Whisky candles? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Of all mankind’s creations and inventions, the wicked candle is one of the more enduring. The ancient Egyptians were using wicked candles as early as 3,000 BC. Five thousand years later in our tech-heavy 21st century lives, it’s easy to overlook that the candle is often one of the first things we scramble for in our homes when there’s a power failure at night. Five thousand years ago also coincides with some of the earliest evidence for the making and enjoyment of beer – a drink made from fermented cereal grain – and from which whisky is made.
Initially and primarily a source of light, candles came to be used in religious symbolism and ceremonies. Somewhere along the way, they also became de rigueur for a romantic dinner. Scented candles have been around for centuries, but are enjoying something of a resurgence due to a combination of growing interest in aromatherapy, together with society’s pursuit of more natural, organic, and environmentally friendly products. For whisky lovers, the lines may have just intersected…
Boozy Candlez (styled bOOzycandleZ) is one such venture by Melbourne-based couple, Mary & John Negrepontis. With a strong ethos of recycling, the couple source empty bottles from the liquor industry (whiskies, gins, wines, even beer cans!) and recycle them as scented wax candles. Now, if the whisky bottle was nothing more than a vessel for holding the wax, this wouldn’t be a whisky story, and you wouldn’t be reading about it on Whisky & Wisdom! Where the story gets interesting is that the candles are formulated and produced such that the scents given off by the candle reflect the bottles’ previous contents and the label on the front.
It’s a joint effort by the couple. Having sourced the bottle (often arranging to take delivery of largely emptied bottles from whisky shows, festivals, and tasting events), the couple smell the residual aroma from the bottle – there’s always a drop or two left in the bottom – and they make their own “smelling notes”. (As opposed to tasting notes!) They’ll also often refer to the official tastings notes that are on the packaging or available on the brand’s website. John takes the bottle and will cut and sand it to shape, while Mary will set about blending a concoction of scented essential oils to capture and create something akin to the scent of the whisky.
John explains: “Talisker is a good example. Being a dry, peaty whisky, we’d use three scented essential oils of whisky, leather and cigar, and smoky wood. Just to be clear, there’s no actual whisky in the final product!”
John kindly arranged for some sample-sized tea candles to arrive at Whisky & Wisdom, together with a full-sized Balvenie candle (see main picture at top). Thus, on a cold and overcast Sunday afternoon, yours truly found a box of matches, sat in a cozy room of the house with some drams, and set about one of the more interesting whisky analysis and assessment undertakings….
Below are the six samples put through their paces, with thoughts and reactions added in italics:
- Vanilla Bourbon (Jack Daniels Candle). Strong vanilla notes, and a mild soapiness. The vanilla was a bit overpowering for me, and evoked thoughts of walking into a scents and soaps shop, rather than any association with whisky.
- Vanilla Bourbon & Coffee (Glen Moray Candle – experimental). The coffee notes are tangible, but it’s more akin to a flavoured iced coffee, or perhaps even an affogato? Again, the vanilla was a bit overpowering, but the overall experience did evoke memories of the Glen Moray Classic range.
- Barrel Aged Whisky + Chocolate (Label 5 Candle – experimental). The aromas on this were initially a bit more muted and sedate…seemingly more natural, without the overbearing vanilla. After a few minutes, there was a pleasant ambience about the room. My mind was drawn to a gentle, unassuming Speyside dram.
- Vanilla Bourbon & Sherry Cask (Johnnie Walker Blue Candle). Psychosomatic or not, it was hard not to imagine a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue in the hand whilst taking in the aromas of this candle. Gentle malt, honey, & florals….all nicely blended into a gentle experience. I was tempted to leave this one burning in the living room! bOOzycandleZ advises this will be sold complete with the bottle’s neck and in the original box/packaging.
- Whisky & Peat (Talisker 10yo Candle). Just as is the case with real single malt, it’s important not to confuse peat with smoke. There’s no obvious “smokiness” to this, but there’s definitely an earthy peatiness to it – think forest floor, mulch, and a dry-ish whisky. Personally, it was a bit more “Ardmore” than Talisker for me, but I enjoyed what this candle gave off.
- Smoky Peat (Laphroaig Candle). Okay, I’m a convert! If you’ve ever had the pleasure of standing near the water of Lochindaal with the aroma of the Bowmore kilns wafting past in the sea breeze – or even stood outside the visitor centre at Laphroaig by the water’s edge – this candle might just bring back some memories for you.
– – – – –
The experience re-affirmed for me that I’m not a fan of the strong, confectionery-like vanilla that many scented candles feature, but that’s obviously a personal preference and others may beg to differ. I certainly found the candles that featured heavy dollops of vanilla were harder to tie back to whisky and/or the bottle it was associated with. However, candles 3 to 6 above definitely made a connection to the whisky and gave off aromas that I’m happy to have linger in the house.
The bOOzycandleZ’ whisky range (styled “whiskey” on the website) is generally around $45 per candle (AUD) and you can check out the range here. Don’t wait until your next blackout to grab one! 😊
Cheers,
AD
