The Loch Lomond Group (LLG) has launched three whiskies from its new brand Noble Rebel. The distiller has collaborated with the appropriately named creative agency Thirst to create a brand that aims to “shake up blended malts” and “attract modern whisky connoisseurs”. 

Led by LLG’s head of innovation Calum Leslie, the project involved a complete brand creation – from naming to brand strategy. Thirst also worked closely with master blender Michael Henry to create Noble Rebel’s three distinct liquid profiles – Orchard Outburst, Smoke Symphony, Hazelnut Harmony – each a combination that will “transport the senses”.

The theme is centred around “beautiful contradictions”, which is reflected in the subtle top-to-bottom flip of the letter ‘B’ brandmark as well as the bespoke illustrative design seen on the bottle and secondary packaging. The illustrations showcase the mood and flavours of the whiskies, and adopt a contemporary botanical style. 

Each illustration features alongside Noble Rebel’s embellished bottle, designed to replicate the heavy, intricate base of an old-fashioned rocks glass in tribute to the flavours found within. The embossing of the words ‘noble’ and ‘rebel’ on opposite sides of the bottle lip are placed to demonstrate “the two faces of the brand”.

Thirst says the overall visual identity is inspired by the kind of clean and simple aesthetic often found in art galleries, and complemented by an editorial approach to typography which references magazine and newspaper mastheads. A “layered crafted icon” is a nod to the brand’s expertise in the whisky world, and is brought together by a vivid orange accent colour and framing seen throughout.

Thirst creative director Matt Burns says the experimentation in flavour is where Nobel Rebel stands out and they wanted the branding to reflect that on the shelf. “Just as every dram is an exercise in flavour creativity, the bespoke illustration style was created to convey each masterpiece, and welcome discovery and delight to the senses before a drop has even been drunk,” Burns explains. 

“We set out to help elevate the blended whisky category, to shake it up, and push the boundaries of what’s expected within it. We wanted to shine a light on the gateway into flavour experimentation and entice educated drinkers who care about the story behind their whisky to go somewhere they haven’t been before.” 

thirstcraft.com