Project7 / 10

Premium Whisky Brand / 2024

Portvale

A whisky identity for BitCask, from naming and illustrated labels to a three-tier bottle range.

Portvale : Premium Whisky Brand
My role
Brand and Label Design Lead
Client
BitCask
Scope
Three-tier identity system · Wordmark and keyhole symbol

Led naming, brand story, visual identity, label design, bottle mockups and presentation assets.

Overview

BitCask needed an identity for its own single malt whisky collection, connecting Scotch heritage with its fractional cask-investment platform.

The range needed to communicate differences between tiers while making room for product and regulatory information on every label.

Design choices

The wordmark, keyhole emblem and illustrated labels share a consistent structure across Premium, Classic and Signature bottles.

  • Reveal more of the illustrated setting at each tier: map, region, then city.
  • Use the keyhole emblem to connect access, discovery and heritage.
  • Separate narrative artwork from product details with a repeatable label hierarchy.

Results

  • Delivered a name, identity and label system spanning three whisky tiers.
  • Created bottle mockups and presentation assets for the proposed BitCask range.
Portvale gallery
Portvale: 3D bottle renders
01Portvale: 3D bottle renders
Portvale: Premium, Classic and Signature labels
02Portvale: Premium, Classic and Signature labels
Portvale: Naming, wordmark sketches and emblem
03Portvale: Naming, wordmark sketches and emblem
Portvale: Map, region and city illustrations
04Portvale: Map, region and city illustrations
Portvale: Label design and typography
05Portvale: Label design and typography
Portvale: Bottle and brand presentation
06Portvale: Bottle and brand presentation

Project details

Read the process

Brand System Showcase · 2 weeks

  1. Define the positioning

    Reviewed the brand’s heritage, collectibility and investment context to establish the naming and visual direction.

  2. Develop the identity

    Explored wordmark sketches and emblems, then selected the Portvale name and keyhole motif.

  3. Build the tier system

    Created the “Revealing Portvale” sequence, from map to region to city, with a shared label anatomy and typography.

  4. Present the range

    Applied the system to bottle renders and launch presentation assets to show how the tiers work together.

Tools Used

Project tools

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Figma

Current case-study workflow

  • Codex
  • Notion

Current documentation and presentation workflow; not a claim that these tools were used during the original project.

Deliverables
  • Three-tier identity system
  • Wordmark and keyhole symbol
  • Key art and labels
  • Bottle mockups and renders
  • Brand presentation
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