Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

SPAR was approached by the Sazerac Company to design the package for a radically new Canadian whisky product, something that had never been done before, a single barrel Canadian whisky. Sazerac owns the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, which was the first distillery to ever offer a single barrel bourbon whiskey (with an "e"), Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon.

Single barrel bourbon is the product of a single barrel of whiskey that is not blended with any other barrels. That means the barrels must be very carefully selected, so the product remains consistent in flavor and quality from bottling to bottling and year in and year out, which is a formidable task for the master distiller. Blanton's started a trend in ultra-premium bourbons, when it was followed by other single barrel bourbons from the Buffalo Trace Distillery and eventually other bourbon distilleries. But a single barrel Canadian has never been done before, and Sazerac / Buffalo Trace intended to be first again.

Sazerac laid out their expectations. One was if the product was going to be the first of its kind and of the highest quality, the package had to be very special to support that.

A caribou image was a given with the name, so the challenge became how do we make it special? The "northern lights" (aurora borealis) was chosen to be combined with the silhouetted caribou image using holographic paper to print the medallion label on the bottle and the gift box. The holographic material changes colors as the viewing angle changes, much like the northern lights change colors and shapes on a bright wintry night in northern latitudes. This effect emphasizes the Canadian origins of the product and gives the brand significant shelf presence.

Both the whisky inside and the package have been well received in the marketplace and by spirits writers given samples to critique.

Winner 2010 AIMCAL Marketing Award - The judges loved the Northern Lights effect the holographic material provides. "It's a very effective use of the image and film underneath," noted one judge. "Great design and execution," concluded another.

Gold Medal - 2010 National Association of Container Distributors - A complicated judging system where the package is scored by outside judges in a number of categories.

"People's Choice" Winner - 2010 National Association of Container Distributors - A coveted prize where NACD members choose their favorite from among all winners.

Bronze Medal, Packaging Division, 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Double Gold Medal, Tasting Division, 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Canadian Whisky Awards 2010 Winner