THEDAILYWHISKY

The new Cutty Sark limited edition is a redesigned bottle of Cutty Sark Original blended Scotch whisky, decorated with a hand-painted illustration by Glasgow-based artist Rory Kennedy. Owner La Martiniquaise-Bardinet presented it at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes in early October 2026. The whisky inside is unchanged: the same 40% ABV Original blend. The bottle rolls out globally from late October across key markets in Europe, the United States and Asia, in 70cl, 75cl, 1L and 1.75L sizes.

In 1923, an artist drew the very first Cutty Sark label. Just over a century later, the brand has handed its bottle to another Scottish artist and let him paint over the ship.

The Cutty Sark limited edition, officially the Artist Limited Edition, is the work of Rory Kennedy, a graphic designer who now works as a painter in Glasgow. He has taken the clipper that has sailed across the label for decades and redrawn it in his own loose, colour-saturated style.

Cutty Sark limited edition at a glance

• Release: Cutty Sark Artist Limited Edition (Cutty Sark Original)
• Artist: Rory Kennedy, Glasgow
• Style: Blended Scotch whisky
• ABV: 40%
• Cask type: Not specified by the brand (standard Original blend, unchanged)
• Sizes: 70cl, 75cl, 1L, 1.75L
• Bottle count: Not disclosed, limited run
• Availability: Global rollout from late October 2026, including Europe, the US and Asia
• Owner: La Martiniquaise-Bardinet

Who is Rory Kennedy, the artist behind the bottle?

Kennedy started out in graphic design before turning to painting, and that background shows. His work leans on strong colour blocks and sharp contrasts rather than fine detail, which suits a label that has to read from across a bar.

For this bottle he kept the ship as the centre of the composition but swapped the familiar flat graphic for a painted, almost poster-like scene. Speaking about the project, Kennedy said that being offered a whisky bottle as a canvas was not a hard decision, and that seeing the finished design makes him want to set off towards the horizon himself.

A label with artistic roots

The artist angle is more fitting than it might first appear. Cutty Sark was created in 1923 by the London wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd, and the name and original label came from the Scottish etcher James McBey, who sketched the design during a lunch meeting with the partners.

The name itself belongs to the tea clipper Cutty Sark, launched at Dumbarton on the Clyde in 1869 and now preserved in Greenwich, London. The ship took its name from Robert Burns’ poem Tam o’ Shanter, in which a “cutty sark” is a short shirt worn by the witch Nannie. For readers outside Scotland: it is a Scots phrase, and the brand has carried that bit of literary history on every bottle since.

Cutty Sark has been owned by the French group La Martiniquaise-Bardinet since 2018, which also produces the Label 5 blend. Senior brand manager Manon Brochet described the new edition as a way to put the brand’s Scottish and seafaring heritage in front of drinkers in a more modern, eye-catching form, while making clear that the whisky itself has not changed.

What is inside: the same Cutty Sark Original

This is a packaging release, not a new blend. The liquid is the standard Cutty Sark Original, a light-coloured blended Scotch built to be easy to drink neat and to work in long drinks. The brand’s house serve is the Cutty Sark Highball, with soda over ice.

Its pale colour has long been part of the brand’s identity, setting it apart on a shelf of amber-hued blends. We have not tasted this bottling, so the notes below come from Cutty Sark’s own description of the Original.

Cutty Sark Original: tasting notes (from the brand)

Nose: Fresh fruit, floral lift, light and bright

Palate: Vanilla, citrus fruit, lively and well balanced

Finish: Clean, brisk and medium in length

ABV: 40%

Cask type: Not specified

Cutty Sark limited edition price and availability

The bottle was revealed to the travel retail trade in Cannes and begins rolling out worldwide from late October 2026. La Martiniquaise-Bardinet has named the United States, Europe and Asia as key markets, and the range of bottle sizes, from 70cl up to 1.75L, reflects how widely Cutty Sark is distributed.

Is the Cutty Sark limited edition worth picking up?

If you already reach for Cutty Sark when making a highball, this is simply a better-looking version of a bottle you know, and the obvious choice over the standard label while it lasts.

It also makes sense as a gift heading into the festive season, for someone who enjoys a light blend and will appreciate a bottle that looks good on a home bar. Collectors of artist labels should note the bottle count has not been published, so it is hard to predict how scarce it will become.

If you are looking for a new flavour experience, though, this is not it: the whisky is unchanged, and the story here is the art on the outside.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Cutty Sark limited edition? The Cutty Sark Artist Limited Edition is a redesigned bottle of Cutty Sark Original blended Scotch, featuring a hand-painted illustration by Glasgow artist Rory Kennedy. It was presented at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes in October 2026 and celebrates the brand’s Scottish and maritime heritage with a bold, colourful take on its clipper ship.

Is the whisky in the Cutty Sark limited edition different from the regular bottle? No. Only the packaging has changed. Inside is the same Cutty Sark Original blended Scotch whisky at 40% ABV, the light-coloured blend the brand has sold for decades. It is designed for drinking neat or in long drinks, with the Cutty Sark Highball as the brand’s signature serve.

How much does the Cutty Sark limited edition cost? La Martiniquaise-Bardinet has not announced a recommended retail price yet. Because the whisky is the standard Cutty Sark Original, it is likely to be priced close to the regular bottle, though this is not confirmed. Pricing will vary by market and by size, as the bottle comes in 70cl, 75cl, 1L and 1.75L.

Where can I buy the Cutty Sark limited edition? The bottle rolls out globally from late October 2026, with the United States, Europe and Asia named as key markets. Expect to find it at supermarkets, specialist whisky shops and airport duty free, as the release was launched to the travel retail trade first. Quantities are limited, so availability will vary by country.

Who is Rory Kennedy? Rory Kennedy is a Glasgow-based artist who began his career as a graphic designer before moving into painting. His style relies on strong colours and sharp contrasts. For Cutty Sark he hand-painted a new illustration of the brand’s clipper ship, which now wraps the limited edition bottle of Cutty Sark Original.

Why is Cutty Sark whisky named after a ship? Cutty Sark was named in 1923 after the famous tea clipper launched on the Clyde in 1869 and now preserved in Greenwich. The ship’s name comes from Robert Burns’ poem Tam o’ Shanter, where a “cutty sark” is a short shirt. Scottish artist James McBey suggested the name and drew the first label.