In 1815, Donald and Alexander Johnston began leasing nearly 1,000 acres of land on the island of Islay. Their intent was to use the land in order to raise and sell cattle and as a result, they began growing barley to be used as feed for their livestock. Following a particularly bountiful harvest, the brothers distilled the excess grains they had grown into whisky, and sold it to the inhabitants of the island. Soon thereafter, the brothers found it more profitable to distill whisky rather than raise cattle, and Laphroaig (pronounced La-froyg) Distillery was born. For over a century, the distillery would remain in the hands of one of Johnston's descendants. In 1954, however, Ian Hunter passed away childless and bequeathed the distillery to Bessie Williamson, a secretary that had been working at the distillery for two decades. Hunter was incredibly protective of the distillery while he slowly revealed its secrets to Williamson after she had earned his trust, Hunter prevented a cooper who was employed at the distillery from publishing his memoirs because they described the workings of the distillery in too great a detail. Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt Whisky is one of the most flavorful and intense whiskies made anywhere in the world. During Prohibition, it was one of the few whiskies still legally imported into the United States, as it was considered a medicinal spirit. Laphroaig Single Malt is made from the finest Scottish barley, which is then malted at the distillery and smoked over a peat flame. Unlike other distilleries which source peat from the Scottish mainland, the peat used to smoke Laphroaig barley is made from the heather, mosses and lichens of Islay and adds a distinct iodine-like flavor to the whisky. After the barley has been malted and peated, it is fermented before being twice-distilled through Laphroaig's copper-pot stills. The unique stills have an usually flat base and flat surfaces, which contributes to the overall intensity of the whisky. Following distillation, Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in quarter casks. Quarter casks were used in the 19th century to transport whisky via horse or mule, as the animals could not carry the weight of traditional casks. As a result of their small size, the casks have a greater proportion of surface area to volume and thus, contribute stronger notes of oak and wood tannins to the whisky maturing inside. In addition, the casks "breathe" more deeply and as a result, provide a touch of salty tang to the whisky as well. Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky has an autumn gold color, along with an aroma of tropical fruits and smoke. The aroma gives way to notes of citrus, malt, cinnamon and oak on the palate, which are complemented by a subtle smoky undertone. The finish is refreshing and peaty, with touches of caramel and vanilla throughout. Laphroaig Quarter Cask earned the Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and earned a score of 93 points from the Beverage Testing Institute. In addition, it earned a score of 90-95 points from Wine Enthusiast.

About the Brand

Situated at the end of a small single track road, on the shores of the Sound of Islay, Bunnahabhain is known for its spectacular surroundings and delicious signature unpeated Islay Single Malt Whisky.

Our 18 Year Old is one of our most awarded Single Malts and once you’ve tasted it you’ll understand the wealth of gold medals it has achieved. The deep mahogany colour of the whisky gives away the exclusive sherry cask maturation and the tang of salt on the tongue reminds you of our coastal location.

With warehouses positioned along the shore and a bay fed by the Sound of Islay, there is no escaping the salty sea air, especially when you’re maturing by it for 18 years.

Tasting Notes

Color: Rich mahogany gold.

Nose: Fragrant with notes of dried fruit, rich honeyed nuts, toffee and slight hints of spice.

Palate: Notes of mellow sherried nuts, dried fruit and rich oak, with toffee and a slight tang of salt from its maturation of 18yrs at the coast.

Finish: A dry fruit finish with a hint of spice and salt.

Cuvèe Homére Rhum Vieux is distilled from sugarcane juice as is typical in Martinique and proudly wears the “AOC Martinique” designation signifying an exemplary degree of expertise in every stage of production.

TASTING NOTES

Color: Mahogany

Maturation: An expert blend of the best ex-Bourbon barrels from 7-15 years old as chosen by cellar master Robert Peronet.

Nose: Warm biscuits and almond butter evolve into baking spice.

Palate: Very soft and balanced. Overwhelming notes of woody vanilla and toasted coconut.

In the early 1800’s, New York produced more than half the young nation’s Barley and Rye and the Hudson Valley was the country’s breadbasket. With abundant high quality grain, local craft spirits flourished and over 1000 farm distilleries produced Whiskey and Gin reflecting the unique terroir of the region. In the 1930’s, Prohibition forced these distilleries to shut their doors and this wellspring of American spirits was left dry.

Hillrock Estate Distillery is changing this. Our mission is to produce the finest hand-crafted spirits made with our own grain, floor malted, craft distilled in our copper pot still, aged in fine oak and hand bottled at our estate in the Hudson Valley Highlands. Crowned by a fine 1806 Georgian house built by a successful grain merchant and Revolutionary War Captain and meticulously restored to its original beauty, Hillrock Distillery overlooks our rolling barley fields and the distant Berkshire Mountains. Like our premier spirits, every detail refined, no expense spared, quality steeped in the tradition of 200 years of rich history.

Hillrock is proud to be one of the few “field-to-glass” whiskey producers in the world and the first USA distillery since before Prohibition to floor malt and hand craft whiskey on site from estate grown grain. Hillrock’s commitment to quality embodies the rich history of artisanal distilling in the Hudson Valley. By controlling every aspect of production from planting & harvesting heirloom grains, to smoking our malt, to crafting whiskies in our copper pot still, to aging in small oak barrels and hand bottling, we are able to create the highest quality whiskies reflecting the unique local terroir.

THE ART OF FINE CRAFT DISTILLING HAS MADE THE JOURNEY HOME…

Situated over 1,000 feet above sea level in southwestern Guatemala, the Ron Zacapa Plantation enjoys generous amount of sunlight and mineral-rich, volcanic soils, making it ideal for the cultivation of fresh, raw sugar cane. There, expert farmers many of whom have been tending to the land for decades carefully analyze the sugar cane as it matures on the estate, harvesting only the canes that are rich in sucrose and fiber and lacking in impurities. While most rums are made using molasses, which is a byproduct of refining sugar cane, Ron Zacapa Rum is made using virgin sugar cane honey. The virgin sugar cane honey is extracted from the first pressing of raw sugar cane harvested on the Zacapa Plantation, and lends a luxurious, smooth texture to the rum. Once the honey has been extracted, it is fermented with a unique strain of pineapple yeast before being distilled through a single column still lined with copper. Following distillation, Ron Zacapa Gran Reserva Sistema Solera 23 Rum is solera-aged through a series of casks that were previously used to mature bourbon, sherry and Pedro Ximnez wine. Solera aging is a process that has generally been reserved for aging cognacs, ports and sherries. It involves filling a series of casks at different intervals over a long period of time. As rum from the oldest cask is emptied and bottled, the cask is re-filled with an equivalent amount of rum from the second-oldest cask in the solera. This cascading effect continues until the youngest cask in the solera is filled with new rum. As a result, no cask in the solera is ever fully emptied. In addition, as the younger rum cascades through the solera, its average age and complexity gradually increases over time. As a result of this solera-aging process, Ron Zacapa Gran Reserva Rum has notes of dark figs, raisins, candied nuts and dried fruits. In addition, the solera used to age the rum is situated in the highlands of Quetzaltenango, 7500 feet above sea level. The thinner air and lower atmospheric pressure at "the solera above the clouds" intensifies the maturation process, and creates a more complex, layered rum. Once the rum has cascaded through the solera, Lorena Vazquez Ron Zacapa's master blender blends together rum that has matured for up to 23 years. "I like things to have a structure, to be complex," says Vazquez, "so when you sip a rum, you're going to discover it, and it should surprise you." Ron Zacapa Gran Reserva Sistema Solera 23 Rum has a light mahogany color, along with an aroma of sweet caramel, vanilla, cacao beans and butterscotch. The aroma opens up to notes of sweet honey, raisined fruit and apricots on the palate, which are well-complemented by notes of oak, coffee, leather and tobacco. The finish, which lingers just enough, ends with a touch caramel. The rum earned a score 97 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute, and won five consecutive Gold Medals at the International Rum Festival, where it was ultimately inducted into the Hall of Fame.

From The Brand

At Springbank we pride ourselves on producing a single malt that is made entirely in-house, employing traditional skills that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Produced since 1828, Springbank Single Malts are lightly peated in our kiln and distilled 2.5 times.

Our 18 year old is full of authority and is a classic, full-bodied dram. With a delicious nose, this whisky will tempt you in and hold your attention as you uncover its unique palate and finish.

65% Bourbon, 35% Sherry

Tasting Notes

Nose: The sherry influence is immediately apparent on the nose, with notes of raisins, prunes, mixed peel and fruit cake. There are notes of hard toffee and crème caramel, along with a spicy, wood element.

Palate: The palate introduces notes of madeira cake, marzipan and gingerbread. There is a sweetness in notes of honey and syrup and the creamy caramel note from the nose persists.

Finish: A woody finish with notes of allspice and aniseed.

Founded in 1982 by German-born Jrg Rupf, St. George Spirits is one of the oldest craft distilleries in the United States. The distillery, housed in an old World War II airplane hangar on a former naval base on the edge of San Francisco, is home to Lance Winters, mad scientist and St. George's master distiller. Winters, who is widely-known for experimenting with different types of spirits, has a laboratory dominated by a 10-liter test still in addition to the glass beakers and graduated cylinders that cover every inch of counterspace. Next to the dusty chalkboards caked with equations for the conversion of sugar to alcohol and intricate diagrams of molecular structures are bottles of experimental whiskies, vodkas and even an aging balsamic vinegar (it's 14 years old already). St. George Botanivore Gin a botanical eater of a gin is infused with 19 different herbs and botanicals, including angelica root, bay laurel, bergamot peel, black peppercorn, caraway, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, citra hops, coriander, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, juniper berries, lemon peel, lime peel, orris root, Seville orange peel and star anise. While the juniper, bay laurel and fresh cilantro are added to the gin's botanical basket, the other 16 botanicals are steeped overnight in the copper-pot still. Then, gentle steam heat is added to the still, in order to coax out the flavors and aromas of the herbs and botanicals. Fresh and slightly herbaceous, St. George Botanivore Gin has bright notes of citrus, earth and spice that are complimented by subtle floral undertones. The gin earned a score of 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, which selected it as one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2012. In addition, Park and Bond wrote that it was "a sunshine-drenched greenhouse of a spirit"while Esquire called it "complex and bright." This gin represents a unique expression by one of America's most creative craft distilleries.

Founded in 1982 by German-born Jrg Rupf, St. George Spirits is one of the oldest craft distilleries in the United States. The distillery, housed in an old World War II airplane hangar on a former naval base on the edge of San Francisco, is home to Lance Winters, mad scientist and St. George's master distiller. Winters, who is widely-known for experimenting with different types of spirits, has a laboratory dominated by a 10-liter test still in addition to the glass beakers and graduated cylinders that cover every inch of counterspace. Next to the dusty chalkboards caked with equations for the conversion of sugar to alcohol and intricate diagrams of molecular structures are bottles of experimental whiskies, vodkas and even an aging balsamic vinegar (it's 14 years old already). Made using juniper, Douglas Fir, California bay laurel, coastal sage and coriander seeds, along with a number of other herbs and botanicals, St. George Terroir Gin is a true California Gin. The coriander seeds are roasted inside a well-seasoned wok, which contributes an earthy, aromatic bouquet to the gin. In addition, the Douglas Fir and coastal sage are distilled individually through Winters' 250-liter copper-pot still, which minimizes seasonal configurables in the botanicals. Finally, while the fresh bay laurel leaves and juniper berries are infused through the still's botanical basket, the remainder of the botanicals are placed directly in the pot, resulting in a cleaner and crisper flavor. St. George Terroir Gin has a stunning bouquet of fresh, forest aromas, including pine and oak. The woodsy notes are complemented by bursts of juniper and sage, and lead to a crisp finish. St. George Terroir is "spectacularly evocative"according to Food and Wine Magazine, and "one of the most distinctive gins made in America"according to GQ Magazine. This gin represents a unique expression by one of America's most creative craft distilleries.

Each winter, Marko Karakasevic, master distiller at Charbay Distillery, travels to Central California and selects organically grown, tree-ripened blood oranges at their peak maturity. The oranges are delivered to his distillery in St. Helena, California within three days and crushed skins and all by Marko (a 13th generation master distiller!) and his team. Blood oranges' distinctive crimson pigment is a result of high levels of anthocyanins, an antioxidant thought to protect against ailments such as cancer, inflammation and diabetes. Grown in cool climates, blood oranges are more intense than ordinary oranges and have unique, raspberry-like flavors in addition to typical citrus notes. Using a secret process that takes nearly six months, Marko and his team extract the flavor, color and antioxidants from the blood oranges. The fruit extract is then blended with Charbay's award-winning Clear Vodka. Charbay Clear Vodka, which has been rated the best vodka in the world twice by the Spirit Journal, is distilled from 100% American Midwest corn and rye. Distilled in a double copper alembic charentais pot to 192 proof, Clear Vodka is gently, gently filtered and bottled by hand. Charbay Blood Orange Vodka is free from essences, perfumes, dyes, fragrances and so-called "natural flavors"- it is made from 100% organically-grown, real fruit. When asked how he makes Charbay Blood Orange Vodka, Marko replied, "with the best fruit possible." Try some of the best vodka today!

WHISKEY TYPE

WHEATED BOURBON

ABV

46% 92 PROOF

750ml

MASH BILL

70% CORN
ORIGIN: CALIFORNIA

25% WHEAT
ORIGIN: CALIFORNIA

5% MALTED BARLEY
ORIGIN: WYOMING

FLAVOR PROFILE

TOASTED VANILLA, ALMOND,
TOFFEE BRITTLE, AND COFFEE

FOOD PAIRING

ROASTED CHICKEN, DUCK FAT POTATOES
FENNEL & GREEN APPLE SALAD

Balblair 15 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a revered expression from the esteemed Balblair distillery in the Scottish Highlands. Aged for 15 years, this whisky embodies the essence of tradition and craftsmanship. With a meticulous production process that starts with the finest malted barley and pure Highland water, it undergoes fermentation and distillation in copper pot stills. The result is a whisky with a rich depth of flavor, characterized by notes of honey, vanilla, citrus, and oak. The Royal Batch designation honors the distillery's royal heritage, making it a true connoisseur's choice for those seeking a refined and elegant dram.

From the Brand

At Springbank we pride ourselves on producing a single malt that is made entirely in-house, employing traditional skills that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Produced since 1828, Springbank Single Malts are lightly peated in our kiln and distilled 2.5 times.

Always bottled at cask strength, this is a wonderfully balanced dram that boasts a smooth, buttery body and rich, fruity palate. Add a drop of water to release milk chocolate and vanilla notes.

100% Bourbon 

Tasting Notes

Nose: The peat influence is immediately apparent on the nose, along with initial medicinal and aniseed notes from the Bourbon maturation. Butterscotch and toffee notes add a sweet element, followed by a creamy, nutty aroma.

Palate: Creamy confectionery and smooth toffee follow through from the nose. Sweet lemon sponge cake, cream soda and turkish delight accompany the delicate peat influence.

Finish: A smooth finish with hints of ginger and lemon zest. The gentle peat smoke endures to round off this cask strength whisky.

When Prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, a few enterprising residents of Iowa chose to become outlaws rather than teetotalers. Alphonse Kerkhoff, a farmer by trade, began cooking batches of rye whiskey near his home in Templeton to supplement his income. "The Good Stuff," as Kerkhoff's rye was known, was so popular that he began tying a white horse named Babe to a polein his front yard as a signal to residents that another batch of Templeton Rye was ready. Shortly thereafter, Kerkhoff partnered with notorious bootlegger Al Capone to distribute his rye across the country. Capone bootlegged hundreds of barrels of Templeton Rye to speakeasies in New York, Chicago and as far west as San Francisco legend has it that he even had a case smuggled into his jail cell at Alcatraz. Following Prohibition, Kerkhoff continued to cook Templeton Rye for his friends and family, before eventually passing the recipe on to his son, Meryl. Today, nearly a century after it was first distilled, Templeton Rye pays homage to that recipe by Keith Kerkhoff, Alfonse's grandson. Templeton Rye is made in Indiana from a variety of winter and spring rye grains that possess specific organoleptic qualities. The rye (which comprises over 90% of the mashbill, with the remainder being malted barley) is fermented for 72-84 hours using a yeast culture that was developed specifically for whiskey production. After fermentation, the mash is double-distilled and then aged in charred, American white oak casks (sourced from a Missouri cooperage) for a minimum of four years. The whiskey is bottled in Templeton, Iowa, where Iowa's hot summers, cold winters and wet springs (monthly average temperatures range from a high of 86.2 F to a low of 6.3 F) result in more contact between the whiskey and the oak prior to bottling, helping the whiskey mature faster and giving it more complexity and flavor. Templeton Rye earned the Gold Medal at the 2009 and 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and was named "Rye Whiskey of the Year"in the 2009 Whisky Bible. It also earned the title "Best of Whiskey"at the 2008 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition, beating out more than 4,000 other entrants in the competition. Now that Prohibition is over, you can enjoy Templeton Rye conspicuously.

Mature in age and truly exceptional in quality, Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon has earned its place as an enduring favorite of the most discerning whiskey connoisseurs. The “Best American Whiskey” according to Food & Wine magazine, our 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon represents the culmination of over a decade of patient aging in specially chosen, new charred American white oak barrels. 

COOPERAGE: Fire-charred, new American white oak barrels

TASTING NOTES: Big and bold dark toffee and caramel, charred oak, maple syrup, vanilla.