Taking the “Spirit” of eco-innovation to a whole new level

At ESKA, we create experiences.

We provide exclusive packaging solutions innovatively, beautifully and above all, responsibly. It’s what we do – and now more than ever – sustainability is what the world wants too. 

We are therefore delighted that our latest packaging solution for The Uisce de Profundis whisky box picked up the double gold medal for design at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition. Woo hoo!

As architects of identity materials since 1879, we are experts at using texture and touch to enhance a product’s appeal, presenting it in its most exquisite light.

So when renowned whisky publisher Benjamin Kuentz gave us a shot at his world-first underwater-aged whisky, Uisce de Profundis, we were delighted to dive straight in. 

Not content with leading the way in sustainable luxury packaging on dry land, ESKA embarked on an adventure that would plunge the industry into exciting new depths. 

Collaborating closely with Benjamin Kuentz and leading box creator GBGT (Göteborgstryckeriet Box&Display), we set to work.

To begin, let’s delve into the product itself: This unique spirit is the first of its kind due to its unprecedented maturing process: aging the whisky – in the sea!

Maturing a whisky tens of meters deep underwater has never been done before.

And that’s exactly why we loved it.

Bottles of whisky were immersed just off the coast of Ouessant, Brittany – for a full year. Enough time for each submerged bottle to trade its own tale with the deep blue sea; to steal the secrets it holds, infuse its stories of old and to retrieve its very essence, forever.

It’s this… that delivers its most distinct taste. And once blended, gives rise to uniqueness of Uisce de Profundis…

The result is like nothing ever tasted before.

Our brief, in packaging terms, was the epitome of thinking outside the box. And we were all over it.

Packaging that’s part of the whisky experience

We believe that the secret to a brand’s success is to work together with clients, from understanding the concept right through to the beautiful finish. 

The Uisce de Profundis project is a perfect example of this.

Designed to emulate the moment one discovers hidden treasure from the ocean floor, this box instantly and urgently excites all the senses.

An old-style wooden box, like those once used to transport bottles of whiskey and wine, it oozes authenticity. In fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking the exterior is sprinkled with sand. A stamp of hot gold seals its quality status and fine printed mapping charters its marine journey.

A moment to treasure

Carefully prise the box open – listen for the slightly muffled pull – and the mystery deepens. You enter pitch black, like the depths of the ocean itself, and after a split second, as your eyes adjust, you spot the stunning silk-screened illustrations a la Jules Verne, that takes you on a special voyage.

The bottle rests on what looks like a bed of sand, kept firmly in place with a sliding upper insert system, protecting both the bottle and the fragile marine elements deposited during the refining process at sea.

It’s a piece of theatre, of wonder, of joy. 

The Uisce de Profundis box picked up the double gold medal for design at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition, the second oldest spirit competition in the world and the oldest and largest in the USA.

Out of 3800 entrants – 1275 of which were whisky – ESKA’s concept box made the biggest splash, claiming double gold for packaging design!
Woo hoo!

ESKA’s input = sensational outcome

So how did we do it?

The backbone of the Uisce de Profundis packaging is ESKA Mono Black and ESKA Black – strong, noble and wholly sustainable. 

ESKA Mono Black is a black-lined grey-board on one side while ESKA Black is mass coloured with a vibrant and intense colour – extra black if you will, and always in vogue for luxury packaging.  

Our three-layer laminated board provides perfect rigidity. That’s due to our famous ‘lay flat stay flat’ technology, keeping everything firmly in place. 

Raw, rich and real, it’s the optimum canvas for intricate screen prints and refined hot stamping. 

Eco all the way

Not only does the Uisce de Profundis packaging tick every box in terms of creativity, innovation and pure fantasy, it firmly ticks the sustainability box too.

• 100% recyclable, reusable and biodegradable board
• Mono material for a rigid box
• Glued without VOC
• Meets all European production standards
• ISO 9001-14001, FSC, PEFC certified

Collaboration breeds innovation

By bringing the most innovative minds together we create the extraordinary. No limits, just possibilities.

Working with GBGT and Benjamin Kuentz allowed ESKA’s premium material to shine, to take centre stage, not just aesthetically but in a protective role for the most unique product, adding value in many different ways.

“The big challenge was to find a good solution on the insert. With sensitive seashells the bottle was not allowed to touch the inside of the box. We solved the problem with a smart ‘tamper-proof’ insert in two sections, made of ESKA Black and mounted by hand in the box. The bottleneck is locked with the insert and, should any seashells break, the small section in the bottom will collect them.”, GBGT

The solution was ESKA printed board with paper covering.

Thanks to new technology, boxes can now be produced with mono material – so no wrapping is required. The corners are seamlessly glued to 90 degrees, for the sharpest of edges, giving a modern shape without gluing tabs – and thus, fully recyclable.

It’s creativity, luxury and sustainability: working together, exceptionally.

Now that’s worth raising a glass to.

Cheers!