2 | Spirits | $50 to $100

"Pure amber color. Buttered toast and grain, buckwheat honey, and mossy stone aromas. A silky entry leads to a dryish medium body of honey buttered wheat toast, roasted nuts, dried banana, and peppery spice. Finishes with a lingering toffee, wet stone, and spice fade. A rock solid blend."

Selected directly from Warehouse H at the distillery, we get to choose our own barrels of Blanton's from a selection first narrowed down by Elmer T. Like Colonel Blanton himself, this whiskey is rich in character, depth, and elegance. A true classic is what we try to pick, one barrel at a time.

"This amber blend of 15 whiskies, each aged at least 18 years, yields a mellow, balanced mix of sweet caramel, raisin and smoky notes, all lingering and pleasing. Serve chilled, possibly as a dessert pairing."

A new addition to the permanent Balvenie range. Lovely bright gold color. Layers of sweetness (the characteristic Balvenie honey, along with vanilla fudge, nougat and rich toffee) peppered with dried spice and a hint of tropical fruit (papaya, guava, tangerine). Great viscosity with good grip on the finish. I really like the balance in this whisky—nice complexity too! A very solid effort and the price is right.

"Medium-bodied. Anise, citrus peel, herbs, minerals. Soft, rounded texture. Plush palate with a delicate edge. Shows off rich fruit elements surrounded by beautiful aromatics. A sensational, elegant drink."

Celebrate 50 years of The Rolling Stones with this limited edition set. Featuring a 750mL bottle of Crystal Head Vodka with a specially etched stopper showing a 3D Rolling Stones tongue, a double CD featuring live cuts hand selected by Mick for this exclusive release, plus a 50th Anniversary Rolling Stones bottle sticker.

"Warm caramel, date, nut, and brown spice aromas are lively. A soft, somewhat brisk entry leads to a off-dry light-to-medium of confectioner's sugar, caramel, dried orchard fruit melange, and peppery spices. Finishes with a long, sweet and spicy fade with light oak character. A fruity quaffer of a VSOP for cocktails."

"The nosing finds dry grainy notes with background scents of dried flowers and parchment, and deeper fragrances of light toffee, almond paste and yellow fruit. Entry is oily, buttery and semisweet; the whisky dazzles at midpalate with layered flavors of brown butter, cooking oil, barley malt and oatmeal cookie underpinned by the single malt foundation. Concludes smoky, satiny and ultra-sophisticated." 90-95 pts.

"The wonderful bouquet includes scents of seaweed, smoke, peat, iodine, kippers and pipe tobacco. The palate entry is briny and intense; the midpalate is oily with traces of anise, butterscotch and linseed oil. Finishes vibrantly with tastes of salted butter, oil and brine. Highly idiosyncratic: for lovers of robust, seaside malts. Best Buy." 96-100 pts.

A "rendezvous" of 6 year old and 16 year old extreme rye whiskies (95% & 80% rye respectively), this upstart from Park City, UT has a winner on it's hand as Master Distiller David Perkins works his magic with gin, vodka, and brandy as well.