If the concept of a Japanese blender behind a bourbon sounds familiar, that’s because Jim Beam introduced this concept with Legent a few years ago, a collaboration between master distiller Fred Noe and Suntory blender Shinji Fukuyo. Now Kentucky Owl has gotten in on the action as well, combining the forces of master blenders John Rhea and Yusuke Yahisa of Japan’s Nagahama Distillery. So how does this new release differ?

Obviously, the bourbon at the core of the release is entirely different. Kentucky Owl is a brand started by Dixon Dedman in 2014, a revival of his family’s whiskey legacy that sourced bourbon and rye from undisclosed distilleries, and often ended up selling for hundreds of dollars. Dedman left the company last year and has since embarked upon new endeavors. Stoli Group, which owns Kentucky Owl, is currently building a massive new distillery-cum-themepark in Bardstown, KY, but in the meantime there’s been some limited-edition releases with Rhea (formerly of Four Roses) as head blender.

Takumi Edition Bourbon (“takumi” means “master” in Japanese) is the latest, a blend of four-, five-, six- and 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon made from mash bills containing corn, wheat or rye, and malted barley.

Tasting notes include rye bread and caramel on the nose, followed by cinnamon, apple and pear on the palate. 

Hakutsuru is located in the famed Nada district of Kobe, a leading sake production area. The name Hakutsuru means “white crane”. The crane’s reserved character and graceful appearance along with the cultural association of seeing a crane in flight as an auspicious sign, makes the crane an ideal symbol to represent the excellent quality of Hakutsuru’s sake.

TASTING NOTES

SHO-UNE, meaning “soaring clouds”, is a supreme Japanese sake using only the finest rice, Yamada-Nishiki, and Nada’s famed natural spring water Miyamizu. This velvety smooth sake has fruity aromas and can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.

Penelope Bourbon Toasted Series explores new and unique expressions of our signature four grain straight bourbon whiskey. After full maturation in charred new American oak barrels, we finish Penelope Bourbon in a new, freshly toasted barrel. Each batch is a unique blend of our signature three bourbon mash bills and all have different custom chars & toasts – making each bottle unique and different. The barrels selected for this series are the best our inventory has to offer and go through an extensive hand-selection process.

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.

About the Brand

Forged on the nexus of beautiful, traditional, revolutionary, and extraordinary...

We have a deep respect for tradition and an unwavering drive for innovation.

And in our pursuit of uncompromising excellence, we challenge everything.

We have put our mark on the world by creating the world’s first cristalino tequila. But our taste for the exceptional is insatiable.

Because we know that standing still is the first step to marching backwards.

Because there's a fire within us, and not just as an homage to our origins.

Because the spirit of innovation permeates everything we do.

Because we don’t just want to redefine history. We want to refine our legacy.

This wonderful tequila is the reincarnation of a 17th Century taste.

Our expert tequila distiller uses mesquite wood to replicate flavors from tequilas from the 1600s. It's an extraordinary balance
between smoky notes and agave that we call Humito™.

Tasting Notes

Color: Bright, clear liquid with touches of silver and an exceptional body that comes from high-quality agave.

Taste: A delicate and satisfying bouquet of sweet caramel flavors with maple and honey top notes, layered with the essence of fresh cut mesquite wood. The finish is long on the palette with hints of roasted nuts and vanilla.

Aroma: Notably smoky and complex, with forward notes of encino, mesquite wood and fruity floral tones. Perfectly balanced sensations of buttery
caramel, cooked agave, olive and dried fruit.

Lalocura's clay pot distilled mezcales have built a steady cult following of chefs, writers, and mezcal-heads, who turn up at the palenque each day hoping to spend a few hours listening to maestro mezcalero Eduardo "Lalo" Ángeles tell stories, taste  the 20+ expressions he has resting in glass at any given time, and instagram a photo of his colorful dining room table covered in empty veladoras.

Before starting Lalocura in 2014, Eduardo Ángeles spent years working as the fourth generation master distiller of his family’s brand, where he combined a lifetime of working under his father, the late, great Don Lorenzo with a degree in agricultural engineering, and a philosophy that is all his own.

Lalocura is produced in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca, where the agave piñas are roasted in an earthen oven, mashed by hand, fermented outdoors, and distilled in clay pots. It's a process that has produced great mezcal for centuries.

Named by Wine Enthusiast as a “Top 100 Spirit”, our signature rum is one of the rarest rums in the world. We make it from the fresh juice of estate-grown Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane (kō) on our farm in Kohala, Hawai‘i. The sugarcane juice is fermented using a special yeast and distilled in a handmade, copper pot still to 60-74% ABV. This slow, careful process makes delicious and flavorful rum that showcases the magnificence of the kō.

An exceptionally flavorful rum perfect for sipping neat or in world-class cocktails.

Less than 5% of rum is made as an Agricole: rum made from fresh sugarcane juice.

TASTING NOTES: green bananas, fuji apple, cherries, Japanese plum, starfruit, lemongrass, and an Everlasting Gobstopper finish

Award-winning vodka handcrafted in small batches using Iceland's natural resources.

Made from Iceland's pure arctic spring water, filtered through lava rocks and distilled in one of only six Copper-Head Stills in the world.

Reyka has a smooth, crisp flavor. And it's all made at our zero-emission geo-thermal distillery in Borgarnes, Iceland.  

Chamucos Tequila was originally conceived in 1992 by two friends; the Oscar nominated Mexican film director, Antonio Urrutia, and his close friend, a hand-blown glass bottle artist/ producer, Cesar Hernandez. US Importer Mark Howard was interested in creating his own tequila brand and saw a bottle while visiting Cesar’s glass factory. Chamucos Tequila was originally produced and bottled as Reposado only. The recipe/formula was the collaboration of the group (Cesar, Antonio and Mark) lead by renowned Master Distiller, Ing. Hector Davalos. Chamucos was launched in both Mexico and the US in 1994. Chamucos Blanco was first introduced in 2009 and Chamucos Anejo in 2010. Today, Chamucos Tequila is sold in eight countries. Leading in sales is the U.S. followed by Mexico.

Chamucos Blanco

The flavor of blue agave abounds. Spicy, vanilla, cinnamon, fennel, citrus and orange blossoms with a barely discernible hint of smoke. It’s ultra smooth and soft and has a very silky mouth feel.
It’s well rounded and balanced with a nice hint of earthiness. The finish is smooth with mild heat.

Southern Alps of New Zealand

New Zealand water is unique because our geography is unique.

The rain that hits New Zealand is the same as the rain that hit New Zealand a thousand years ago. None of it comes through clouds passing over land masses belching out car fumes and agricultural enhancers. The first thing it hits is a huge, jagged mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. This mountain range then holds this water for 80 years. That’s how long it takes to travel through the layers of sediment until it’s finally released in to the depths of one of the world’s last natural aquifers. Think about that. The water in this gin has actually been filtering through rock since before your grandfather was the age you are now.

The reason that Scapegrace tastes clean is because it is.

The Bottle

The bottle is deliberate. It’s a modern take on the original Genever bottles from 200 years ago.

If gin-makers from then were making gin today we know they would make it like we do, because we make it like they did.

Our bottle is a respectful acknowledgement to everything they taught us.

Trophy Cabinet

SCAPEGRACE CLASSIC

Gold- 2020 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition

Double Gold- 2014 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition

Gold- 2019 Tastings.com Competition

Gold- 2018 Gin Masters Competition

Outstanding Silver- 2015 London International Wine & Spirits Competition

Silver- 2017 San Francisco Wine & Spirits Competition

Made with a unique variety of woodland spices. Juniper and wildflowers envelop the nose, while the taste is dry, yet vibrant - clean and nuanced by emerald grasses, golden citrus, and white pepper with a round, floral body. Crisp enough to enjoy straight and of course excellent in cocktails both classic and contemporary.

Bottle Size: 750ml

Sutter Home is proud to say that we created America’s original White Zinfandel in 1972. Deliciously sweet with the essence of strawberry and melon, it’s so light and refreshing that it pairs perfectly with all kinds of food — from spicy to sweet, and from salads to fish and meat. Day or night, this wine is a sweet taste of the good life.

AWARDS

2017 HOUSTON LIVESTOCK & RODEO | CLASS CHAMPION - DOUBLE GOLD
2018 SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL | 90 POINTS - GOLD
2018 TOAST OF THE COAST | BEST SWEET ROSÉ – GOLD
2019 ULTIMATE WINE | 90 POINTS

On the steep precarious hillsides of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Durango varieties of agave, indigenous to the region, grow wild and are heavily sought after by the local mezcaleros. These varietals produce flavors that are exotically intense, with rich earth tones and savory smokiness. From the heart of the maguey these flavors are traditionally extracted to produce mezcal that is wildly refined. Because we at bozal believe that something wild produces a far richer spirit.

Agave

A subspecies of the Angustifolia family, the Sacatoro agave takes about eight to twelve years to mature and is harvested from the hillsides of Guerrero. Unique in itself, the characteristics of this agave showcase the aromas of wet earth, a rich smokiness on the mid-palate, and a finish reminiscent of wild flowers.

Taste

Slight sweetness on the nose with a soft mineral scent of river rock. An initially viscous mouthfeel leads to a savory palate with flavors of sage, fennel and creamed corn. The finish is lasting with a brined salinity and effervescence.

AWARDS:
2017, Gold Medal - Beverage Tasting Institute

Enjoy the following cocktail recipe:

1 L Wild Turkey 101
20 g cardamom seeds
150 g dried, unsweetened cranberries
3 sticks cinnamon

In a wide-mouthed glass infusion jar, place the Wild lurkey 101 and the cardamom seeds. Close and leave in a cool dark place for 1 day. Strain out cardamom and add the cranberries and cinnamon. Close and leave for another 2 days, agitating once per day. Strain solids and store in the original Wild Turkey bottle with proper labeling.

Comprised of 100% Tepeztate agave (which can take up to 25 years to mature), this rare bottling of this unique agave species yields a flavor rich in smoke and terroir driven earthiness, with a green pepper vegetal nose, soft green apple fruitiness, and notes of citrus zest. 

AGAVE: MARMORATA

MAESTRO: APOLONIO PATRICIO LOPEZ

ORIGEN: SAN AUGUSTÍN AMAGENGO

ELEVACIÓN: 4480 FT/ 1365 M

FERMENTACIÓN: LEVADURA NATURAL, 5-6 DIAS

DESTILACIÓN: COBRE

Level up with Grand Blue. Barrel-aged to perfection, E&J VSOP earned the name of Grand Blue to commemorate its premium smooth finish and rich flavor. Crafted in the style of fine European brandies, both fans and critics can’t get enough of E&J VSOP.

TASTING NOTES

Barrel-aged a minimum of two years | Aromas of sweet brown spice | Notes of vanilla cream, maple and sherry

Curt Mast created the recipe for a herbal liqueur, which he called Jgermeister. Mast was the son of Wilhelm Mast a vinegar manufacturer and wine-trader in the city of Wolfenbttel, Germany. The name Jgermeister in German which means Master Hunter, was inspired by Curt's passion for hunting. The term Jgermeister was actually a job title that existed for many centuries. Jgermeister was first introduced in 1935. This iconic German herbal liqueur is made with 56 different herbs, fruits, roots, and spices. Considered to be a digestif spirit throughout the world, it is high in bitter compounds and sweet with dense licorice flavors. Jgermeister Cold Brew Coffee is a unique fusion of Jgermeister's 56 botanicals and intense cold brew coffee. The perfect blend of their classic herbal liqueur with a generous helping of strong roasted Arabica coffee and a hint of chocolatey cacao. Distinctive aromatic notes lead to a delicious, sweet and rich finish. Crafted with all-natural ingredients, every element comes together to create a taste of the unexpected.

Dating back to George Washington and the birth of a nation is a proud history of crafting whiskey. Some of the first whiskey distilled in America was Straight Rye. Keeping with the traditions of America’s founding fathers, Buffalo Trace Distillery offers this raw, clear, un-aged and high-proof distillate right off the still. The taste has a hint of spicy rye. This whiskey is known as White Dog. It was later discovered this spirit was perfect for aging and gave way to what we today know as Straight Rye Whiskey. Enjoy this White Dog the way early Americans did more than 200 years ago.

TASTING NOTES

Seriously spicy, with some corn sweetness and lingering earthiness.

Distilled from a traditional rye mash bill consisting of 51% rye and 49% corn. A high percentage of corn adds a nice rich sweetness that balances out the flavor notes of Rye’s big black pepper and cinnamon spice. Creating a flavor profile that starts off creamy, rich with fruit and candy flavor notes that has a big, bold, complex spicy finish that lingers for an eternity.