Dalwhinnie 15 Year

$104.39

Known in Gaelic as "the meeting place." the village of Dalwhinnie is home to the highest distillery in Scotland. Located in the Grampian mountains in the Northern Highlands, it sits at the junction of old cattle-droving routes where much whisky smuggling occurred. 43%

Producer Tasting Note

Nose: A big, crisp, dry and very aromatic nose with hints of heather and peat.

Palate: Smooth, soft and lasting flavours of heather-honey sweetness and vanilla followed by deeper citrus-fruit flavours and hints of malted bread.

Finish: Long, lingering, surprisingly intense finish that starts sweetly, then gives way to smoke, peat and malt.

Glenkinchie 12 Year

$78.39

Glenkinchie has long been known as "The Edinburgh Malt", though that looks set to change in very short order, as the Holyrood Distillery comes online in the heart of Scotland's capital. But nicknames aside, Glenkinchie really should need little in the way of introduction. It has become one of the foremost examples of what we consider the 'typical' Lowlands style: light, floral, elegant. 

43% abv

Producer Tasting Note

Nose: Aromatic, vanilla, cut flowers and beneath, a clean, toasty note. Increasingly sweet and creamy, with fresh citrus, lemon cheesecake.

Palate: Crisp mid-palate then butter icing, lemon cheesecake and freesias.

Finish: Herbal and drying, a little like potpourri.

Oban 14 Year

$122.39

Oban 14 is a touchstone malt. One that sits on most backbars across the country. It's rather singular profile makes it a restaurant favorite, in fact, and it's silky, salty and slightly peaty profile make it a complimentary malt to most food styles. Ask most any whisky fan what their gateway dram was and you're almost certain to hear this one crop up in the first few whiskies mentioned. There's good reason for that. Oban's malty, cereal-driven, and faintly peaty profile has just enough fruity sweetness underlying (and even a wee creamy top note!) that it is able to seduce ridiculously broad audiences through its sheer approachability. More defining than any of the afore-mentioned characteristics, though, is the coastal influence that permeates every bottle of Oban. That slightly saline character puts this in a special category that only a handful of Scotland's malts fit into.

Oban 14 is a part of Diageo's Classic Malts series for good reason. You may find it safe, but there's no way you won't find it utterly satisfying. 43% abv

Talisker 10 Year

$98.99

One of the truly singular Scottish single malt whiskies, Talisker boasts a character unlike any other and is almost instantly recognizable in any of its forms. The distillery, only a dozen years away from its 200th anniversary, is known worldwide for its moderate level of peat and smoke, but more famously for the rich pepper/chili notes and briny seaside flavors that run through the DNA of all the malt produced there. Some whiskies require lengthy maturation to hit full stride.  Talisker is one that not only shines in youth but actually showcases its brightest characteristics in its early years. The 10 year old is undoubtedly a special whisky but is approachable enough to be a go-to in the rotation.

Bottled at a respectable 45.8% abv.

Pilsner Urquell 500 ml Cans

$4.31

Pilsner Urquell is called the "model of meter" among beers. All other pilsners are a better or worse attempt to copy the original - the first ever Pilsner Urquell. Its unparalleled exceptionality is guaranteed by the same recipe dating from 1842. Yellow-gold in colour with a decent head and lace. Some floral hops in the aroma. Taste of the hops and a nice malt flavour.

Rockford Grenache Mataro Shiraz

$63.74

A soft, spicy blend that captures the rustic heartbeat of the Barossa. Moppa Springs is a place where green vines grow on one side of the fence and ripened wheat on the other. This country can be tough on grapes and vines but in this case, the Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro give their best.

Campari Milano

$35.09

Campari is a type of bitters made by infusing alcohol with bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit including chonotto. Campari is an essential to the classic Negroni, the Garibaldi and also the Americano. Campari was invented by Gaspare Campari between 1862 and 1867. It was originally colored with carmine dye, derived from crushed cochineal insects, which gave the drink its distinctive red hue.

Guinness Pub Draught 4 Pack Cans

$16.19

Guinness is an Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness and is based on the porter style that originated in London in the early 20th century. It's one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive feature is the burnt flavour which is derived from the use of roasted barley. The thick creamy head is the result of the beer being mixed with nitrogen when being poured.

Bombay Sapphire

$33.29

Although the brand hints a gin's heyday at the height of the British Raj in India, the brand only dates from 1987. Its name was chosen through a competitive process which pitted Madison Avenue ad firms against each other. Botanicals include: almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. The spirit is triple-distilled using a carterhead still. Bombay is a more floral and soft gin that the "punchier" ones distilled in copper pot stills.