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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $51.75 $54.47
6 bottles: $50.39
Like an old cedar chest locked tight, this is not showing much except some wood aromatically. On the palate, though,...
12 FREE
UBC
90
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $19.94
Shows an expertly blended combination of red-fruited vermouth with spicy rye whiskey, mouthwatering herbs, bright...
UBC
88
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $43.21 $45.48
12 bottles: $28.22
Shows an expertly blended combination of red-fruited vermouth with spicy rye whiskey, mouthwatering herbs, bright...
UBC
88
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $17.54 $18.46
Enjoy a bar-quality cocktail experience straight from the bottle with Bulleit Old Fashioned Cocktail. This...
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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $28.21 $29.70
Enjoy a bar-quality cocktail experience straight from the bottle with Bulleit Old Fashioned Cocktail. This...
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $70.60
6 bottles: $69.40
Bottled as the extreme small batch (19 barrels), Calumet Farm Single Rack Black 10 Year Old Bourbon selects a...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $124.80
6 bottles: $123.60
Color: Deep amber throughout with shimmering highlights of copper and sun-yellow. Nose: Upon Uncorking: notes of oak...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $134.94
Amber color. Aromas of luxardo cherries, italian leather, 80% dark chocolate, and dark tobacco curing with a round,...
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BTI
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $43.79 $46.10
6 bottles: $42.30
Color : Deep amber with golden highlights. Nose: A full, rich aroma of aged oak with deep undertones of vanilla....
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $54.49
6 bottles: $51.29
Bottled from hand selected barrels, Calumet has a customary mash bill of corn, rye and malted barley that offers a...
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Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $44.10
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $39.60
Casey Jones’ small batch Barrel Cut is mellowed in new charred premium oak barrels to create a spirit with rich,...
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Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $49.50
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $22.93
Dark amber and gold in color with spicy aromas of oak and delicate corn. lively and smooth flavors of caramel, spice,...
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 6
Bottle: $50.88
Dark amber and gold in color with spicy aromas of oak and delicate corn. lively and smooth flavors of caramel, spice,...
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
375ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $20.52
Beautiful amber hue with golden highlights and a rich, satisfying aroma. Luscious flavors of toffee, dark fruits,...
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $44.40
12 bottles: $42.18
Since the inception of Castle & Key, we have looked forward to sharing our bourbon with the world. Now our Small...
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Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $32.99 $35.94
Goodnight Small Batch Premium Bourbon is made from a marriage of hand-selected, six year old barrels. It has a...
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Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $31.92 $33.60
12 bottles: $25.94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $58.13 $61.19
6 bottles: $52.79
Excellent, Highly Recommended - 2020 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE
12 FREE
UBC
94
BTI
92

Bourbon Mavrodaphne Mencia Tocai Friulano

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

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?

The Tocai Fruiliano grape varietal has been grown in and around the northern regions of Italy for centuries, and is still widely praised for its distinctive character and beautiful set of flavors and aromas. Despite the name, the Tocai Fruiliano varietal is not actually related to the famous Tokaji grapes of Hungary, or the Tokay d'Alsace grapes, but is actually the same species as Sauvignon Vert. Wines made from the Tocai Fruiliano grape are generally a pale straw yellow in color, and are recognizable by their aroma of wild flowers and orchard fruits such as pears. The flavor of the wines varies from vineyard to vineyard, and the Tocai Fruiliano grape is renowned for having a broad set of flavors, although citrus notes are usually detectable in most bottles.