In 1805, the Mitchell & Sons Wine Merchants Company was established in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. By the turn of the 19th century, the Mitchells sold a range of Irish whiskeys under the name "Spot." This name originated from the company's practice of marking casks of different ages with a spot of colored paint. As a result, Mitchell & Sons sold whiskies named Blue Spot, Green Spot, Red Spot and finally Yellow Spot, which was last seen in the mid-to-late 1960s. Today, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey continues to be crafted in the heart of Ireland. The whiskey is made from malted and unmalted barley, which are milled and mashed before being triple-distilled through a traditional pot still. Following distillation, the whiskey is matured for 12 years the Yellow Spot brand was always aged for this amount of time in a combination of American Bourbon casks, Spanish sherry butts and Spanish Malaga casks. The inclusion of the single pot still spirit aged in Spanish Malaga casks gives Yellow Spot its famously sweet character. After the various casks have been blended together, Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is bottled at 92 proof, just a bit higher than other traditional Irish whiskies which are bottled at 90 proof. "Pot Still Whiskeys define the traditional flavor character of Irish whiskey and we have seen a renewed interest and growth in the category over the last few years," says Brian Nation, the master distiller at Midleton Distillery, which makes Yellow Spot Whiskey. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey has an aroma of red bell peppers, nutmeg, green tea and sweet peaches from the Malaga casks. On the palate, there is a honey sweetness accented by cloves, baked apples, milk chocolate, coffee and creme brulee. The finish is dry and complex, with notes of toasted oak, red grapes and barley. Yellow Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey was released in the United States in 2015 in extremely limited quantities. The whiskey was named Irish Whiskey of the Year by Whisky Advocate in 2016, in addition to winning Gold in the Wizards of Whiskey competition that same year.

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. Featherbone Bourbon is made by distilling a mash of 70 percent organic corn, 25 percent organic wheat and 5 perfect organic rye through a 5000-liter, copper pot still imported from Germany. Welter sources the corn and rye from a farmer in Illinois, and the wheat from a local farmer in Michigan. The grains are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, artificial pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, growth hormones, feed additives, or genetically modified organisms and enable Journeyman Distillery and all of its products to be certified organic by the Midwest Organic Services Association. Following distillation, the bourbon ages to profile in newly charred American oak casks. Using multiple size barrels, each distillation is tailored to the barrel it will age in and bottled once it has reached the desired taste profile. Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon is bold, assertive and youthful, with earthy flavors, nutty notes, spirituous, cereal notes, peanut butter, sweet, caramel, vegetal qualities - warming on the palate.

Aria Portland Dry Gin is distilled by hand in the heart of Northwest Portland, Oregon. Aria is a classic English inspired gin made using traditional British ingredients and distillation techniques and is true to the London Dry style.

Aria was created by a seventeen-year professional bartender, for bartenders, with cocktails in mind. Aria is a versatile gin which works well in any classic gin cocktail, especially a Martini, or it can be the basis for experimentation and creativity. It is also approachable enough to be enjoyed neat or straight over ice.

The recipe for Aria was developed over the course of four years and hundreds of test distillations. Aria is handmade and batch distilled with ten classic gin botanicals that were carefully chosen to create a flavor profile that has depth and complexity, but above all a perfect sense of balance.

TASTING NOTES

Aria is full bodied and boldly aromatic. Juniper is up front—obvious on the first nosing and initially on the palate. Underneath the juniper, layers of bright citrus, earthy undertones, floral highlights and subtle spicy notes reveal themselves, both on the nose and palate, though none are overpowering. All of the layers of flavor are balanced. The pristine Bull Run water use to cut Aria after distillation provides a rich, creamy mouthfeel. The finish is long and soft.

This is a signature label in honor of Nikka's founder Masataka Taketsuru, the first Japanese who mastered whisky-making in Scotland and brought this expertise back to Japan. While being a disciplined craftsman, he was also a person of curiosity and open-mindedness. This is a tribute to Masataka from his successors, highlighting a perfect balance with complexity achieved by precise blending inherited from the founder.

A "pure malt" is a blend of malt whiskies from various distilleries, whereas a "single malt" is a whisky made exclusively from one distillery. A "pure malt" is also known as a "blended malt".

Taketsuru Pure Malt expression launched in 2020, with a refined formula and a new label design to represent the brand. While remaining a smooth and well-balanced blended malt, the formula further showcases an exquisite balance between elegant softness and deep complexity along with rich mouthfeel and smokiness.

The Corti Brothers grocery, which was started by Frank and Gino Corti in Sacramento, CA 1947, has long been at the forefront of the artisan food movement. The store's mission was to do more than just hand people products, but to talk food and wine with them, and this mantra was embodied in Frank's son Darrell, who developed an encyclopedic knowledge of products from around the world. Continuing his father's legacy, Darrell grew Corti Brothers to such acclaim that the LA Times credited the grocery with starting the gourmet-food revolution. In addition to his expertise in food and wine, Darrell Corti has quite a history with whiskey as well. In 1974, he traveled to Kentucky to bottle a special bourbon for Corti Brothers bicentennial, and on two separate occasions in the mid-80s he worked with the Van Winkle family to bottle private selections of Van Winkle Reserve. Now, in the spirit of the burgeoning craft distilling movement, Darrell Corti has partnered with Amador Distillery to create his very own private label whiskey, Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey. Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey is crafted from just 13 casks of seven year old, Kentucky bourbon whiskey that has been made with a mashbill of 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley. After seven years of maturation in these new, American oak casks, the whisky is then finished in barrels which previously housed Harbor Winery's Mission del Sole. This practice of double-barreling is common for Scotch whiskies, but relatively unusual for a bourbon whiskey. Afterwards, the whiskey is un-chill filtered and bottled at 90.5 proof. Corti Brothers Exquisite Whiskey has a nose of port and caramelized brown sugar, which leads to a palate filled with bright fruits, port, sherry and oak. The finish is rich and sweet, with more oak and a nice earthy character that lingers.

The Process

Requiring a careful combination of patience, care, and love, the process of creating Tears of Llorona starts with 100% pure Weber Agave Azul grown in the volcanic slopes of the Mexican highlands, where agaves grow slowly and naturally to achieve a higher starch content. Germán personally inspects each plant before harvesting and then slow-roasts the piñas the traditional way before fermenting using a proprietary yeast.

The fermented mosto, or must, is then distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills and aged in three distinct types of oak barrels— Scotch, Sherry Oak, and Brandy — for five years, which is two years longer than most traditional extra añejos.

Aging Process - Three Barrels

Aged for five years in three types of barrels, including scotch, brandy, and Sherry oak barrels, Tears of Llorona is then masterfully blended by Germán, delivering a layered tasting experience with a complexity of flavors. Germán then bottles at 43% specific gravity to balance the flavors. This slow, hand-crafted process results in a very high rate of osmotic loss, known as the “angels’ tears”; another reason for the name, Tears of Llorona.

SCOTCH | SHERRY | BRANDY OAK

Small Batch

While many aged spirits are discerned by the year in which they were released, each small batch, or lote, of Tears adorns a unique icon on the bottle’s neck label—one which often tells a story about the product or the maker.

TASTING NOTES

Master Distiller Germán González Gorrochotegui suggests a wide glass that allows Tears to open up. Don’t rush into it. Let it breathe. Swirl it in the glass. And do choose your glassware carefully because this is an experience for all five senses: the deep amber, the lingering nose, the feel of the legs on the glass, the conversation that ensues, and of course, the unforgettable taste.

AROMA: Caramel custard, dried fruit, and dark chocolate

TASTE: Agave with a heady spiciness and complexity for experienced palates

FINISH: Described best as "a warm scarf on a cold day."

The term "Kavalan" refers to some of the earliest inhabitants of Taiwan, who settled the modern-day Yilan County during the 16th century. Legend has it that the Kavalan arrived by sea from the east and upon seeing the stunning beauty of Taiwan, decided to settle the bountiful land. Kavalan Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky is crafted by the King Car Group, which was established in Taiwan in 1956. The whisky is made entirely in Taiwan from malted barley that is imported from Scotland. Once the grains arrive in Taiwan, they are milled and mashed, before being fermented with water drawn from springs situated in the Central and Snowy Mountain ranges. This incredibly pure and quintessentially Taiwanese water source adds slightly mineral, round flavors to the whisky. Following fermentation, the wash is distilled through lantern-shaped copper-pot stills that were previously used at the Glenlivet Distillery. Due to the small size and shape of the stills, the whisky interacts with the copper, resulting in an incredibly pure and fruity flavor profile. After the whisky has been distilled, it is matured in used American oak wine barrels that have been toasted and recharred. These barrels, which have aged both red and white wine, lend notes of fruit, vanilla, and oak to the whisky, as well as caramel, chocolate and spice, leading to an elegant, brown sugar finish. Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky was named the World's Best Single Malt Whisky at Whisky Magazine's 2015 World Whiskies Awards. It also received the Double Gold Medal at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

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. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the first release in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, which aims to highlight the distillery's significant milestones and production innovations throughout its nearly 150 year history. The whiskey is named for another practice pioneered by George Garvin Brown batch distillation. Brown was the first to batch together bourbons from multiple distilleries in order to ensure consistency of flavor. In homage to Brown's pioneering spirit, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made by batching together bourbons from various warehouses at the distillery, creating a final product that is greater than the sum of its parts. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a lively aroma of caramel apple, vanilla bean and oak, which leads to a palate filled with leather, tobacco and vibrant spices including cinnamon and ginger. The finish is dry and smooth, with notes of oak, candybar and more baking spices. 

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Women's Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached a boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold. For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasn't until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "I'm the vice president of the PTA at my kids' school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what I'm about, which is handy when you're looking to change 100 years of laws." Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing another batch of Few Spirits Barrel-Aged Gin. The gin is crafted from a mash of corn, wheat and unmalted barley, which is infused with a secret recipe of botanicals, each individually selected for the way it interacts with wood. As its name suggests, Few Barrel-Aged Gin is laid to rest for four months in five-gallon, new American oak barrels which have been toasted with a #3 char. As a result, the gin has a soft amber color, and a nose filled with liquorice candy, citrus and clove. The palate is earthy and balanced, with flavors of fresh grain and sugar complemented by light, oaky undertones. The finish is soft and delicate, with notes of caramel and brown sugar. Bottled at 93 proof, Few Barrel-Aged Gin earned a Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute, where it was the highest rated gin in the last five years.

According to a 2013 poll by WIN/Gallup International Association, Colombia is the happiest country on earth Parce founders (and brothers) Brian, Jim and Patrick Powers hypothesize that this has something to do with the rum. Upon travelling to Colombia, the three brothers were taken by the country's beauty, culture, and the warmth and hospitality of its people, and they wanted to share the time-honored Colombian tradition of celebrating quality rum with others. "In South America, they would be drinking rum much more as a sipping rum, enjoying the complexity and character Certainly sipping rums have existed here [in the United States], but I dont think there's been much awareness of them, and we thought maybe we could get the sipping rum on the map here, too." The Powers brothers were inspired to go into business together by their father, and they found the perfect partners for their venture in another family business the father-and-son duo of master blenders from Bogota, Colombia, Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq. Together, Arthur and Brojen have over 50 years combined experienced working with rum, and the Domecq family boasts nearly three centuries of history crafting traditional wine, sherry and brandy in the south of Spain (Brojen's grandfather, Jose Ignacio Domecq, was known in the industry as "La Nariz" the nose for his expertise in sniffing and blending). Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum is crafted from sugar cane carefully selected from both local (San Cristobal) and foreign (Barbados, Trinidad) sources, all of which is harvested manually every season. Under the guidance of master blenders Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq, the sugar cane is processed and then fermented with natural spring water and homegrown yeast for 36 to 48 hours. Once fermented into "cane wine," the resulting spirit is distilled through a stainless steel, 4-column still each still produces a slightly different unaged spirit for use in the final aging and blending process. The spirit is then transferred to spent, charred American oak casks where it is aged for eight years before being bottled in the lush Andean mountains of Quindo, Colombia. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum has an exquisite aroma of cherries and candied fruit, which leads to a playful palate filled with light vanilla sweetness along with notes of almonds and toasted coconut. The finish is accented by a subtle oakiness and more hints of cherries, dark chocolate, whipped cream and baking spices. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition.

In the early 1930s in the French port city of Marseille, locals ordered anise-based liqueurs from cafes around town while these cafes sold any number of varieties, most of the liqueurs were actually illicit. Perhaps more importantly, many of these same liqueurs were also too sweet for consumers tastes, and so Paul Ricard, son of a wine merchant, diligently began working on a recipe that would more adequately suit the French people's tastes. Ricard set up an improvised laboratory in the small commune of Sainte-Marthe to experiment with new recipes, macerating Provenal plants, fennel seeds, aniseed essence and other herbs in search of the perfect recipe. In 1932, at the age of only 23, Ricard successfully found that recipe, and along with it created the first French long drink one part pastis with five parts water, finished off with ice. So confident was the young man in his product that he named the pastis Ricard, using his education in fine arts to design the product's first label himself. Ricard pastis is still made using Paul Ricard's original recipe, which has remained a secret since 1932. The main ingredient in Ricard is star anise harvested in southern China here, only the best fruits are hand-picked, sundried and distilled onsite to produce anise essential oil. Meanwhile, across the world, liquorice root is sourced from the Middle East (this ingredient is what gives Ricard pastis its legendary yellow hue) to be used in Ricard, along with the final secret ingredients which are said to come from Provenal plants. In Bessa, a small village near Bziers, all of these ingredients are purified, macerated and blended before being filtered three times before bottling. As a result, Ricard pastis offers a refreshing aroma of star anise and licorice, which leads to a medium-bodied palate filled with flavors of fresh fruits, wood and Eastern spices. The finish is long, light and pleasant. Ricard pastis remains one of France's most popular beverages today, and in 2014 earned a score of 93 points (exceptional) at the International Review of Spirits.

In the 18th century, John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, settled in Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain Valley. He worked tirelessly and harvested more grains than he could sell locally. Shenk decided to distill the excess grains into whiskey, establishing Michter's, the first distilling company in the United States. Prohibition in 1919 led to the closure of Michter's and other distilleries. In the early 1990s, Joseph J. Magliocco and Richard Newman revived the brand, focusing on creating exceptional whiskey. Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is crafted from plump rye grains, fermented, distilled, and aged in charred American oak barrels. The heat-cycled warehousing process enhances the mingling of whiskey and wood, resulting in marmalade and light caramel notes.

Michter's Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is the limited, overproof version of their Single Barrel Rye, with a bold aroma of butterscotch, golden raisins, and vanilla. The palate offers flavors of morning toast, maple syrup, and fresh fruit, followed by a spicy finish with hints of mint, cinnamon, and honey.

LIMITED RELEASE CASK-FINISHED WHISKEYS

Diamond Peak is our annual limited release of special cask-finished whiskeys we prize most.

PROCESS & PROFILE

Diamond Peak’s second unique release highlights flavors that transcend traditional whiskey. Using a marriage of 5-8 year Stranahan’s, the liquid spends just over 2 years in casks that previously held the finest extra añejo tequila, the prized Reserva de Familia blended from the José Cuervo special family reserves. The resulting whiskey is a burst of brightness that’s herbal, peppery, and has just the right amount of agave sweetness.

DISTILLATION: Distilled from 100% malted barley and handmade in small batches at the Stranahan’s distillery, Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition

MATURATION: A marriage of five to eight-year-old Stranahan’s American Single Malt Whiskey, initially aged in virgin American Oak Barrels with #3 char.

FINISH: Upon completion of the aging process, the whiskey is transferred into extra añejo tequila casks, where the liquid is finished for up to a little over 2 years. The resulting taste is both rich as it is complex, producing a mix of flavors and an ultra-smooth taste.

CUT: Cut to proof with pristine Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs and non-chill filtered.

NOSE: Peppery and floral, softly layered with butterscotch.

PALATE: Herbal, salted caramel with a mellow oak backbone.

FINISH: Creamy malt fades into light agave sugar.

Kirk and Sweeney was the name of a wooden schooner that was best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the United States during Prohibition," says August Sebastiani, President of 35 Maple Street Distillery. Just before it entered the territorial waters of the United States, the schooner would drop anchor and sell the rum to smaller boats which would come up alongside the Kirk and Sweeney. The smaller boats, which were faster and more maneuverable than the boats in the Coast Guard's fleet, would smuggle the rum ashore. As other boats followed suit, the edge of U.S. jurisdiction the line where boats like the Kirk and Sweeney dropped anchor became known as the "Rum Line" and the row of ships waiting to sell rum on the Rum Line were said to be anchored on "Rum Row." Kirk and Sweeney 18 Year Old Rum is a rum crafted in the Dominican Republic from raw sugarcane. After being distilled, the rum is aged for 18 years in American oak casks. As a result, it has a deep amber and iridescent copper color along with an aroma of dried fruits and sweet, toasted breads. On the palate, initial hints of honey, toffee and caramelized sugar lead to subtler notes of almond and vanilla, which finally give way to bursts of figs, dried plums, caramel and sherry on the finish. "Playing off the concept of global navigation," says Sebastiani, "we silkscreened an antique nautical map of the main rum smuggling route around the circumference of the bottle" of Kirk and Sweeney Rum. In addition, the neck of the bottle is hand-numbered with the rum's batch and bottle number, while a photo of the Kirk and Sweeney and the bottle's safety seal are printed to look like authentic nautical brass. "The overall design serves as a reminder of the risk so many were willing to take for a good taste of rum during the 1920s," says Sebastiani. This limited edition 18 year old bottling builds off of the success of Kirk and Sweeney's flagship 12 year old rum, which earned a score of 95 points from Wine Enthusiast and was named one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2013.

Kirk and Sweeney was the name of a wooden schooner that was best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the United States during Prohibition," says August Sebastiani, President of 35 Maple Street Distillery. Just before it entered the territorial waters of the United States, the schooner would drop anchor and sell the rum to smaller boats which would come up alongside the Kirk and Sweeney. The smaller boats, which were faster and more maneuverable than the boats in the Coast Guard's fleet, would smuggle the rum ashore. As other boats followed suit, the edge of U.S. jurisdiction the line where boats like the Kirk and Sweeney dropped anchor became known as the "Rum Line" and the row of ships waiting to sell rum on the Rum Line were said to be anchored on "Rum Row." Kirk and Sweeney 23 Year Old Rum is a rum crafted in the Dominican Republic from raw sugarcane. After being distilled, the rum is aged for 23 years in American oak casks. As a result, it has a deep amber and iridescent copper color along with an aroma of dried fruits and sweet, toasted breads. On the palate, initial hints of honey, toffee and caramelized sugar lead to subtler notes of almond and vanilla, which finally give way to bursts of figs, dried plums, caramel and sherry on the finish. "Playing off the concept of global navigation," says Sebastiani, "we silkscreened an antique nautical map of the main rum smuggling route around the circumference of the bottle"of Kirk and Sweeney Rum. In addition, the neck of the bottle is hand-numbered with the rum's batch and bottle number, while a photo of the Kirk and Sweeney and the bottle's safety seal are printed to look like authentic nautical brass. "The overall design serves as a reminder of the risk so many were willing to take for a good taste of rum during the 1920s," says Sebastiani. This limited edition 23 year old bottling builds off of the success of Kirk and Sweeney's flagship 23 year old rum, which earned a score of 95 points from Wine Enthusiast and was named one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2013.

A tale of passion

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds countryside, the Cotswolds Distillery was born from a dream to produce delicious spirits in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.

From hedgefunds to HEDGEROWS
It all started back in 2014, when our founder Dan, a native New Yorker and whisky connoisseur, had moved to the Cotswolds after working in finance in London for many years. Seeking to leave behind that world and spend more time in the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds with his family, it eventually dawned on him that he could combine his love of whisky with his desire to start a new business. A dedicated whisky fan, Dan saw the fields of golden barley around his house in the Cotswolds and had a brainwave ‘I suddenly thought, there’s barley all over the Cotswolds and nobody’s distilling it, let’s be the first!’ Having found a derelict site near his house, he set about building a distillery and a team to run it, and the doors of the Cotswolds Distillery opened in July 2014.

The making of our GIN

Although Dan's dream was always to make whisky, he also wanted to create a full range of delicious spirits including gins and liqueurs. Our first project was the gin, on which we spent two months researching botanical recipes. We distilled 150 individual botanical spirits in a whole range of different flavors and set about experimenting with different combinations. Our distillers created over 60 individual gin recipes which we whittled down to one finalist, and that became our Cotswolds Dry Gin. It may have started as something of a side-project, but it’s now at the heart of what we do and we’re very proud of what we’ve created.

Our award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin is a delectable blend of nine carefully-considered botanicals, including local lavender from the Cotswolds and freshly peeled pink grapefruit and lime zest. Due to the unusually high volume of botanicals we use, our gin causes a beautiful pearlescent cloud to appear when ice or tonic is added. A juniper-led gin with fresh citrusy notes and a hint of lavender.

CAREFULLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS

Juniper berries, coriander seed and angelica root form the classic foundation for our Cotswolds Dry Gin. We then add Cotswold lavender from nearby Snowshill and bay leaves. The citrus element comes from freshly-peeled lime and pink grapefruit zest - unusually we use fresh peels rather than dried because of the greater quantity of essential oils. This entails peeling several hundred limes and grapefruits per week, by hand! The final botanicals are cardamom seed and black peppercorn, to give a hint of spice.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Fresh notes of grapefruit with earthy coriander backed-up by sweet, piney juniper. A hint of perfumed Cotswold lavender.

PALATE: Clean, pine juniper spice with fresh citrussy grapefruit. A touch of dryness from the angelica root, with eucalyptus notes from bay leaf. Subtle lime and lavender.

FINISH: Clean and balanced. Juniper, citrus and some cooling notes from bay leaf and cardamom.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

For the perfect Cotswolds Cloudy G&T, fill a large copa glass with ice, pour over a 50ml measure of gin and top with classic tonic water. Garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit and a fresh bay leaf.

Crafted in 1849 at Stitzel-Weller, Rebel Yell's original wheat-based recipe marked a bourbon twist. In 1936, Mayor Charles F. Farnsley registered "Rebel Yell," producing limited batches for the southern U.S. After the 1980s, LUXCO Spirited Brands took over. Now, over 150 years later, Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve maintains the legacy with a slightly higher proof (90.6), offering a complex profile of caramel, oak, vanilla, and brown sugar. With notes of wheat crackers and sugar cereal on the palate, it finishes subtly with hints of orange peel and dark chocolate, uniting heritage and modern tastes, available nationwide for the first time.

Platinum Award (Best in Show) at the 2009 World Beverage Competition