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.

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 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. 

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.

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

The original Rebel Yell recipe dates back to 1849, created at what later became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Known for using wheat instead of rye, it offers a smoother flavor. In 1936, the brand was officially registered by former Louisville Mayor Charles F. Farnsley. After the distillery closed in the 1980s, Rebel Yell transitioned to LUXCO Spirited Brands. Now available nationwide, Rebel Yell American Whiskey blends bourbon and rye for a rich aroma of oak, caramel, leather, and red fruits, followed by a palate of sweet plums, raspberries, wheat, and rye, finishing with oak and chocolate notes.

In the late 19th century, many US distilleries didn't age their whiskey, leading to additives like juices or tobacco for flavor. George Garvin Brown changed this in 1870 by founding J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery, creating Old Forester bourbon. It's the first continuously distilled bourbon, surviving Prohibition for medicinal use. Made from corn, rye, and malted barley, its unique fermentation process and oak cask aging give it depth. Try Old Forester Mint Julep, the official drink of the 141st Kentucky Derby, a collaboration celebrating Kentucky's heritage. Grab a bottle today!

Pikesville Rye traces its Maryland roots all the way back to the Civil War from 1861-1865, the Civil War drew thousands of outsiders to Maryland, outsiders who would grow accustomed to the state's particular style of rye whiskey. After the war's end, these people returned to their homes with a lingering thirst for Maryland rye, and a few pioneering businessmen with the help of a recently-improved railway infrastructure began to produce and sell this style of whiskey all across the country. One such producer was the L. Winand and Brothers Distillery, which was founded in Scott's Level (just northwest of Baltimore), Maryland in 1895. The distillery began producing its flagship product Pikesville Rye, named after the adjacent town shortly thereafter, choosing the name because Scott's Level sounded too much like Scotch. After the passage of Prohibition, L. Winand and Brothers Distillery was forced to close, and though subsequent owners Pikesville continued to distill the whisky in Maryland until 1972, the brand was ultimately sold to Heaven Hill in 1982, making it the last-standing Maryland rye whiskey. Produced today at the famous Bernheim Distillery in Kentucky, Pikeville has maintained its popular status in Baltimore after all these years. Crafted by Heaven Hills Co-Master Distiller Denny Potter, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash of rye, corn and barley, and evokes the spicy character of traditional Maryland rye whiskies. To set it apart from other ryes, I selected barrels at a minimum of six years old from high storage and bottled it at a proof that allows the most character from the barrel to come through without overpowering the spicy grain notes, says Potter. As a result, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey has a pale copper color and an aroma of dark cocoa and burnt oak. The palate is filled with layers of honey, clover and white chocolate, and leads to a finish accented by vanilla bean, butterscotch candy, maple syrup and caramel. Pikesville Straight Rye Whisky won a Double Gold at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and earned 95 points at the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

In 1876, John D. Willett one of Kentucky's original bourbon aristocrats transferred his interest in the Willett & Frenke Distillery to his son-in-laws, 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. After distillation, the bourbon is aged in new, American oak casks for a minimum of eight years in Warehouse Z on the distillery's estate in Bardstown, Kentucky. Warehouse Z is situated on the edge of a bluff and as a result, enjoys the intense heat and humidity that are ideal for maturing whiskey. "When it comes to barrel aging," says Ken Pierce, Barton 1792's master distiller, "it's just like real estate location, location, location. That's why 1792 ages in Warehouse Z up there on the bluff." In addition, during the maturation process, Pierce samples each cask of bourbon as it rests to determine when the bourbon has reached its peak of maturity. "Quality in, quality out," says Pierce, who has over two decades of experience at the distillery. Once the bourbon has matured for a minimum of eight years, it is brought to proof with water drawn from the Tom Moore spring. The iron-free, Kentucky limestone water the same water used by Moore over a century ago when crafting his own whiskey adds a subtle touch of complexity and depth to the bourbon. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was named after the year that Kentucky achieved statehood in the United States, earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Wine and Spirits Competition in 2011 and earned a score of 95 points the same as Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year Old Bourbon at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2012. "Hope you enjoy the taste as much as I do," says Pierce. Enjoy a great bourbon today!

In 1958, a rare blend of Scotch malt and grain whiskies was found in 10 oak casks in the Port of Leith, Edinburgh in a warehouse owned by William Muir. It was soon discovered that the blend was originally distilled in 1954, and that the original recipe dated back to the 1800s. Several years later, in 1966, a small quality of the blend (which was now 12 years old) was bottled for the private use of the directors of William Muir. Six individuals were instrumental in this project, and therefore the whisky came to be known as Syndicate 58/6, named after both the year the Scotch was discovered and the number of people involved. Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky contains 18 single malt whiskies and 4 single grain whiskies, and is aged through a solera system. Solera aging involves filling a series of casks at different intervals over a long period of time. As whiskey from the oldest cask is emptied and bottled, the cask is re-filled with an equivalent amount of whiskey from the second-oldest cask in the solera. This cascading effect continues until the youngest cask in the solera is filled with new whiskey. As a result, no cask in the solera is ever fully emptied. In addition, as the younger whiskey ages and cascades through the solera, its average age and complexity gradually increases over time. Because of the solera aging process, Syndicate 58/6 still contains a small amount of the original blend discovered in 19858. Finally, Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky is married and additionally matured for up to two years in Oloroso Sherry casks imported from the Andalucia region of Spain. As a result, Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky has an burley aroma of roasted grains, cinnamon, oatmeal, orange peel and light smoke. The body is full of complexity, with notes of honey, apple pie, sherry and butterscotch, and leads to a hearty finish complete with smoked meats, pepper and tanned leather. This limited edition was bottled exclusively for Mahesh Patel and Whisky Concierge in 2014.

Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel marries the best of Kentucky Bourbon with Napa Valley wine barrel finishing. Its journey began in the heart of Bourbon country, where we selected exceptional Kentucky Bourbon that came to life in new charred American oak barrels aged 3 years.

We transported this treasure westward along the 38th parallel to California, where we finished the Bourbon with our family’s Napa Cellars Chardonnay French oak barrels for 9 months and bottled at 86 proof. This double-barrel aging technique creates characteristics from the individual barrels that are then blended together to make exceptional Bourbon, far greater than the sum of its parts.

TASTING NOTES

Exquisite copper brown color. Notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, roasted almond mingle with hints of honey and tobacco. Rich and full bodied with a creamy, long finale. Enjoy this unique Wheated Bourbon with Kentucky pedigree and California flair.

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the home with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the winter when there was little activity on the farm Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town. Today, the Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of the Macallan Estate's Minstrel barley (a single acre produces about 2.5 tons of barley each year, enough to yield 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). In addition, the distillery contracts with farmers to purchase barley that is low in nitrogen and high in starch, resulting in a rich and oily whisky. After the barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallan's two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan's copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst, and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulphur. In addition, the curiously small stills some of "the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry," according to production manager Alexander Tweedie produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor. The Macallan M Single Malt Scotch Whisky was crafted from a marriage of seven unique casks of Macallan, each of which was personally selected by Macallan's Master Whisky Maker after more than two years of searching through the Macallan's vast cellars of over 195,000 barrels. Each cask (the oldest whisky was distilled in 1940) was previously used to mature Oloroso sherry. As a result, the whisky as a deep copper color, along with an aroma of dried fruits, vanilla, green apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Rich, viscous wood spices dominate the palate, and are complemented by undertones of leather, cedar and violets.