A new Woodford that’s set to be part of the core range. This is finished in heavily toasted, lightly charred barrels.

On a short list the most desirable, super premium American whiskeys, Pappy Van Winkle is usually near the top – if you can find it. But there’s another name in town: “Michter’s”, with roots going back to the 18th century. For scarcity, reputation and market value, Michter’s is now outdoing Van Winkle on every score. The ultra-aged releases are periodic and therefore actually far rarer than Pappy’s which are annual. Many consider older Michter's superior to the equivalent Van Winkles, especially if you prefer your whiskey to not be overly oaky. To top it off, a Michter’s 25 Year Old Rye has reached $8000 / bottle. Or there’s a 25 Year old for US $10,000 at Wally’s Liquor in the States. Take your pick. That’s the direction this brand is headed. The modern Michter’s was created in the 1950s (then owner, Lou Forman combined his son’s names – Michael & Peter). Later in 1989, the company declared bankruptcy, abandoning the original Pennsylvania operation. In the 1990s, two entrepreneurs filed for the Michter’s trademark and relocated the brand in Louisville, Kentucky. The “New” Michter’s whiskeys come with a swag of 5 Star / Highest Recommendations from respected critics that’s confirmed by a strong following amongst bartenders (now number two in top-trending American whiskey brands globally). There are four tiers in the range - which is a little confusing at first. The "US*1" expressions are the entry level, so named to honour Michter’s heritage, harkening back to America’s first whiskey company in 1753. Then come the limited releases (toasted barrel finishes and cask strength), then the age statements, and finally, there's a selection of ultra-aged 25 year old+ super limited bottlings. Master Distiller, Pam Heilmann, has extensive experience including time as manager at Booker Noe Distillery in Boston and 15 years with Beam Global. She’s helped out by Andrea Wilson, whose role is Master of Maturation. These ladies are very specific about the seasoning and toasting regimes of the wood they employ. They toast barrels before charring, which helps to make the wood’s sugars more accessible. They insist on barreling at a lower proof (103 instead of the standard 125), a practise which is claimed to get the sugars in oak to dissolve more readily into the distillate as it cycles in and out of the wood. Chill filtration is undertaken but customised to each whiskey's style. All Michter’s whiskeys are either ‘single barrel’ or ‘small batch’. Because “Small batch” is not a legally defined term in US whiskey regulation, many respected “small batch” brands are actually composed from hundreds or thousands of barrels, which helps to ‘lose’ sub-quality barrels in the blend. At Michter’s, the maximum “small batch” size is twenty full barrels. It explains why Heilmann and Wilson are more than a little fanatical about quality control, and you can sense it in the taste. Tasting note: [Lot L146456 tasted] Brassy gold. Opening aroma is peppery and true to style with lovely whiffs of dark rye bread; Further air contact draws out wax, dried apple, cinnamon and vanilla. Third pass finds suggestions of herbal tea - think peppermint and chamomile. Great complexity. A somewhat hollow entry leads into a powerful, peppery rye attack with ryvita biscuit, dried apple and peppermint tea flavours carried by vibrant spices. Hints of vanilla and toffee apple in the drying fade. Solid, text-book styled rye. 42.4% Alc./Vol.

Balance and complexity are made approachable and affordable in this offering created from four styles of bourbon that we marry together in small batches. The result is a slightly fruitier and surprisingly sophisticated flavour profile, finishing - as always - with a smooth, vanilla-infused elegance that demands another round.

Elijah Craig are another of Heaven Hill's successful brands. When a surge in popularity for the 12 year led to an inability to meet demand, it was removed from US shelves in 2016 (no surprise, age statements are now sought after). The core whiskey has since been re-labelled “Small Batch". Typically made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley, rumour has it this contains a fair proportion of whiskeys in the 8-12 year old range.

Each bottle of 1792 Small Batch Bourbon is handcrafted in small batches, bottled at 93.7 proof and aged 8 years in new charred oak barrels. The result is a distinctively smooth pour, equally worthy of rare occasions and everyday enjoyment. This refined bourbon elevates Kentucky distilling to exceptional new heights.

Strong, robust aromas that is noticeably sweet with hints of vanilla and toasted oak. Nice vanilla, caramel to start and becomes heavier and almost creamy in nature. Toasted oak notes on the finish. Each barrel is hand-selected by Master Distiller, Jeff Arnett.

With a Gold color laced with reddish amber hues, nearly copper in tone. Our bourbon is finished in port wine barrels which adds subtly distinct flavor nuances that enhance the whiskey without challenging it.

One of the few Tennessee Whiskies that is charcoal mellowed, which gives Jack Daniel's Whisky Old No7 its distinctive smooth and smoky flavours. Now an American icon it's also a favourite here in Australia. A true classic that's still made to this day using the original recipe.

Presently run by Master Distiller, John Lunn, who continues the hands on process as set forth by George Dickel and again by Ralph Dupps, Dickel whiskey is produced from a mash of corn, barley and rye. The grains are finely ground at the distillery before being cooked. They are then cooled in mash tubs by pure spring water from Cascade Spring, located about one-half mile up the road from the distillery. Fermentation is begun using a proprietory yeast, followed by a double distillation - firstly in a column still, then in a pot-still. The process of charcoal mellowing then occurs, which defines the difference between Tennessee whiskey and bourbon whiskey. In this process, the double-distilled whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal. Dickel's mellowing process is unique in that it is chilled prior to the filtration process. This process of chilling the whiskey resulted from George discovering that the batches of whiskey he tasted during the winter were noticeably smoother than those he tasted during warmer weather. He called this process chill mellowing. The first step in the mellowing process is selecting and cutting sugar maple trees. Trees are cut in the winter months when the sugar maple's rich flavour is stored in the trunk of the tree. The trunks are allowed to season and cut into strips. These strips are hand-stacked and set ablaze in the open air. This process allows the smoke's impurities to escape from the resulting hard charcoal. The hard maple charcoal is crushed by hand and packed into one of six mellowing vats located at the distillery. About ten feet of charcoal is packed into each vat. Two virgin wool blankets are placed on the top and bottom of the charcoal. The top blanket ensures that the newly chilled whiskey uniformly reaches into the vat, while the bottom blanket keeps the charcoal from escaping as the whiskey leaves the vat. The entire chill charcoal mellowing process takes seven to ten days to complete, and though this extra process is time consuming and expensive, the distillery believes the end result speaks for itself. The whisky is finally aged in new, charred American white oak barrels. Full barrels are aged just up the hill from the distillery in the industry's only single-storied iron-clad warehouses. Dickel No.8 received a silver medal in 2005 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. More recently it was lauded with the prestigious Gold Medal. Tasting notes: Bright topaz. Aromas of toasted toasted marshmallow, sweet corn and vanilla bean as well as hints of rye freshness. A youthful but nicely rounded whiskey with attractive corn, toasty oak, cocoa and peppermint notes leading into a gently spicy finish. Value buy. 40% Alc./Vol.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is matured in separate, charred oak barrels adding a rich and colourful flavour to their Kentucky straight bourbon. Before bottling, the second barrel is deeply toasted before a light charring - extracting additional amounts of soft, sweet oak character. The innovative approach to maturation has crafted a delicious and award winning bourbon whiskey.