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Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $12.11 $12.75
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
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94
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $10.99
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
WE
94
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $45.60 $48.00
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Sake/Fruit Wine
12 FREE
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Sake/Fruit Wine
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $46.74 $49.20
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Sake/Fruit Wine
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Sake/Fruit Wine
1.8Ltr
Bottle: $74.67 $78.60
A stout, robust and incredibly dry sake, prominent notes of black walnuts and caramel shading into spicy flavors of...
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $36.48 $38.40
A stout, robust and incredibly dry sake, prominent notes of black walnuts and caramel shading into spicy flavors of...
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $91.28 $96.08
6 bottles: $88.01
Delicate tropical aromas of melon, lychee, and pineapple with the floral hint of honeysuckle. Feather-light, layered...
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White
750ml
Bottle: $169.93
12 bottles: $166.53
Complex and super intense Palo Cortado, loaded with concentration. Salted caramel, toffee, walnut and some tangy...
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WA
96
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96
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Sake/Fruit Wine
1.8Ltr
Bottle: $32.49 $34.20
6 bottles: $31.20
A remarkably elegant honjozo popular with local Miyagi drinkers, this is made from premium Yamada Nishiki rice milled...
Rapid Ship
Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $16.25
12 bottles: $15.44
A remarkably elegant honjozo popular with local Miyagi drinkers, this is made from premium Yamada Nishiki rice milled...
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $20.52 $21.60
Rich and full, bursting with umami. Deep bass notes of soy sauce mingle with grains and freshly cut herbs.
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $45.60 $48.00
The NV Azuma Ichi Junmai Daiginjo has interesting crispy and refreshing notes, such as green apple, lime and green...
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WA
90
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $27.74 $29.20
12 bottles: $26.60
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2019. This easy-drinking whiskey has a straw hue, mild vanilla aroma and feather-light feel on the...
WE
92
Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $24.00
12 bottles: $22.80
Made from local Kita Nishiki rice, which lends the sake a clear structure and sharp finish. Aromas of green apple...
Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $84.00
12 bottles: $79.80
Made from the top Yamada Nishiki sake rice from Yokowa, giving definition and transparency to the sake. Aromas of...
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $34.80
12 bottles: $33.06
Rare Aiyama rice is only grown in Hyogo, and provides a bright and expressive base for sake. Aroma of fresh...
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Sake/Fruit Wine
720ml
Bottle: $27.36 $28.80
Made from locally grown Grade A Yamada Nishiki rice from Yoshikawa milled to 55%. Soft Ibo river water. Aroma of...

Irish Whiskey Sake Savatiano Sherry

The Irish are hailed as being the original producers of whiskey in the British Isles, and their innovations and techniques were so successful, that neighbouring Scotland were quickly influenced by them in the 15th century. Centuries later, it was the Irish who brought whiskey to America, and their style of whiskey has since become popular all over the world.

However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the Irish whiskey industry - from being a dominant force in the 19th century, whose produce was considered far superior to that of Scotland, political upheaval and war saw the Irish whiskey almost disappear forever in the early 20th century. Today, the Irish whiskey manufacturers are back on their feet, and they are once again proving that the original is often the best. With new distilleries opening every year, it is safe to say that Irish whiskey is very much back.

Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in a number of ways, and not least the spelling - the extra ‘e’ was said to be added in the 19th century as a way of distancing the Irish drink from what they saw as an inferior Scottish product. Irish whiskey was traditionally made in enormous stills, as a way of ensuring consistency from bottle to bottle, and maintaining the quality and complexity their reputation was founded on. The typical tasting notes of fine Irish whiskey include apple and vanilla, alongside spicy and sweet touches of nutmeg and fresh hay, making this a highly pleasant and smooth drink, made for relaxation and stimulating conversation about times past.

Savatiano is probably Greece's most well known and most widely grown grape varietal, as it is the primary grape used in the production of Retsina, where the fermenting juices of the Savatiano varietal are flavored with pine resin in order to make this distinctive and famous wine. One of the reasons for the wide cultivation of this grape is due to its hardiness, and resistance to drought conditions. In the sun-drenched and dry, rocky Greek landscapes, this makes it an ideal vine to grow for wine-makers who require a strong and bounteous yield each year.

However, there are plenty of examples of Greek white wines which use the Savatiano grape but withhold from the addition the pine resin flavoring, allowing the true characteristics of this varietal to shine through. The result is often very pleasing indeed, with Savatiano grapes generally producing extremely well balanced and rounded white wines, with a juicily fruity flavor. Their aromas can vary quite a lot, with many Savatiano wines bearing the fragrance of citrus fruits, and also occasionally having a strong floral aroma reminiscent of elder and rose. Due to the relatively low acidity of Savatiano grapes, the wines which use them (including Retsina) generally bolster themselves with the addition of smaller quantities of more acidic varieties, such as Assyrtiko or Rhoditis, in order to improve their sometimes weak structure.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

Sherry is made in a unique way using the solera system, which blends fractional shares of young wine from oak barrels with older, more mature wines. Sherry has no vintage date because it is blended from a variety of years. Rare, old sherries can contain wine that dates back 25 to 50 years or more, the date the solera was begun. If a bottle has a date on it, it probably refers to the date the company was founded.

Most sherries begin with the Palomino grape, which enjoys a generally mild climate in and around the triad of towns known as the "Sherry Triangle" and grows in white, limestone and clay soils that look like beach sand. The Pedro Ximenez type of sweet sherry comes from the Pedro Ximenez grape.

Sherry is a "fortified" wine, which means that distilled, neutral spirits are used to fortify the sherry. The added liquor means that the final sherry will be 16 to 20 percent alcohol (higher than table wines) and that it will have a longer shelf life than table wines.