is some good looking bottles!
I have zero interest in the design of the labels or the shape of the bottles but for some reason watching you speak about them is entertaining. I thinks it because of how little you value your own time and opinion. You seem to know how unimportant this stuff is which is endearing for some reason.
I never want to see another one of these videos but I feel like if you make another one I'll probably still watch it? I have serious issues.
Everything I do on this channel, is wildly unimportant with no value... that is the Jeff Whisky Guarantee! I have been planning on doing another one, sadly time has eluded me. Cheers
Love your design and video editing ! Unique style ! I’d like to Video Call ya @ some point !
Cheers for the kind words! Look forward to seeing what WhiskyTopia can do!
From top to bottom: Kilkerran, Springbank, Longrow, Glen Scotia, Hazelburn
I was so sure Kilkerran would have been at the top before I started filming! Glad we agree on Hazelburn! Cheers for watching.
Interesting ranking. Not got all of these but would say: KK = J SB = E GS= F and not seen the others in person.
I was so sure Kilkerran would be the winner. I shocked myself 😂. Thanks for watching and good ranking.
Whisky branding really in underrated! Raasay surely will end up the top J. Slàinte
Cheers @thewhiskydrop! Glad to see someone agrees on how important and underrated branding can be. Raasay is a stunning bottle for sure! Cheers!
Do Speyside next willa keep you busy. For me - Springbank, Kilkerran, Hazelburn, Glen Scotia then boring Longrow. Slàinte mhath
Haha I think would have to tackle islands next and build up to the big numbers 😂 thanks for watching
Springbank should be at the top. No matter what! Your computer crashed as karma lol
I will have to do a Springbank review, will make you really mad 😂. Cheers for watching and let me know what your order will be!
Love Glen Scotia, hate Springbank.
Now is this with the design or with the liquid itself? Either way, I do kind of agree! Cheers.
@@JeffWhisky both