Provocative aromas of sweet oak, dark chocolate liqueur, Tahitian vanilla, sage, and plum saturate the glass in a beguiling complexion of aubergine. Sapid flavors of rhubarb, savory red fruits, and boysenberries are evident and harmoniously blend with mineral notes and schistous highlights. The tannins are firm but agreeable and primed for extended aging. Finishing with a spirited acidity, the wine elegantly charms the palate indefinitely.

Set in the foothills of the Cairngorm Mountains, Fettercairn is a traditional distillery producing a full-bodied single malt. The picturesque distillery is one of the few active stills in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. This classic malt has been guided through a series of bourbon barrels.

After seventeen years maturing in a refill American oak cask, Fettercairn was selected by Murray McDavid's Whisky Creations Team for finishing in a fresh bourbon cask. The highly active American oak has given the Fettercairn spirit sweet vanilla and spicy notes. This showcases the unique character of the Fettercairn spirit, as well as the quality of the casks available at Murray McDavid's traditional Victorian dunnage warehouse a the Coleburn Distillery in Speyside.

Distilled with pure rainwater and natural spring water in 100% copper pot stills, this liquid art is distinctively herbal and incredibly pure. Barrel aged for 48 months in underground caves, the result is an unrivaled extra añejo tequila from Pasote, with flavors of roasted agave, warm vanilla and a touch of spice on the long luscious finish.

The moment you pour Black Button Single Barrel Finished in Port Casks, you’ll notice its extremely deep color and you're instantly made aware that this is a finished bourbon. The resulting sip is very complex yet unfortunately also flawed. While the nose kicks things off with rich complex flavors and the palate is full of spice (almost to a fault), the finish is tannic and dry, ending what could have been a great sip on a disappointing note. That said, if you can look past the finish, this is one of the more complex port finished bourbons I’ve encountered, and also one of the few cask strength ones at that.

Comprised of 100% wild Jabalí agave,  this mezcal is citric and light bodied with a lively mouthfeel. Tasting notes include lactose, wet stone, fermented fruit, and herbaceous conifers. Notoriously difficult to distill, Jabalí agaves tend to grow in groups, and the name is a reflection of their spiny likeness to wild boars.

AGAVE: CONVALLIS

MAESTRO: JOSE ESPINOSA

ORIGEN: SAN ANDRÉS ZABACHE

ELEVACIÓN: 4,705 FT / 1379 M - 5708 FT/1740 M

FERMENTACIÓN: LEVAD, 6 DIAS

Another lovely Caol Ila bottling, forming a part of Gordon and MacPhail’s Connoisseurs Choice range, which was revamped in 2018.

This particular bottling comes from Islay distillery, Caol Ila. The spirit has been aged for 17 years, first distilled in the year 2000 and bottled in February 2018. The whisky was matured in a single first-fill former Bourbon barrel.

This lovely dram possesses notes of burnt oak, sweet corn, tropical fruit, vanilla, nuts, honey, charcoal, flinty peat and overripe banana.

Bottled at a robust strength of 57.5% ABV, this is a powerful dram with intense flavours.

A wonderful example of good, simple Islay whisky.

Glen Grant is known as a bit of an elder statesman of the whisky world, shining at great age, and this bottling does not buck the trend. A 1997 vintage that has been held in a refill American oak hogshead, this dram has had plenty of time to gain complexity and character.

The whisky is floral and somewhat spicy, with prickling notes of pepper, chili and cinnamon on show. These flavours are joined by a deep, creamy vanilla, some honeydew melon, peaches, bright oak, chocolate, plums, apples and pears.

This bottling is presented at a formidable 59.3% ABV, and without chill filtration or colouration, ensuring the drinker gets the full experience.

Distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2019, this single-cask whisky has spent more than 11 years in its first-fill American oak sherry puncheon. Hand-picked by Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion and the founders of Scotch in the City.

The Holmes Cay Uitvlugt 2003 edition was distilled on a historic French 4-column Savalle column still. Originally located in the legendary Uitvlugt Estate (pronounced “eye-flot”), the still can now be found at Diamond Distillery, Guyana, under the management (along with all other rum in Guyana) of Demerara Distillers Limited. Aged two years tropically in Guyana and 16 years in the UK, and bottled in New York State. No sugar, no (additional) color, and no other flavors were added in the making of this rum. Bottled at barrel proof, 51% alcohol by volume. Four casks, just 858 bottles are available. 

With golden honey and a whiff of brine on the nose, the palate starts out with overripe tropical fruits, then continues with hints of almond, herbs and a touch of cocoa. Light tobacco lingers on the finish.

Founded in 1779, Bowmore is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Islay. Its delicately peated, well-balanced spirit has been an inspiration for many a whisky lover for many years. This Bowmore single malt has been matured for its final four years in a fresh port pipe. This Bowmore was originally matured in a 500-litre sherry cask to give slow, gentle maturation. The European oak gives the spirit a soft oaky spiciness and dried fruit flavours. After seven years maturing in the Sherry butt, the Murray McDavid Whisky Creations Team transferred the whisky into a freshly emptied first-fill Port wine cask, or 'pipe'. The rich, sweet, fruity Port gives additional depth of flavour and further increases the smoky character of this classic Islay peated malt.

The first Edition of Colere marks a monumental step forward for not just Westland but the whiskey industry as a whole. This is the first in what will be an ongoing annual inquiry into unique varieties of barley bred outside the commodity system with flavor first as a goal. Colere Edition 1 is made with the varietal that began it all, Alba (a six-row winter barley) and intentionally matured in only used casks to relegate the oak influence to a supporting role and focus the attention on the grain itself.

TASTING NOTES:

A limited edition Costa Rican rum from Centenario, solera aged for 30 years and presented in a simple but elegant decanter.

NOSE
Deep, very complex and finely balanced. Of a beautiful aromatic subtlety, one will retain fruity aromas, caramel, honey and nutmeg nibs.

PALATE
In the mouth one finds all the aromas of the nose accompanied by a great depth. The acidity is evidence of aging of 30 years.

FINAL
Long and soft

The Lost Explorer Tobala is made with maguey Tobala (agave Potatorum) in San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca. It’s an earthy expression, with hints of tobacco, cocoa, vanilla and leather, offering a unique balance between wood aromas and umami flavors.

New for 2018, Old Pulteney's 18 Year Old is aged in both ex-bourbon and Spanish oak casks. This is an intense and warming incarnation of the beloved maritime malt.

The velvety smooth finish of the El Dorado 21 Year Old is acquired from the French Savalle Still. This rum also features cognac-type notes which are accredited to the Versailles Single Wooden Pot Still. These blends contribute to a finish that is nutty and smoky.

TASTING NOTES

Nose of mocha, to??ee, tobacco and dark spices. The mouth is velvety smooth with full body of tropical fruits, co??ee, leather and rich to??ee.

Fresh herbs and newly cut grass with a hint of eucalyptus. Warm and soft on the palate, with bright herbal notes. Tepeztate has a long and distinctive finish that increases in complexity over time.

El Tesoro Paradiso is slowly aged for five years in French oak ex-Cognac barrels. Created by Don Felipe Camarena in collaboration in with Alain Royer of A. de Fussigny Cognac, this unique tequila has an earthy taste with a hint of minerality, tropical characteristics, and sweet notes of butterscotch.

A celebratory release from Speyburn to commemorate the 18th anniversary of Bobby Anderson’s position as distillery manager. This single malt, aged for 18 years in American and Spanish oak casks, has aromas of toffee and sugared almonds, as well as tropical fruits on the nose. The palate holds flavours of rich dark chocolate, toffee and a touch of citrus, with plenty of smoke throughout. The finish is long and smoky, with a sweeter honeyed edge.

Purasangre Extra Añejo Tequila is made from 100% blue weber agave. After double-distillation in both a column still and a pot still, it spends five years aging in French oak.