2019 International Review of Spirits Packaging Competition

Gold Medal- Creativity Category

Gold Medal- Form Category

Gold Medal-Style Category

Best Gift Box

Oppidian Spirits was founded in 2015 by Jeff Walsh, pegging itself as the new American school of distilling. A technique involving traditional distilling techniques and more modern innovative ways of distilling. Known for their unique Solera Aged Bourbon, made using a rum technique to create a younger, more complex bourbon, they now have a complete line of paradigm-shifting experimental spirits. The majority of Oppidian whiskeys are fairly young, and their overall incredible quality and taste are a testament to the value of innovation over age statement.This two-year four-grain whiskey is crafted from 68% corn, 15% wheat, 9% rye and 9% malt. This is a blend of three 53 gallon Kelvin Cooperage #3 char barrels, filled between November 2015 and January 2016. You can expect notes of vanilla, malt, baking spice, and citrus, coming together in a smooth harmonious vanilla finish. Pick up your bottle today!

During the late 19th century, an overwhelming number of distilleries throughout the United States were still not aging their whiskey. As a result, some retailers would add juices and syrups to sweeten the whiskey, while others would add acid and tobacco to give their whiskey its signature, amber hue. In 1870, George Garvin Brown a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Kentucky saw the need for a consistently high-quality whiskey that would remain unadulterated after distillation. After saving $5,500, Brown and his brother opened the doors to J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery and began distilling bourbon. Unlike other distilleries at the time, Brown aged his bourbon, which was named Old Forester, in oak casks and bottled it in a sealed glass bottle to ensure authenticity and quality. Since its introduction in 1870, Old Forester has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition, when it continued to be sold for medicinal purposes. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition. In October 1910, a fire caused the bottling line to be shut down for an indefinite period of time. This whisky was stored in new, charred oak containers to rest until the line could be repaired. The result this unfortunate event created something entirely unique: an expression of Old Forester that has undergone a second barreling in a lightly toasted, heavily charred barrel. Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whisky is presented at 93 proof. 

Made from the finest Bing cherries in California, grown on a family farm in San Joaquin County. Only the purest form of the product is used, just cherries! No sugar added. Enjoy our liqueur in your drink, with meals, desserts or however you see fit. "Stunningly deep amber and richly viscous in the glass, this versatile liqueur offers a complexity of palate and aromas. Caramelized honey, butterscotch, vanilla beans, toasted saffron, baking spices, grape leaves, coconut, candied tangerine peels, maple butter, and dark flowers are all present in this extremely approachable offering” —Ultimate Spirits Challenge

The Red Dragon is the national flag of Wales and the Royal Welsh badge bears the motto, ‘Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn’, which translates as ‘The red dragon inspires action.’ It features in ancient Welsh tales and was the battle standard of legendary Welsh princes. Welshman Henry Tudor took the flag to Bosworth, where, in 1485, he became the last king of England to be crowned on the battlefield.

Celt is a single malt whisky finished in ex-peated quarter casks, bottled at 43%. This whisky has a Kosher certificate.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Mild aromas of peat smoke, early morning at the rocky seaside and warm marmalade on toast all compete for our attention.

Palate: It begins with great sweetness before the smoky, slightly medicinal flavours descend.

Finish: Slight bitterness follows that leaves a long and lingering freshness in the mouth.

"In 1895, Masataka Taketsuru the father of Japanese Whisky was born in the small town of Takehara, Japan. At the time, Masataka's family owned a sake brewery, and in preparing to carry on the family trade, Masataka studied chemistry and biology at Osaka Technical High School. After graduating high school, Masataka showed more interest in whisky than in sake and in 1918, he enrolled at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, becoming the first Japanese ever to study the art of whisky-making. While in Scotland, Masataka took chemistry courses during the day while apprenticing at distilleries at night, learning to distill and blend whisky first-hand at some of Scotland's most prestigious distilleries. In 1920, Masataka returned to Japan, and within the decade, had produced the country's first single malt whisky. In 1934, Masataka moved to the town of Yoichi and opened the doors to Nikka Whisky Co. In 1960, as the Yoichi Distillery was reaching capacity, Masataka began searching for another suitable location in Japan to open a second distillery. Following a three-year search, Masataka found a wide forest valley at the junction of the Hirosegawa and Nikkawagawa rivers. The localized humidity from the rivers and surrounding hills, together with the quality of water from Nikkawagawa River, created the perfect location for a second distillery, which he named Miyagikyo. Nikka's Coffey Gin has an innate complexity achieved through the perfect harmony between 11 selected botanicals and the silky texture of Coffey distillates. The result is a beautiful spirit with bright and zesty aromas originating from four types of Japanese citrus: Yuzu, Kabosu, Amanatsu and Shequasar, complimenting the signature gin botanicals like juniper berries, angelica, coriander, lemon and orange peels. 

During the late 19th century, an overwhelming number of distilleries throughout the United States were still not aging their whiskey. As a result, some retailers would add juices and syrups to sweeten the whiskey, while others would add acid and tobacco to give their whiskey its signature, amber hue. In 1870, George Garvin Brown a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Kentucky saw the need for a consistently high-quality whiskey that would remain unadulterated after distillation. After saving $5,500, Brown and his brother opened the doors to J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery and began distilling bourbon. Unlike other distilleries at the time, Brown aged his bourbon, which was named Old Forester, in oak casks and bottled it in a sealed glass bottle to ensure authenticity and quality. Since its introduction in 1870, Old Forester has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition, when it continued to be sold for medicinal purposes. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition. This historic recipe was acquired in 1940 by Owsley Brown I, Old Forester Rye features a mash bill of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn. This high proportion of barley yields a natural fermentation process, and a unique floral character, balancing the sharp, brisk spice of the rye grain. At 100 proof, Old Forester Rye plays beautifully in a cocktail but also stands up boldly on its own. Pick up your bottle today!

In 2006, a group of Rye enthusiasts bought a 500-acre Vermont dairy farm, later the home of Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. After military service and leadership roles, including at Maker's Mark, Pickerell pursued his passion for rye whiskey. Motivated by the historical significance of rye in America, he crafted PiggyBack, a 100% rye with a powerful, spicy profile from six years in oak barrels. This expression, one of Pickerell's final creations, offers a complex, smooth character at 96.56 proof, a tribute to the year of his birth, 1956. Ideal for any rye cocktail, it embodies Pickerell's vision of the perfect aged Rye Whiskey.

Cognac Le Magnifique is made solely from grapes found in the two highest-quality crus (vineyard areas), Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne, located in the heart of the Cognac region. In the Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne crus, the soil consists of a thin layer of clay-limestone covering a deeper layer of limestone and chalk. Grande Champagne features rolling hills, while Petite Champagne features rolling hills, while Petite Champagne is more compact. However, the chalky soil found in both crus provides the optimal growing conditions for aromatic, flavorful grapes. This incredible Levon Magnifique VSOP earned a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018. 

Levon cognac was established in Cognac Le Magnifique is made solely from grapes found in the two highest-quality crus (vineyard areas), Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne, located in the heart of the Cognac region. In the Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne crus, the soil consists of a thin layer of clay-limestone covering a deeper layer of limestone and chalk. Grande Champagne features rolling hills, while Petite Champagne features rolling hills, while Petite Champagne is more compact. However, the chalky soil found in both crus provides the optimal growing conditions for aromatic, flavorful grapes. This compelling blend is a charming blend of hundreds of eaux de vie aged for at least 10 years, hand-selected from the Cognac region's two finest crus, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne.

The Featherbone Factory built by E.K. Warren in the 19th century to manufacture women's corsets sits on the banks of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border in Three Oaks, Michigan. As the factory changed hands in the twentieth century, it became a production site for everything from buggy whips to pickles. Today, it's home to Journeyman Distillery and Bill Welter, Journeyman's master distiller. Welter, who was formerly a banker in Indiana, began his Journey when his family business was sold in 2006. He moved to Scotland, where he began to learn the art of craft distillation from Greg Ramsay (master distiller at Nant Distillery) and Bill Lark (master distiller at Lark Distillery). After returning to the United States, Welter spent time producing and resting whiskey using a prominent organic & kosher distiller's facility in Chicago before opening the doors of his own distillery in Three Oaks with the intention to offer grain-to-glass spirits from day one/drop one. Fondly known as The Whip, Buggy Whip Wheat Whiskey is named after one of the products produced at the historic Featherbone Factory back in the late 1800's.This single-grain whiskey showcases the high quality and terroir of the organic Michigan wheat used to produce it. The 100% wheat provides a soft sweetness and smoothness reminiscent of an Irish whiskey on the palate. Jim Murray gave this incredible whiskey earned 94.5 pts Sensational! in his 2018 Whiskey Bible. 

The Featherbone Factory built by E.K. Warren in the 19th century to manufacture women's corsets sits on the banks of Lake Michigan just across the Indiana border in Three Oaks, Michigan. As the factory changed hands in the twentieth century, it became a production site for everything from buggy whips to pickles. Today, it's home to Journeyman Distillery and Bill Welter, Journeyman's master distiller. Welter, who was formerly a banker in Indiana, began his Journey when his family business was sold in 2006. He moved to Scotland, where he began to learn the art of craft distillation from Greg Ramsay (master distiller at Nant Distillery) and Bill Lark (master distiller at Lark Distillery). After returning to the United States, Welter spent time producing and resting whiskey using a prominent organic & kosher distiller's facility in Chicago before opening the doors of his own distillery in Three Oaks with the intention to offer grain-to-glass spirits from day one/drop one. Silver Cross Four Grain artisanal whiskey is comprised of four types of grain in equal parts.Distilled in a way to highlight the flavor profile of each grain in the whiskey itself.The Silver Cross name is inspired by a medal that was given out in the early days of the British Open, which would later come to symbolize friendship, tradition, camaraderie and spirited competition.1% of all the proceeds from this whiskey is donated to various golf charities/organizations to teach kids the game of golf and instill in them good core values. This incredible whiskey earned 92 pts from the Beverage Tasting Institute and a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

In 1870, George Garvin Brown was the first to seal his whisky, Old Forester, in a glass bottle. To commemorate his birthday, the First Bottled BourbonTM annually releases a limited edition, vintage-dated expression: Birthday Bourbon. The September 2nd release markets the 23rd limited edition expression. Hand selected by Master Distiller- Emeritus Chris Morris and Master Taster Melissa Rift, this small batch bourbon offers a unique character and flavor profile that will never be replicated.

The 2023 Birthday Bourbon is presented at 96 proof. After showing exceptionally unique character during a tasting panel, the 12-year old barrels were chosen specifically for Birthday Bourbon. The full allotment of product represents barrels that come from the same day of production.

Tasting Notes

AROMA: Bright candied citrus and floral overtones give way to rich turbinado sugar and roasted coffee beans as slight cedar and charred oak round out the nose.

TASTE: Subtle citrus with heavy notes of dark honey, molasses and charred oak.

FINISH: A dry toasty oaked caramel with lingering bittersweet tannins.

The Luzhou Laojiao Distillery is situated in the lush river town of Luzhou, in southwestern China's Sichuan Province. The winemaking traditions of Luzhou spans almost two thousand years, with luminaries such as Guo Huaiyu the creator of big qu baijiu in the fourteenth century and Shi Jingzhang inventor of pit fermentation baijiu in the fifteenth century laying the foundations of this special spirit. The Luzhou distillery is famed for its 1,000-year pit, 10,000-year mash technique involving optimizing the fermentation process that develops flavor over time. In the 1950s Luzhou Laojiao trail-blazed the first modern guide to baijiu production,Luzhou Laojiao Big Qu Spirits, inspiring distillers across China. Baijiu (pronouncedbye-jyo) means white spirits in Mandarin. The secret ingredient in baijiu is qu (pronounced chew), a naturally harvested culture of airborne yeasts and other microorganisms. It makes the taste and scent of every baijiu highly specific to the place it was created. Qu also allows Chinese distillers to ferment and distill grains in a solid state, which creates incredible complexity of flavor. There nearly a dozen distinctive regional styles of baijiu, but there are four major styles: strong aroma, light aroma, sauce aroma, and rice aroma. A balanced and complex spirit, Ming River is the original Sichuan baijiu. Each batch starts with locally harvested red sorghum grain and the purest waters from protected wells. It is fermented in earthen pits with naturally harvested yeast cultures native to Luzhou that impart the distinctive terroir of Sichuan style baijiu. After two months, the mash is unearthed and distilled in small batches using a traditional Chinese pot still. The spirits age for up to two years before the master blender balances them into Ming River's distinctive flavor. The result is an uncompromisingly bold spirit with notes of pineapple and anise with a lingering mellow finish. Perfect neat alongside spicy cuisine or in a cocktail, this baijiu evokes Sichuan with each sip. Pick up your bottle today!

Translating as ‘Rare Cask’ in Gaelic, Casg Annamh is created from a limited number of carefully selected casks. These Spanish oak Oloroso Sherry casks/butts have a significant influence on the non-chill filtered liquid and perfectly complement Aberlour’s distillate flavour, bringing sweet and rich notes. Casg Annamh is a distinctively rich Single Malt providing adventurous malt lovers with the ideal introduction to Sherry cask matured whiskies.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich and sweet with fruity notes of tangy orange, glazed cherries, raisins and a hint of ginger. 

Palate: Sweet and fruity flavours of apple and cinnamon crumble and ripe peaches balanced with spicy notes of liquorice and cloves.

Finish: Long and rich. Fruity with a touch of dry spice.

In 1876, John D. Willett one of Kentucky's original bourbon aristocrats transferred his interest in the Willett & Frenke Distillery to his sons-in-law, Benjamin Mattingly, and Thomas Moore. Mattingly and Moore continued to operate the Willett & Frenke Distillery together until 1881 when Mattingly finally sold his stake in the company to a group of investors. Within a few years, Thomas Moore acquired complete control over the distillery and eponymously renamed it. Moore would continue to operate the distillery for another five decades until he was ultimately forced to close his doors at the onset of Prohibition. Today, the Barton 1792 Distillery operates on the same site as the historic Tom Moore Distillery and continues to use the same methods that Moore used over a century ago when distilling his own bourbon. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye, and malted barley. While the use of corn in the bourbon's recipe adds classic notes of buttered bread, biscuits and roasted nuts, the heavy use of rye in the bourbon's mashbill yields a more complex and full-bodied whiskey. After the grains are harvested, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled through a copper-pot still. In 1897, the Bottled-in-Bond Act revolutionized the quality of American whiskey. Carrying on that tradition, this well-aged bourbon from barrels all filled during the same season was bottled at exactly 100 proof for a bold taste and lingering finish - a testament to the Bottled-in-Bond Act established over a century ago.

Freeland Bourbon pays homage to the South, and to Grandma Freeland, the namesake of Freeland Spirits. Soft caramel, vanilla and spice dance into the whiskey from charred American oak barrels. A final rest in Oregon’s Elk Cove Pinot Noir barrels adds an element of Pacific Northwest terroir. Blended with precision by our Master Distiller, Molly Troupe, to achieve balanced texture and harmony of flavors.

ABV: 46%

Finish: long and velvety

Mash Bill: 70% corn, 20% rye, 10% malted barley

Taste: Rounded and smooth, soft caramel and baked berries layered with vanilla bean, cocoa and spice

Aroma: Toffee, marmalade, smoked pecan and clove

Color: Rich mahogany

Freeland Spirits Gin is small batch crafted using a unique blend of traditional heat distillation along with vacuum distillation, which allows us to use fresh, Pacific Northwest ingredients. Fresh herbal essences of rosemary, mint and crisp cucumber lift the nose. Grapefruit and lemon peel brighten the brisk juniper and bold spice. Pink peppercorn, coriander and star anise mingle with 10 additional dried botanicals in the copper pot still.

ABV: 45%

Finish: lingers with complexity

Taste: Layered spice balanced by freshness, strikingly smooth texture, rounded body

Aroma: Garden herbs, vibrant spice, citrus bursts, floral hints, spruce undertones

Port Finish – World’s Best Rye Whiskey

Awarded as the World’s Best Rye Whiskey at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

We finished our Straight Rye Whiskies in the finest European and American Port barrels. The result is a perfect blend of plum, cherry, and baking spices that conclude with a full, dry finish. This exceptional whiskey should be savoured and shared.

Tasting Notes

PALATE: Bold black cherry jam with dark fruits. A dry finish complimented with a touch of smooth caramel.

PROOF: 101.2 (50.6% ABV)

AGE: 4 - 5 Years

Crafted from select corn, barley, and a hint of rye, each small batch of Alamo Black Label Bourbon is aged to perfection in brand new American Oak Barrels.

Our recipe was designed to produce a bold bourbon, rich with sweet notes, and a smooth finish for a unique bourbon to enjoy on it’s own, or fashioned into a great cocktail.