Experimental Scottish blending house Turntable has released its first collaboration liquid in partnership with Melbourne-based distillery Starward Whisky.

The first in a series of collaborative blends with like-minded distilleries, Turntable returned to long-time trusted design partner Thirst for a brand identity that would set the foundations for future releases.

“Blended Whisky is a category primed for innovation,” says Hattie Windley, Senior Designer at Thirst. “Unlike the traditional restraints of Single Malt where brands often feel bound by provenance and dusty cues, blended whiskies have the freedom to be more playful and experimental, flipping the record on drinkers’ preconceptions.”

Having established a solid brand DNA through Turntable’s core and limited-edition ranges with a vibrant colour palette, bespoke illustrations crafted in-house, and an expressive and irreverent tone of voice that references the founders’ passion for music, Thirst was able to move into a more experimental space for this latest release.

The creative concept for Turntable x Starward takes inspiration from the meeting of minds across the northern and southern hemispheres, introducing constellations into a richly illustrated identity that plays up the duality of the house styles.

Inspired by the golden Starward star, Thirst pushed this concept to illustrate how each hemisphere sees a different side to the starry sky. The result is a dual-concept bottle design, showing the stars of the northern hemisphere when the lights are on, then illuminating with the stars of the southern hemisphere in UV ink when in darkness.

“We wanted to take drinkers on a journey of discovery,” says Windley. “This is a blend to sip and savour, enjoyed by an engaged audience that picks up the bottle, studies it, seeks out the details and story of the liquid. We saw an opportunity to give them something new – a multi-layered concept that reveals more the longer it is explored.”

Alasdair Stevenson, Founder, Turntable, said: “From the moment we started Turntable, we had an idea about working with new world whiskies in the pursuit of flavour, partnering with like-minded teams to create something special.

“When Thirst brought us the idea of displaying constellations from different perspectives on pack we were instantly hooked. It captures the collaboration with Starward perfectly – a true meeting of North meets South, combining the sweeter wine casks with the smoke and salt of Islay, and working with some older grains and Speyside single malts to provide depth and complexity.”