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Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $51.86 $54.59
Our most robust and special whiskey ... 'Let’s Get Lost, American Single Malt Whiskey'. Distilled from scratch...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.64 $31.20
6 bottles: $22.07
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.64 $31.20
6 bottles: $22.07
Whether you’re sipping it, shooting it, or mixing it into a cocktail, there’s nothing else quite like it....
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.00
12 bottles: $11.76
Attractive red and blue fruit with herb and dried orange-peel perfume. Soft and juicy with medium body and a polished...
JS
92
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $20.89
A deep, stony, mineral bonarda with red cherries, blue fruit, graphite and some grilled herbs. Tight and juicy on the...
JS
93
WA
91
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $34.96 $36.80
6 bottles: $28.80
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $34.96 $36.80
6 bottles: $28.80
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $44.45 $46.79
Field & Sound Bottled in Bond American Single Malt Whiskey is distilled by Long Island Spirits on the North Fork of...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $37.94 $39.60
12 bottles: $34.20
McKenzie Pure Pot Still Whiskey is distilled from a mash of locally-grown unmalted barley, malted barley and oats....
Instore only
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $19.99
Fireball is made with Canadian whisky and natural cinnamon flavours. It's certainly very cinnamony, and it's not too...
Instore only
Spirits
1.75Ltr
Bottle: $29.99
Fireball is made with Canadian whisky and natural cinnamon flavours. It's certainly very cinnamony, and it's not too...
Instore only
Spirits
100ml
Bottle: $1.99
Fireball is made with Canadian whisky and natural cinnamon flavours. It's certainly very cinnamony, and it's not too...
Instore only
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $8.99
Fireball is made with Canadian whisky and natural cinnamon flavours. It's certainly very cinnamony, and it's not too...
Instore only
Spirits
50ml
Bottle: $3.99
Fireball is made with Canadian whisky and natural cinnamon flavours. It's certainly very cinnamony, and it's not too...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $33.05 $34.79
6 bottles: $28.79
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $12.76
Case only
Red
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $55.86 $58.80
The grain is local, sustainably grown heirloom “Hickory Cane” corn, one of the oldest varieties grown in the...
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $149.94 $199.94
This elegant spirit was distilled from a mash of corn, rye, and malt and placed in new, charred American oak barrels...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $45.14
12 bottles: $42.88
This small-batch Tennessee whiskey is a complex one to savor. The aroma opens with vanilla sweetness; given a few...
12 FREE
WE
95
UBC
92

American Whiskey Bonarda Ice Wine Primitivo

The United States of America is a country of great cultural diversity, influenced by migrating nations from across the world. As such, its whiskey industry is a fascinating and complex one, which represents the range of regional differences found there.

The Irish were the original pioneers of American whiskey, and when they emigrated in their thousands from the old country, they brought their skills, knowledge and distillation techniques with them, to give them something to remind each other of home in the New World. This is why American whiskey goes by the Irish spelling, with the additional ‘e’, and why many traditional American whiskies closely resemble the original Irish style.

Today, there are several different types of American whiskey, and the styles and production techniques are now set out in US federal law, cementing a set of characteristics and production methods to preserve and protect the industry.

Corn whiskey, which is made from a minimum 80% corn in the mash and aged for a short period, is probably the most historic of the American whiskey styles, but others like rye whiskey, which is made from a minimum of 51% rye and aged in charred barrels, are growing in popularity among a new generation of drinkers looking for something unique, interesting and independently produced. Alongside these styles, we find Tennessee whiskey, which uses maple charcoal for sweeter notes, the softer wheat whiskies, the world-dominating Bourbon whiskies, and others which are peculiar to specific states and regions.

As with many European grape varietals, there is some debate regarding the precise origins of the Primitivo grape. Most people now agree that it probably came from Croatia, where it is still used widely in the production of red wine, and it known as Tribidrag. However, today it is a grape most commonly associated with the powerful red wines of Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot, where the intense sunshine and brisk Mediterranean breezes produce grapes of remarkable character and balance. Primitivo is a dark grape, known for producing intense, inky, highly tannic wines, most notably the naturally sweet Dolce Naturale and the heavy and complex Primitivo di Manduria wines. Primitivo tends to be naturally very high in both tannin and alcohol, making it ideal for both barrel and cellar ageing, which brings out its more rounded and interesting features.


Primitivo is not the easiest grape to grow or manage, and it has had something of a difficult century. Indeed, by the 1990s, there was little interest in Puglian wines in general, and winemakers were neglecting their Primitivo vineyards and looking to other, more commercially viable varietals. However, the last decade has seen this grape come well and truly back into fashion, with new techniques and a heightened interest in native Italian grape varietals bringing Primitivo back into the spotlight. It is now widely loved for its intensity and ability to be paired with strongly flavored foods.