The Four Roses distillery is located in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky on the banks of the Salt River in Anderson County. The distillery has a unique Spanish Mission-style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The company attributes their products quality to several factors: A unique Limestone water source, the spring-fed Salt River; a high quality grain source (Four Roses are the only distillery using the same grain source for 45 years, paying a premium for quality); Two Mash Bills in daily production - one mash bill contains significantly more rye than any other Bourbon, resulting in a spicy, full-bodied taste; and five proprietary yeast strains, each producing uniquely different flavours. Tasting note: Polished brass gold. Aromas of lamington cake and cherry ripe interchange with peppermint and drying oak as damp cedar wood enters. Lots of American oak input in the mouth: anise infused honey, cocoa and cherry ripe. A splash of minty-rye to finish. Rounds off finely tannic/peppery with hints of Turkish Delight and caramel fudge in the aftertaste. Youthful, but surprises with its complexity. Solid value if you're looking for a rye-heavy Bourbon. 45% Alc./Vol.

Woodstock has gotten serious. Very serious. Now available in 200mL slim line cans, Woodstock 10% Bourbon & Cola is a favourite amongst all premix Bourbon fans due to Woodstock's smoothness and affordability. Woodstock 10% Bourbon & Cola is a smoother, more robust whiskey premix that delivers plenty of extra flavour and enjoyment.

In 1869, The Ripy family built the foundations of what is known today as the Wild Turkey Bourbon distillery. Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon is still produced using the same traditional technique, handcrafted by Master Distiller Eddie Russell alongside his father Jimmy Russell. Combined, the pair have over 97 years of experience and are the only active father and son Master Distiller team in the world. Rare Breed is abarrel-proof bourbon meaning it is bottled directly from a variety of barrels at the proof it reaches in those barrels with no added water to lower the proof or dilute the flavour. This bourbon is a unique marriage of Wild Turkey 6 to and 12-year-olod stocks, which give the whiskey a rich exceptional flavour that is remarkably smooth considering its high alcohol content.

Maker's Mark is a unique and full-flavoured, hand-made Bourbon Whiskey, made using the old-style sour-mash method and sealed with the iconic red wax.

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.

For over 200 years, Buffalo Trace Distillery has been defined by a dedication to one craft: making fine American whiskey. By honouring tradition and embracing change, it has earned its place of leadership among the legendary spirits producers of the world and is now recognised as the World’s Most Awarded Distillery. The venture produces a wide range of whiskeys using three different mash bills: one light rye, one heavy rye and a third flavoured with wheat. They've developed different products by aging those three mash bills to meet various grades and price points. At Buffalo Trace, that translates into at least fifteen labels: W. L. Weller, Eagle Rare, George T.Stagg and Old Rip Van Winkle (amongst others), and that's not counting many reserve and limited-release variants. While the mash bills contribute to the flavour, the more significant differentiation among brands takes place in century-old warehouses. Constructed of massive wood beams and covered by a brick shell, these structures allow the alternating cooling and warming of Kentucky's four distinct seasons to mature the bourbon by nature's timetable. Steam pumped throughout the warehouses during the extreme cold of winter compensates for the dramatic drops in temperature and gives the whiskey additional cycles in and out of the wood. This is said to make for a more balanced bourbon as the liquid is able to take additional advantage of the natural sugars occurring in the charred barrels. The distillery was the first to use this method of aging in 1859 and has been doing so ever since. The warehouses were built in the 1900s and represent diverse architectural styles. Consequently, their designs and location on the property contribute to the significant differences in the whiskey coming from each. Certain floors within a given warehouse produce better whiskey than others do. For example, the fourth and fifth floors of Warehouse C and the fourth through sixth floors of Warehouses I and K produce the company's best. It's these locations which have been reserved for the maturation of Buffalo Trace. The brand itself was born only relatively recently. In 1999, visitors to the newly named and renovated distillery asked, “Why isn’t there a bourbon called ‘Buffalo Trace?" In response, Elmer T. Lee ventured into the best floors in the best warehouses to find some of the finest barrels that really matched up with his views on what a full-bodied, robust Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey should taste like. The result was what consumers enjoy today , batched from no more than 40 barrels at a time. There are two ABV variants on offer - one at 45% and this lower proof 40% bottling. The flavour profiles are pretty much identical, but as you would expect, less alcohol means a little less concentration. That said, the difference isn't huge, and what you miss out on is made up for in dollar savings. The style moves away from macho Bourbon, aligning with the feminine elegance of whiskeys like Evan Williams Single Barrel. As an affordable, middle-tier offering, it's also deceptively complex. The rye is evident but balanced by softer, sweeter notes like vanilla wafers, toasted sponge cake, cherry chocolate and just plain old, high-quality American oak. This expression doesn't boast super length, but it is incredibly easy to drink. Our preference is uncut (too much water makes it a little 'peachy' and the more nuanced notes are lost). An ice cube and a comfortable chair by the barbeque is all you need to complete the picture.

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.

Originated in the 1780s by Jacob Beam, a Kentucky farmer, who operated a grain mill and ground grist for locals - a portion of which was always reserved for the families private use - to make whisky. It was in 1795 the Jacob finally began commercial production, however it was not under the Beam Label. Consistency of style has been maintained by using the same yeast cultures for over 60 years, derived from an original culture made by Jim Beam himself on his back porch. Beam Bourbon is the product of six generations of distillers with only one enforced break in production between 1920 and 1933 when prohibition was introduced to the U.S. It was following prohibition, (during which time the distillery had been shut and sold to the U.S. government) that the bourbon was named "Jim Beam" after the head of the Beam family. To drink Beam then is to taste something of its American heritage. White Label is aged for four years and appreciated for it's pleasant sweet/sour and mellow, nutty character, making it one of the biggest selling Bourbons globally. 37% alc./vol.

"One soaring, beautiful eagle." - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible We first tasted Eagle Rare in 2006 when it was labelled 'Single Barrel'. As of 2019, that changed to a multi-barrel blend with a ten year old age statement. It remains a standout value - an American whiskey with the unusual credentials of maintaining a reputation for exceptional quality while being relatively easy to come by. The profile confirms a #1 Mashbill from Buffalo Trace, which is reported to be low rye (10% or less), yielding notes of caramel, new charred oak, liquorice bullets, cocoa and peppermint rock lollies plus cinnamon in support. The complexity grows with time. Re-tasted from a 20ml sample, it's lean on entry, but fills out beautifully into a medium-bodied, chewy whiskey with muted rye spices before vanilla and Bounty Bar flood the finish, the sugars checked by balancing oak and more creamy vanillas. Ever reliable and better than many Bourbons at twice its price, Eagle Rare remains hard to beat. 45% Alc./Vol.

Michter's, a renowned American whiskey company, has a rich history dating back to 1753 when Swiss Mennonite farmer John Shenk founded the distillery in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. Shenk's whiskey was made from rye grain, which was a favourite local crop in the Pennsylvania Blue Mountain Valley where the distillery was located. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington purchased whiskey from Shenk's to fortify his men as they hunkered down in their camp through the long, brutal winter at Valley Forge. The Michter's Pennsylvania management would later say that Michter's was "the whiskey that warmed the American Revolution." In the mid-1800s, Pennsylvania Dutchman Abraham Bomberger purchased the distillery and it became known as Bomberger's. However, the passage of Prohibition in 1919 forced the distillery, along with other American spirits producers, to shut its doors to the public. Although the distillery did reopen after the repeal of Prohibition, it changed hands many times over the next few decades and frequently occupied a precarious financial position. In 1989, with the entire American whiskey industry suffering a prolonged downturn, Michter's then-owners declared bankruptcy and abandoned the premises, leaving its Pennsylvania operations in disrepair and the Michter's name seemingly lost to history. However, in the 1990s, Joseph J. Magliocco and his consultant and mentor Richard "Dick" Newman teamed up to resurrect Michter's. Magliocco and Newman made their first major strategic decision to resurrect Michter's in Kentucky, in the heart of the modern American whiskey industry, to ensure access to the best whiskey talent and resources available. Today, Michter's has three locations in Kentucky, including a 78,000 square foot distillery in the Shively section of Louisville, the architecturally significant Fort Nelson Building on Louisville's Museum Row and 205 acres of farm land in Springfield. Michter's is renowned for producing the best whiskey possible and they continue to honour the Michter's legacy by offering the greatest American whiskey. Michter's has come a long way since its early years in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania and its resurgence in Kentucky is a testament to the brand's commitment to quality and attention to detail. Shenk's Homestead Distillery Sour Mash Whiskey honours the legacy of historic American whiskey figure John Shenk, who in 1753 founded a distillery that was to become known as Michter's in the 20th Century. It is made in Kentucky according to the traditional Sour Mash process whereby a portion of the previously distilled whiskey mash (referred to as "setback") is added into the next batch. This full-bodied small batch whiskey is 91.2 proof. This great heritage is honoured with the release of Bomberger’s Declaration and Shenk’s Homestead which comprise the Michter’s Legacy Series. Toasting and celebrating American Whiskey History with this outstanding small batch 108 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Shenk's is a Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey made with a substantial amount of rye. The unique character of this 2023 offering results from its being produced with malted rye in the recipe. Additionally, for its maturation we utilized two different and quite special barrel profiles: a portion of it was aged in 18-month naturally air-dried and seasoned wood with our signature toast and char profile and a portion of it was aged in special toasted French oak barrels that were made from 24-month air-dried wood sourced from the Vosges region of France. This is a warm and rich expression with highlights of spiced fruit, nougat, honey and spiced chocolate. It is dark amber in appearance with a nose of toffee with spice and vanilla. The palate is smooth and savoury, a whiskey to savour complimented by highlights of smooth spice, dried fruit, and honey.