I am always happy when we crack open a bottle of Japanese whisky! Today is one of those days, and the bottle I am enjoying SO MUCH, is Hakushu’s Distiller Reserve.

I’ll be honest, I am a fan of most of the whiskies I have tried from the different Japanese distillers, some more than others, but mostly positive. This Distiller’s reserve is no exception! Suntory is doing a fabulous job facilitating the creative Japanese spirit when it comes to the different brands they put out. Hakushu Distillery is one of the top distilleries I want to visit on this planet! Just a picturesque distillery nestled in the deep forest of the Japanese Southern Alps. It is one of the highest distilleries in the world! Looks straight out of a movie. They do say that Hakushu is a green and fresh whisky, so I would say the setting is quite perfect.

Set up in 1973, Hakushu is Suntory’s second malt whisky distillery. The area is famous for its water sources, which adds to the whisky’s gentle and crisp flavour profile.

This Distiller’s Reserve is a No Age Statement whisky that wonderfully incorporates a variety of cask from across their range! Using both lightly peated and heavily peated whisky, along with some aged around 18 years. A wonderful representation of the distillery if you have not had any of their bottlings before! You are getting a perfect amount of smoke, that doesn’t overpower the other flavours. You can taste the freshness, with delectable hints of spearmint, pine and orchard fruits, superbly ushered in by that light campfire smoke. Towards the end you get a burst of the Yuzu citrus and vanilla.

Grab a bottle of Hakushu’s Distiller Reserve, then start planning your trip to Japan for when things calm down!

Slainte

Anthony

I know what is on the top of my list for places to visit some in the near future…hopefully! The Rum and Crab Shack, birthplace of the delicious Dead Man’s Fingers Rum! My kind of place, Good seafood and good rum.

While I could just talk about how tasty the menu looks, that’s not why I am here! It’s about those outside the box, living on the edge kind of rums, Dead Man’s Fingers. Born from the bowels of the Rum and Crab Shack, located in Cornwall, this rum throws “conventional” out of the window! I like that. While I am a big fan of a lot of rums out there, I really enjoy when something so off the wall comes around that has the great tastes to back that up. There have been too many times an unconventional or flashy product has come out, that once it passes your lips, you realise they spent all the money on the packaging and none on the liquid. I am happy to say that DMF does not fall into that category. They love their rum, and they made that show in their products. We are very happy to stock this range of rums!

There are plenty of different flavours to choose from that will liven up any drink, depending on your mood. All their rums are variations of the core Spiced Rum. A nice blend of Trinidadian and Bajan rums is the basis of this, but to curb the sweetness of traditional Caribbean rum a bit, they incorporated saffron cake. You are still getting those wonderful traditional flavours of rich vanilla and creamy caramel, along with the flavour full tang of pineapple and pepper.

Now sipping the different variations of the DMF goes down really well on a warm summer’s day, these shine in cocktails and other mixed drinks. They will add a kick to whatever drinks you have planned. The lineup includes, raspberry, hazelnut, lime, mango, pineapple, coffee, coconut, and hemp! So pretty much something for everyone. My favourite definitely has to be the Lime, makes for some intense mojitios! I am a big fan of lots of lime, so the more lime I’m happy. I also took a suggestion from them and mixed the lime rum with ginger beer…a new favourite drink for sure!!

We have the whole range online along with a selection of minis for you to try. Grab a bottle of your choosing and let us know what crazy concoctions you came up with!

Slainte

Anthony

Just a quick reminder about our online auction. This is a heads up for the spirits enthusiasts out there. In addition to our normal offerings of an amazing selection of rare and vintage cigars, we have a new whisky category. If you were not already aware, you will have a chance of getting your hands on some really special bottles of whisky. Anywhere from rare vintage single malt bottlings to some hard to find American whiskey bottles. Guaranteed to have an array of some very interesting bottles that not many people can say they have on their shelves! Quite a few limited edition Japanese bottlings, like the Yamazaki 18, along with some older bottles of Weller 12 to tug on your bourbon cravings! 

We wanted to give the whisky lovers out there something to get excited about! So starting on the 12th, the lots will be open for online bidding and the actual auction will be held on Sunday the 19th at 10am!

Sign up to register at onlinecigarauctions.com. Our team will also be available to assist with any questions at [email protected]

Let us know on social media if you win anything and Happy bidding!!

Slainte

Anthony

For a little while now Diageo has been implementing different measures throughout the company to build a more sustainable future for the spirit making business. One of the biggest measures is going to be Bulleit Bourbon’s new carbon neutral distillery. Despite the pandemic, Diageo is full steam ahead on the building of the new Kentucky Distillery.

This distillery is going to be one of the biggest and greenest distilleries in North America. Boasting a 72,000 square foot compound putting out 10 million gallons of whiskey per year, all powered by renewable energy! Although Bulleit will be the headlining brand at the distillery, there will also be a variety of not yet announced brands being crafted there.

The use of electrode boilers is one of the biggest implementations, which create a quieter and cleaner product with less emissions. Powered by renewable electricity, the steam used for cooking, distillation, and drying will be created by these boilers. Other greener steps forward include: Solar powered LED lighting, all onsite vehicles (including trucks and forklifts) will be electric, zero waste going to landfills, and water minimization processes. All these steps and more will be essentially like removing 25,000 cars from the roads for an entire year.

As a big fan of Bulleit Bourbon already, it was fantastic to hear all this. It’s great seeing these massive distilleries using technology for good! I look forward to seeing what else is to come!

Until next time

Slainte

Anthony