Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve
$91.99
Oh, Champagne! It makes every night a party. This beauty scored a fine 89 points from Wine Spectator. And the review? "Hints of biscuit, lemon curd and white peach. Medium-bodied, with a fresh finish. Drink now." Billecart Salmon has been family owned since it was created in 1818; today, "the house is managed by brothers François and Antoine Roland-Billecart, who represent the sixth generation. Production averages 1.7 million bottles per year," according to Wine-searcher.com.
Louis XIII
$5,349.99
Price Increase Coming Soon!
The undisputed King of Cognac, Louis XIII is a century in the making, a blend of 1200 eau de vies aged between 40 and over 100 years of age. The people working for Louis XIII today, will likely not live to see the eau de vie's they produce be bottled. The brand thinks and plans not in terms of mere years and decades, but generations. Each decanter is handblown and individually numbered crystal.
Producer Description: "First created in 1874, LOUIS XIII Cognac is an exquisite blend of up to 1,200 grapes eaux-de-vie sourced 100% from Grande Champagne, the first cru of the Cognac region. Each eau-de-vie is matured slowly inside oak cask. Each individually numbered decanter is designed after an original 16th century metal flask, discovered on the site of the battle of Jarnac in France and is made from fine crystal for generations, mouth-blown by some of the most skilled master craftsmen."
Dillon`s Gin 22 Unfiltered
$45.99
"If you were able to reach into a old photo of Hemingway and pry the gin from his hand, it might have tasted like our Unfiltered Gin 22," say the folks at Dillon's in Niagara. "Why? Because he didn’t do, or drink, anything half glass or without flavour and nor do we. Our Gin 22 is so smooth and flavourful that your next martini should be straight — without the need to get dirty or be embarrassed by a vermouth." From a small-batch distiller in Niagara, Ontario!
Stone Double Bastard
$14.49
This is a lacerative muther of a beer. The evil big brother of Arrogant Bastard Ale. It is strongly suggested you stay far, far away from this beer. Those foolish enough to venture close enough to taste will experience a punishingly unforgiving assault on the palate. ’Course there’s always the masochists...
Dalmore 25 Year
$2,699.99
Bottled at 42% and first released in 2013, the distillery is said to be releasing just 3,000 bottles a year around the world. The whisky has been matured in American oak before finishing in a mix of 1st-Fill Ex-American oak and Palomino Fino Sherry Butts.
Distiller's Tasting Notes
Nose: Exotic fruits, marzipan, vanilla pods, treacle toffee, fig cake and sweet balsamic.
Palate: Orange peel, chocolate truffles, liquorice, sweet damsons and sherry soaked raisins.
Finish: Demerara sugar, maple syrup, bitter chocolate and spiced gingerbread.
Main Divide Riesling
$28.99
A delicious, fresh, well-priced Riesling from New Zealand! Here's what Wine Spectator has to say about the 2013: " "Fresh lime and orange peel notes with hints of coriander seeds and chopped herbs. Made to an off-dry style, it has plenty of zingy citrus flavors and a finish of good length." Serve chilled, with pork tenderloin or Asian takeout. Or just sip and enjoy by itself!
Royal Lochnagar 12 Year
$107.99
Royal Lochnagar is Diageo's smallest distillery, nestled into the banks of the River Dee, just upstreaming from Balmoral Castle. It is bottled at 40% after maturing 12 years.
Royal Lochnagar was said to be Queen Victoria's distillery, located but a mile from Balmoral Castle. The Queen granted the distillery a Royal Warrant and gave it the right to use the prefix: "The Royal." The Queen is said to have made the mistake of mixxing Royal Lochnagar single malt with Claret (wine from Bordeaux) and in the words of the late Whisky writer Michael Jackson, "thereby ruining two of the world’s great drinks.”
Distiller's Tasting Note
Nose: Not obvious to begin with. Planed wood, light toffee, boat varnish. Linseed oil behind, even putty, and later a lychee-like acidity. With water the acidity comes through (acid drops), and the nose sweetens. Still a pleasant fresh woodiness, followed by warm sand. After a while, coffee with brown sugar.
Body: Medium.
Palate: Pleasant; an initial sweetness is quickly overtaken by acidity.
Finish: Dry; medium-length, with an attractive lingering sandalwood aftertaste.
Michter's Sour Mash Whiskey
$84.99
Bottled at 43% the Sour Mash is produced in small batches of less than 20 casks, it is part of the distillery's core range.
While the Michter’s name has a long and storied history, the Michter’s Distillery of Louisville, KY has only been in operation since 2015. Any whiskey bottled that is older than that was sourced from other distilleries, typically within Kentucky. Luckily, the quality of anything bottled with the Michter’s label on it is typically high, regardless of their original provenance.
Other than their single barrel products, Michter’s typically bottles their whiskey from selected small batches of 20 barrels or less.
From the Distillery: "During the 1970s and 1980s, Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey was the distillery’s single most popular product. While the “Sour Mash” moniker originated from the whiskey production process of the same name – whereby some previously fermented mash is used as the starter for the new mash to be fermented, much like making sourdough bread – Michter’s Original Sour Mash earned distinction for its unique taste. With its unique grain selection, it cannot be categorized as a rye or a bourbon. After disappearing from the market in 1989, Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey made a triumphant return in 2012 with its introduction into the US*1 line. Staying true to the profile and palette of its predecessor, Michter’s US*1 Sour Mash has quickly become a favorite of whiskey enthusiasts.
Mortlach 25 Year
$999.99
The 25 year is bottled at 43.4%, which the Master Blender feels is the best bottling strength for the distillery. it has been matured exclusively in 100% Re-Fill Ex-American oak barrels. Beautifully packaged, the bottles pay tribute to the distillery's onetime owner George Cowie who was also a Victorian architect involved in the design of railway bridges and viaducts.
Diageo stirred up a lot of attention when they decided to launch a core range of Mortlach this year, mainly due to the whiskies prices, and the fact that most markets will be getting 500ml bottles. Well, rest asured Canadians, our proximity to the US has ensured we get 750ml bottles, and while the price for this 25 year old expression is high, it is better the European prices, and the quality is there. Mortlach has long been a popular whisky with single malt drinkers, and until recently was primarily only available from independent bottlers. There was an official bottling under Diageo's Flaura & Fauna series, but this has been discontinued. The distillery counters the questions around price noting the very small number of barrels selected to ensure the best level of quality. The Mortlach 25 Year is available only in very small quantities.
Andrew's Tasting Note:
Nose: classic older whisky notes, smooth leather, silky white chocolate and beeswax and subtle sweet perfumes; salted caramel vanilla icecream, mangoes and papaya, powdered spice.
Palate: beautiful, very honeyed, more beeswax and tropical fruits with an overall antique character; even more elegant than the 18 but still very vibrant and fruity; layer upon layer; more fuzzy peaches, jujubes and some of the early browning apple.
Finish: very elegant, extremely smooth and layered; the waves keep coming.