Situated in the Orkney archipelago in Northern Scotland, Highland Park Distillery was founded in 1798 by Magnus Eunson. The name of the distillery is derived not from the region of Scotland known as The Highlands the Orkney islands are not a part of the Highlands but rather from the region known as High Park, where the distillery was founded. Highland Park is an incredible longstanding whisky house, and they pride themselves on their rich Norse heritage, an essence which is reflected in their craft. Today, over two centuries after its founding, Highland Park Distillery remains one of the few Scottish distilleries that continues to hand-turn, malt, and peat its own barley, using locally cut peat from the nearby Hobbister Moor. The malt is peated to 20 parts per million phenols, and then mixed with unpeated malt produced on the Scottish mainland. "You have to be careful here on the malting floor," says Eric Tait, Highland Park's Maltman. "You find it can get a wee bit slippery underneath. I have to turn the malt every eight hours to prevent the roots getting tangled and to get it all aerated properly. The airing also helps it to grow. The malt will be on the floor for seven days, and I'm running five floors at the moment." After malting the barley, Highland Park Distillery smokes it using peat sourced from Hobbister Moor, a peat bog located approximately seven miles from the distillery. Hobbister Moor peat is sourced from floral heather bushes, which burn hotter and cleaner than the grassy peats of Islay. Also, the peat sourced from Hobbister Moor has greater derivatives of carbohydrates and a lower concentration of lignin than peat from Islay, giving Highland Park's peat a unique chemical fingerprint. The peat is "absolutely fundamental in understanding the flavor of Highland Park Whisky," says Russell Anderson, the distillery manager. Together with Orkney's unique environment (the temperate, moist climate of the archipelago results in an even maturation process), the peat gives Highland Park Whisky its traditional malty flavors that are tempered by an ever-so-subtle touch of smoke. Fans of Highland Park and cask-strength whisky will be glad to know that the distillery is adding annual cask-strength releases to their permanent lineup. Highland Park Cask Strength No.1 is the first in the series that is meant to showcase the casks' influence in its pure, unadulterated form. "I want to give everyone who loves Highland Park the chance to experience our single malt whisky in its purest form by bottling 'straight from the cask but allowing you to choose the strength you want to drink this special single malt," says Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion. The different-aged sherry-seasoned American oak casks are hand-selected by him and the spirit is bottled without chill-filtration at 126.6 proof.

Situated at the bottom of the Quitting Time Ski Run in Park City, High West Distillery & Saloon is the first distillery in Utah since Prohibition and the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world. "We wanted to call High West a "saloon", says David Perkins who founded the distillery in 2006 with his wife Jane, "because we wanted to pay homage to the history of saloons in the old West and the important role they played in each and every town that had one. The saloon was the main meeting place where town hall meetings were held, important announcements were made, and people went to eat and drink. We want people to share that sense of community and friendship over High West." The distillery's humble beginnings with a 250-gallon still operating in a historic stable and garage grew into an international brand with 4 locations: a distillery with a 1600-gallon copper-pot still in Wanship, Utah, that offers tours and educational tasting, the Saloon and Nelson Cottage with the original still and whiskey-paired dinners, and a Saloon at the Salt Lake City airport. High West has garnered numerous awards over the years, including being named "Distiller of the Year" by Whisky Advocate in 2016. The Barrel Finished Old Fashioned is a premium ready-to-drink cocktail that's a simple handful of ice and an orange twist short of a perfect drink. With their bourbon and rye whiskeys serving as the base, the cocktail adds unrefined raw demerara simple syrup and bitters to the recipe. The liquid is then finished in second-use rye barrels. "Our bar program has been the proving ground for these cocktail recipes. We experimented with and served variations on these cocktails from behind the bar for years, ultimately resulting in these final recipes. We developed them to be complex yet balanced, and they can be enjoyed on their own or when paired with food," says Steven Walton of High West. Each bottle holds 12 servings.

Situated in an industrial complex on the outskirts of Denver, Leopold Bros. Distillery is the brainchild of Todd Leopold. After receiving his diploma in Malting and Brewing from the Siebel Institute in Chicago, Todd moved to Germany and began working at the Doemens Academy of Brewers and Maltsters in Munich. Then, he apprenticed at four different breweries and distilleries in Germany, before moving to Kentucky to study distilling. In 2008, Todd, along with his brother Scott, moved back to his parents' home in Littleton, Colorado and opened the doors to Leopold Bros. Distillery. Together, the Leopold Brothers attempt to marry chemistry with poetry and it's working. Leopold Bros. American Small Batch Whiskey is made using a traditional sour mash, which is distilled for an entire day in order to extract the full, round flavors of the locally-sourced corn and rye. After distilling the whiskey twice, Todd brings it to 86 proof before barreling it in charred, American oak barrels. By proofing the whiskey prior to barreling it, Leopold is able to ensure that more of the whiskey comes into contact with the barrel, giving it smoother and more robust notes of brown sugar and molasses. The finest blackberries from the Rocky Mountain region are harvested over the summer, juiced, and blended with their small batch whiskey. The result is a rich spirit with notes of vanilla, raisin, and oak imparted by the charred American barrels. This whiskey is naturally colored by the barrel and blackberry juice, and bottled by hand to maintain the integrity of the sweet blackberries and soft finish. This Leopold Bros. whiskey is proudly made with real fruit, and no artificial preservatives. As such, the fruit will naturally oxidize over time. Enjoy within 60 days of opening if left open at room temperature. To preserve your whiskey longer, place it in a refrigerator for up to 120 days. 

Lineage is a marrying of the traditional Scotch Single Malts that have long been an inspiration to us with innovative approaches to grain and maturation to celebrate Texas provenance. Made from both Scottish and Texas-grown barley and aged in both refill and new oak barrels, Lineage celebrates both old and new traditions.

Tasting Notes

NOSE: Sweet and indulgent, sourdough starter and cream soda, mulled cider, bruised bananas and peaches, tea tree

TASTE: caramelized sweetness, soft oak, manuka honey, chestnuts and hint of red wine reduction

FINISH: late palate builds into the transition to finish, slight prickle with more tea tree, black tea and hint of cinnamon

Matured in American oak and Oloroso sherry casks, this sublime 19 year old whisky is the epitome of an aged Ardbeg. Part of a highly sought-after and collectable Ardbeg series, 19 Years Old Batch 3 is the latest expression. This sublime third batch is, like the bottles before it, is inspired by Islay’s Traigh Bhan beach.

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan masterfully performs the impossible – balancing the lull and crescendo of its intense flavours. However, the story behind this rare aged liquid is what truly sets it apart…

A whisky resigned to the furthest reaches of the Ardbeg Warehouse, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Years Old Batch 3 was one of the only spirits in the Distillery’s history to be bottled in the midst of a global lockdown. Having spent months on end behind closed doors, this unprecedented bottling is now ready to come out from the dark… and into the light.

Non chill-filtered at 46.2% ABV.

Color: Rose Gold.

Nose: In this whisky, faint waves of scented woodsmoke mingle with sea spray and pine resin. Wisps of aniseed toffee and sweet lilies follow on the breeze while fresh citrus zest laps over notes of cayenne pepper. With a splash of water, waxy notes and charcoal flow into droplets of classic Sherry and linseed oil.

Palete: A rush of rich, sappy textures is followed moments later by classic sweet smokiness. Tarry rope and treacle toffee plunge the palate into a second wave of soot and aniseed twists. Smoke bobs on the horizon, while smoked brown sugar, walnuts and spices gently dissolve away.

Finish: A long, unhurried finish carries bitter almonds and clove in its wake, before slowly drifting away.

Born from a marriage of traditional tequila making and modern technology, Partida Familia Tequila is made from blue agave nectar sourced near El Cerro, a dormant volcano, in Santiago de Tequila, Mexico. From afar, the rolling hills of agave fields could be mistaken for vineyards in the south of France or Sonoma Valley. Up close, however, you can see the rich red soil, which creates the perfect terrain for maturing the agave plant. With years of experience, jimadors determine exactly when each agave is ready for harvest. Jose Valdez, Tequila Partida's master distiller, holds a Tequila Expert degree from Cultura y Capacitacin del Tequila A.C. (Tequila Culture and Training Association), and is also a certified Tequila Technician from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (Tequila Regulatory Council). He carefully monitors the entire production process, including the quality of the blue agave. The pias are perfectly ripened with mature, robust sugars, the blue agave is harvested by hand and slowly baked in state-of-the-art autoclaves to preserve freshness and flavor. After the agave has been baked and shredded, Valdez lets the agave juices ferment for nearly two days before twice distilling the tequila. The Roble Fino ("fine oak") series was conceived upon Valdez's visit to Scotland, where he envisioned a partnership between tequila and Scotch single malts. He crafted 3 unique expressions: the Reposado, Reposado Cristalino, and Aejo, which build on the super-solid foundation of their award-winning regular Reposado and Aejo tequilas. These are then finished in Edrington's sherry-seasoned single malt oak casks. The Roble Fino Reposado Cristalino takes the 6-month-old liquid that is aged in ex-bourbon barrels, then adds another two months of finishing in sherry-seasoned single malt oak casks on top of that. It is then filtered naturally to remove the color, preserving the complexity of the double-aged spirit.

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1876, and just a few short years later, the Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey brand would emerge with an equally-rich story. J.B. Dant, legendary distiller and son of J.W. Dant, first began distilling in the late 1800s, using a "log still" instead of the more popular yet more expensive copper pot stills (a log still is made by hollowing out a tree trunk and lining the interior with copper pipes, a cheaper yet still effective way of distilling). As Dant's Yellowstone brand gained popularity in Kentucky, he was able to purchase other nearby distilleries and formalize his process. In the early 1900s, it was through this expansion that Dant began working more closely with M.C. Beam of the illustrious Beam family. Together, Dant and Beam operated their network of facilities as the Yellowstone Distillery and continued to produce Yellowstone Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey for "medicinal purposes" throughout Prohibition. Although the Yellowstone brand changed hands several times throughout the 20th century (first to Diageo and recently to Luxco) and eventually fell out of favor, Luxco, along with the Beam family's new Limestone Branch Distillery, has recently revitalized the brand, unearthing an old Beam family recipe and partnering with Paul and Steve Beam to create a spectacular bourbon that pays homage to the original. The annual Limited Edition series of straight bourbons from Yellowstone has been around since 2015. The blended bourbons are on the experimental side, having been aged in (sometimes re-charred, even multiple times) wine casks, resulting in unique expressions. The 2020 edition is a 7-year-old small-batch affair that was finished in French armagnac casks, imparting the bold, oaky, and sweet bourbon with toffee, butterscotch, and chocolate notes.

The Fukano Distillery stands in Hitoyoshi City on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It was founded in 1823 and is located in the Kyushu mountain region that is famed for its pristine nature and exceptionally-pure water. The first distillery in the Kumamoto Prefecture to mature the traditional Japanese rice spirit shochu in barrels, this process was first put into practice by Chizuru Fukano, the current president's mother. Now in their fifth generation of Fukanos, the distillery is led by Shigeruriku Fukano. Their whisky is produced using a combination of malted and unmalted rice using a pot still. The limited-edition releases see only a few casks bottled each year, which include spirits that have been aged in various oak casks. Distilled, matured, and bottled in Japan, Fukano whiskies are only sold in export markets. The Fukano 2020 Edition is bottled at 81.2 proof and boasts a complex profile with tropical fruit, rice, spices, vanilla, and caramel notes. 

Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. His grandfather, a strict disciplinarian, taught Alexandre how to graft a tree, milk a cow and harvest grapes. "For my grandfather, the only wealth is the one from the land," says Alexandre, fondly. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working at Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Alexandre. Centuries ago, Caribbean rum producers would send casks of rum to Europe and the United States, where the rum would mature before it was bottled and sold to the public. "This is a practice that was done more commonly in the past but has almost disappeared now. We thought who better than Ferrand, with our know-how and exceptional casks, to resurrect this ancient technique." This single cask XO Rum from the West Indies Rum Distillery is matured for one year in Ferrand Cognac casks before being finished in Amburana Casks a unique type of wood found in the forests of Latin America.

Mount Gay Distillery is located in Barbados. The brand dates all the way back to 1703 and is said to be one of the oldest rum houses in the world. The distillery, initially named Mount Gilboa, was renamed at the turn of the 19th century, adopting distillery manager Sir John Gay Alleyne's namesake. Today the distillery produces high-quality rum using the best ingredients, which includes coral-filtered water, a combination of naturally-occurring yeast and their proprietary strain. They employ a combination of pot and column stills, blending together the intense aromas and flavors of the first with the smoothness of the second. Over the past 4 decades, they have had 4 Master Blenders, the current one being Trudiann Branker. The spirit matures in American Whiskey, Bourbon, and Cognac oak casks, with others being brought in for various special editions. Mount Gay is home to the largest stock of aged rum in Barbados. Mount Gay Port Cask Expression Master Blender Collection #3 is a small-batch blend of traditional column-still rums that have spent 5 years in tawny port casks and double-distilled copper pot-still rums aged 14 years in American whiskey casks, then finished in tawny port casks for another year. Rich, deep, and complex, it showcases Master Blender Branker's skill and is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration.

Holmes Cay is an independent bottling company from New York City. Founded by New Yorker rum aficionado Eric Kaye in 2019, they focus on finding the very best rums and bottling them at cask strength. Kaye used to work as a producer and music composer for film, TV, and commercials, but has also been an avid diver for decades. His favorite pastime brought him into contact with fantastic rare Caribbean rums. He felt he needed to share these with his fellow Americans, which is how Holmes Cay came to be. Passionately standing behind the tradition and honor that is an integral part of rum, Kaye hopes to bring incredible as-of-yet-unknown unadulterated cask-strength rums to the US, introducing spirit-lovers to the best-kept secrets of the rum world. Their very first release Holmes Cay Barbados 2005 fittingly came from the legendary Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. The Holmes Cay Barbados 2009 Port Cask Rum is another one from their fruitful collaboration with Foursquare. "The Barbados 2009 Port Cask is our first edition with secondary maturation. The secondary aging complements and highlights the existing character of the spirit," says Kaye. Distilled in 2009, it's a blend of column and pot-still rum that was aged 8 years in Barbados, then 2 years in the UK in ex-bourbon barrels, before being finished in port casks for another year in New York State. Bottled at 112 proof, only 2 casks of this 11-year-old cask-strength rum were produced. 

The Glenfarclas distillery is a family business in its truest sense, having been in the hands of the Grant family for 6 generations. The distillery, which started its operations before 1791 and was first granted a license in 1836, was bought by John Grant in 1865. Grant, a well-known cattle breeder, first leased the distillery to his distant cousin John Smith. When Smith left in 1870 to start the Cragganmore distillery, John's son George took over. In 1890 George died only a year after his father, and left the distillery to his widow and two sons, John and George. George's sons, George S. Grant and John P. Grant incorporated Glenfarclas as a private limited company in 1947, and a few years later George was appointed the chairman of the company, staying at the helm for 52 years. The early years of George's tenure were marked by rapid growth and expansion, with the production doubling due to high demand from blenders. In the late 1960s, demand for whisky started to decline, and Glenfarclas lost its biggest client. George made the wise decision to put aside more stock for the distillery's own bottling instead of relying heavily on the demand from blenders. This resulted in the distillery now having an abundance of aged stock, and their warehouses currently hold casks of the past seven decades. Now the distillery is run by the 5th and 6th generation of the family, still faithful to the vision of creating the finest Highland single malt whisky in the Speyside way. With over 150 years of experience in the family, the distillery produces a traditional Highland malt with a heavy sherry influence using artisan methods handed down through generations. Glenfarclas is one of the few distilleries using direct fired stills, and their six stills are the biggest in Speyside. The spirit is distilled twice before being put in casks, which are kept in traditional dunnage warehouses. Glenfarclas's 10-year expression is aged in the finest European oak casks used once for Oloroso sherry, which are personally picked by John Grant at a family-owned bodega in Spain. The youngest of the eight whiskies in the distillery's aged range has a depth and finish you would expect from a much older drum.

The Glenfarclas distillery is a family business in its truest sense, having been in the hands of the Grant family for 6 generations. The distillery, which started its operations before 1791 and was first granted a license in 1836, was bought by John Grant in 1865. Grant, a well-known cattle breeder, first leased the distillery to his distant cousin John Smith. When Smith left in 1870 to start the Cragganmore distillery, John's son George took over. In 1890 George died only a year after his father, and left the distillery to his widow and two sons, John and George. George's sons, George S. Grant and John P. Grant incorporated Glenfarclas as a private limited company in 1947, and a few years later George was appointed the chairman of the company, staying at the helm for 52 years. The early years of George's tenure were marked by rapid growth and expansion, with the production doubling due to high demand from blenders. In the late 1960s, demand for whisky started to decline, and Glenfarclas lost its biggest client. George made the wise decision to put aside more stock for the distillery's own bottling instead of relying heavily on the demand from blenders. This resulted in the distillery now having an abundance of aged stock, and their warehouses currently hold casks of the past seven decades. Now the distillery is run by the 5th and 6th generation of the family, still faithful to the vision of creating the finest Highland single malt whisky in the Speyside way. With over 150 years of experience in the family, the distillery produces a traditional Highland malt with a heavy sherry influence using artisan methods handed down through generations. Glenfarclas is one of the few distilleries using direct fired stills. The six stills at Glenfarclas are the biggest in Speyside. The spirit is distilled twice before being put in casks, which are kept in traditional dunnage warehouses. Glenfarclas's 12-year expression is aged in the finest European oak casks used once for Oloroso sherry, which are personally picked by John Grant at a family-owned bodega in Spain. This multi-award winning expression, bottled at 43% ABV, is an excellent introduction to the distillery style for those who enjoy a sherried whisky.

Crystal Head Vodka is produced by Globefill Inc., situated in Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. The company was founded and created by Dan Ackroyd and artist John Alexander, the artist who created the distinctive glass skull that the Vodka is bottled in. The company prides itself on being free from additives, unlike most vodkas in the industry. The vodka is filtered a hefty seven times through Herkimer diamonds, giving it an incredibly smooth flavor profile. Dan Aykroyd and John Alexander designed the bottle to symbolize life, reflecting power and enlightenment. Crystal Head Vodka is distilled from Ontario "peaches and cream" corn before being mixed with pristine glacial water from Newfoundland. The Herkimer stones that the vodka is filtered through are said to have healing properties, but it also imparts a distinctive vanilla sweetness to the Vodka that is enhanced by a spicy kick. The finish is lingering with an intense vodka burn. Crystal Head is bottled without additives, glycerol, citrus oils, sugars, or enhancers. The impressive Crystal Head Onyx is a different beast. Crafted with blue weber agaves from a single source in Mexico, it's blended with that pure Newfoundland water for a super-clean and sweeter finish. It's a luxurious black skull-shaped bottle with a matching embossed cap. Onyx is a tribute to the human journey, the dark crystal supposedly possessing the power to absorb negative energy. A different vodka, it features green notes, earthiness, and sweetness that comes from the agave. The vodka is filtered the same way as their other expressions and contains no additives. 

When the Widow Jane team set out to produce their own whiskey they wanted to offer something that was flavor-forward, bold and rich with character, but most importantly had a taste of New York. All Widow Jane whiskeys are proofed with pure limestone water from the legendary Rosendale Mines of NY, just 100 miles north from their home in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was limestone from this mine which was used to build the foundation of some of New York's greatest structures: the gargantuan caissons of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and the 27,000-ton pedestal to the Statue of Liberty. This self-renewing source of water is naturally filtered through limestone and collects in the massive underground caverns. Comprised of an unusually high mineral content that enhances the natural flavors in Widow Jane spirits, this water is their fingerprint and a signature ingredient. And the legend surrounding these mines is what gives Widow Jane whiskey its name. The result is some of the finest aged Bourbons you will find, and a tasting experience complete with beautiful aromas, a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and an ultra-long finish. Both urban & urbane, Widow Jane is New York's very own. The signature whiskey of the world's most magnificent and maddening metropolis. This whiskey is the second release in Widow Jane's The Vaults collection, a curated annual release of the oldest bourbons made from Widow Jane stock. The blend of 15-year-and-older Tennessee and Indiana bourbons is drawn from hand-selected barrels, plucked from their Rickhouse in Brooklyn, NY, and blended by Widow Jane Head Distiller Lisa Wicker. This 2020 edition is finished in Appalachian oak casks that have been air-seasoned for 5 years, then bottled at 99 proof. 

A lot of rum nowadays is marred by misleading marketing, age statements, and additives, since the regulations surrounding the spirit are pretty lax. Myrtle Bank is an independent bottling company that aims to bring high-quality rum to the market with as much transparency as possible. Its name is a reference to the Jamaican Myrtle Bank Hotel, an imposing historic building that was built in the 1800s. The center of Kingston's social scene in the 1920s and '30s, it serves as the inspiration for Myrtle Bank rum. The rum was distilled at Jamaica's Worthy Park Estate using local molasses, cane juice, and crushed cane stalks from the Jamaican highlands. The high-ester mash is naturally fermented over a period of two to three weeks using natural yeast from the cane stalks in two fermenters before being distilled in a traditional Scottish Forsyths copper-pot still. It was then put in ex-bourbon barrels and sent to age for a whole decade in the United Kingdom, where the climate is more suited for longer maturation. This results in fewer tannins being extracted from the wood and less evaporation takes place. Over the years the barrels imparted the rum with tropical fruit, banana, oak, vanilla, and cocoa notes. True to their vision of transparency, there is no coloring or sugar added, and the spirit is bottled at cask-strength (120 proof) to preserve its full flavor. Distilled in 2009 and bottled in 2020, this single-estate, single-cask rum is a unique and complex sipper that is bound to please lovers of Jamaican rum. Grab a bottle today!

Lovingly handcrafted and aged in Kentucky, Pinhook Bourbon was established in 2014 and has produced several small-batch bottlings in their newly restored Castle & Key distillery in Frankfort, KY, to much critical acclaim. What makes their line unique is the brand's three distinctive characteristics: its limited availability, mass appeal, and strong ties to Kentucky's legacy of horse racing. Each release of Pinhook Bourbon is named after a thoroughbred owned by Bourbon Lane Stable. The label also features the horses racing records on their brand's website. Every fall Pinhook features an annual vintage of Pinhook Bourbon and Pinhook Rye, each of which is inspired by a thoroughbred horse. Each blend is as unique as the horse on the label. "Pinhooking" refers to an old Kentucky term for purchasing young thoroughbreds, holding them until they mature, and selling them when they are ready to run. Successful pinhooks much like whiskey are made on instinct, experience, an appreciation of quality, and a little luck. Pinhook bourbons and ryes are handcrafted to reflect the richness of the Kentucky soil and the character of its beautiful horse country. The Bourbon Vertical Series is an annual-release series that follows 1,350 MGP bourbons through their aging process up until 12 years of age. "It will be exciting to follow the maturation of both rye and bourbon over the course of 9 years and understand how each style of whiskey progresses individually as well as in comparison to the other," says Master Blender Sean Josephs. The War 5YO Vertical Series is crafted from a mash bill of 75% corn, 20.5% rye, and 4.5% malted barley. The Bourbon War Vertical Series 5 Year Old is a straight bourbon that's bottled at 104 proof, its additional year of maturation brings more dark fruit and caramel notes, as well as hints of smoke. The second in the series, it's a blend of 150 barrels that were aged at Castle & Key. It's named after a thoroughbred colt.

Every now and then, Garrison Brothers releases one of the most highly-coveted bourbon whiskies in America: Cowboy Bourbon. This was the American Whiskey of the Year in Jim Murray’s 2014 & 2017 Whisky Bibles. It’s the ultimate ambrosia. Unlike the Small Batch, Cowboy Bourbon comes from Dan and Donnis’ favorite barrels. They’re set aside for a couple of years for further maturation and the liquid is bottled at cask-strength, uncut and unfiltered.

TASTING NOTES

Inviting aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, full-grain leather and fresh-baked banana nut bread. Floral opening notes of wildflower honey and sparkling plum soda. Warm raspberry chocolate pie drizzled with whipped ganache. Chocolate-covered Luxardo cherries paired with fine armagnac for a dessert finish. A velvety-smooth, flawless sipper that packs plenty of 131.3-proof heat.

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid sowed the fields surrounding the rented home with barley and established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the slow winter days, Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town. Today, the Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of the Macallan Estate's Minstrel barley (a single acre produces about 2.5 tons of barley each year, enough to yield 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). In addition, the distillery contracts with farmers to purchase barley that is low in nitrogen and high in starch, resulting in a rich and oily whisky. After the harvest, the barley is malted and mashed in one of The Macallan's two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan's copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulfur. In addition, the curiously small stills — some of "the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry," according to production manager Alexander Tweedie — produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor. Following distillation, The Macallan distillers remove the heads and tails of the whisky and collect approximately 16% of the spirit to fill into casks for maturation. This "cut," which is among the highest of any Scottish distillery, results in a more full-bodied and richer whisky. Now in its fourth incarnation, The Macallan Classic Cut 2020 Edition is bottled at a higher 110 proof in order to let the full flavor to shine. This time their Whisky Mastery Team, headed by Polly Logan, explores different cask types for the first time in the series. A combination of sherry-seasoned European oak casks and ex-bourbon American oak casks was used to craft its unique profile that has "a sweet lightness brought by the ex-bourbon oak casks, intertwined with the depth and complexity created by The Macallan’s signature sherry-seasoned oak casks."

Koval is a craft distillery that was founded in Chicago in 2008 the first distillery to open its doors within Chicago's city limits since Prohibition. Founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker left their professional lives in academia to found the company. They have been crafting certified organic whiskeys, brandies, liqueurs, and specialty spirits from scratch ever since. Being the first distillery within city limits since the mid-1800s, Koval brings Austrian distilling traditions to America. The distillery is named after Sonat's great-grandfather, who earned the nickname Koval (Yiddish for "black sheep") when he emigrated from Vienna to Chicago at the start of the 1900s to start a business at a young age of 17. The second co-founder Robert was bequeathed a treasure trove of distilling knowledge and expertise from his grandfather, Robert Schimd. In the Gin industry, the commonplace practice is to purchase ready-made bottled spirits to produce a distillate. At Koval they do things differently, making all of their gins from scratch using organic ingredients. Their innovative signature style uses only the heart of the distillate, which is believed to offer a brighter, cleaner spirit. Koval is a grain to glass operation, each step of their organic production process meticulously monitored to ensure the finest quality. First Koval contracts local farmers to grow grain that is to be milled and mashed on-site. Then the liquid is distilled, bottled, and packaged on-site. Koval is one of America's premier small-batch, independent spirit manufacturers. This gift pack contains their 3 award-winning gin expressions: Dry Gin, Cranberry Gin Liqueur, and Barreled Gin. The Dry Gin is crafted with unique woodland spices and has a vibrant and pleasant profile with juniper and floral notes. It's equally suited for cocktails and drinking straight. Fruit-forward and bittersweet, the Cranberry Gin Liqueur is equally versatile. It's a delicious aperitif that pairs particularly well with sparkling wine when mixed. The Barrelled Gin bridges the gap between gin and whiskey, having matured in Koval's whiskey barrels for an added layer of butterscotch and spice notes. Each of these has garnered several of the most prestigious awards.