The Whiskey Hotline: Scouring the World for Limited Rarities & Exclusive Handpicked Spirits

With America’s semiquincentennial fast approaching, so do the limited bottlings celebrating this momentous occasion. Known for their excellent Canadian sourced and farm distilled ryes, WhistlePig went in a completely different direction with this special release. Made from high wheat 100% US grown grain mash bill and matured for four years before finishing in wave stave barrels for an extra dose of toasted oak, this is truly a whiskey built for summer and a perfect tribute to America’s 250th birthday.

When warm weather finally hits Chicagoland, the Whiskey Hotline turns its attention to gin. We’re always on the hunt for unique bottles, and our latest find comes from the banks of Loch Lomond in the Scottish Highlands. Ben Lomond Gin is produced in the village of Luss at the fittingly named Luss Distillery. Named after the Gaelic word for herb or plant, Luss is the perfect birthplace for a spirit that evokes locally foraged botanicals. The result is a bright, clean gin packed with citrus and berry notes that is absolutely perfect for a classic gin and tonic.

Located on the outskirts of the south side Chicago suburb of Thornton lies the Thornton Distillery. The site they chose was the oldest standing brewery in Illinois, which had been in disrepair for decades. The brewery had a rich history before shuttering, including illicit production of beer during prohibition and falling under Al Capone’s control. Most importantly, their limestone filtered artesian well was still bubbling away, providing the perfect water for whiskey production. Opening in 2019, the distillery made their name with their Dead Drop line of spirits, but their goal was the production of fine American single malt that lean into the site and founder’s history in brewing. The first release is their Signature Malt, made with Brewer’s Pale, Munich, Roasted Brown and Special Dark malts and matured for 5 years in 1st fill bourbon, rye, rum and toasted American white oak casks. The second is made with Illinois peat smoked Pilsener malt and matured in 1st fill bourbon casks to preserve the rich smoke from the malt. They are both gorgeous malts and are an exciting preview of things to come.

Just down the road from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky's much larger distillery lies Old Commonwealth. It’s situated on grounds that have a long and storied history. Started as the Hoffman distillery at the end of the 19th century, it’s the site where the famous Ripy brothers cut their teeth, where Ezra Brooks was produced at the height of his popularity and was even used by Julian Van Winkle for nearly two decades. Now, they are releasing mature, richly flavored bourbons, and their first wide release is Kentucky Nectar. Double matured in honey barrels, Kentucky Nectar is rich and decadent, combining layers of oak and spice with sweet golden drizzle. This is still extremely limited, please check with your local Binny’s for availability.

When he set out to construct a custom Glenmorangie expression, Harrison Ford wanted to raid their warehouses and find lost casks that would bring some bite to the whisky. It was clear and present to Dr. Bill Lumsden that incorporating malt matured in Portuguese red wine casks would do the trick. Adding an elegant note of peppery fruit to their renowned whisky, this is a bottle not to be missed, whether enjoying with loved ones or solo. They even kept the bottle clean and simple, forgoing the graffiti often seen on labels of special release whiskies. This is a limited item, get yours today before it’s all gone.

Prior to the United Kingdom’s Excise Act of 1823, the laws surrounding the production of whisky in Scotland made it prohibitively difficult and expensive to operate distilleries. As a result, legal whisky was being made by large Lowland distilleries cheaply and poorly. The 1823 Act made it easier to make legal whisky and is seen by many as the birth of the modern industry. Enter Sir Alexander Ramsay, a landowner and canny businessman who applied for one of the first licenses and opened the Fettercairn distillery in the foothills of the Grampian Mountains, recruiting the best illicit distillers from the surrounding Highlands to work for him.

Two hundred years later, the modern distillery uses a unique copper ring cooling system to rapidly condense the distillate, resulting in more of the lightest and most delicate spirit coming through in the new make and lending a bright tropical character to the spirit. Until recently, the only bottlings of Fettercairn that we had access to were through independent bottlers, as the distillery was not exporting to the US. We were always in love with these elegant malts and are excited to present their first two US releases.

After their successful television collaboration, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul took on the spirits world. With both of them being fans of agave spirits, they set out to create something truly artisanal and settled on Mezcal. Now with over 5 years of success, they’ve released a tequila custom made at NOM 1614, known for the Cazcanes and Pantalones brands.

The tequila making Bañuelos family dynasty began when Don Felix started the Cazadores distillery in the early 1970s with his son, Leon. After selling that distillery nearly 40 years later, they realized that tequila making was part of the family fabric and Leon Jr, convinced his father to partner in a new venture, planning and opening the El Mexicano distillery. Committed to preserving the flavors of the agave, El Mexicano uses time honored techniques from across the world of fermentation, distillation and maturation, including a long open fermentation, distillation in copper pot stills and putting their unique spin on maturation by aging in American and French oak. They've finally released their añejo, rich and layered and a supreme sipper, don’t miss out on this first bottling.

Since their introduction into Illinois in 2021, we’ve been huge fans of the gorgeous malts coming from the Torabhaig distillery. Founded in 2016 as only the second distillery on the Isle of Skye, they’ve made a name for themselves with their elegantly peated scotches where they take the ‘blas na mona’ or ‘smoke with taste’ approach. Located on the rugged Sleat peninsula on Skye, the distillery flawlessly incorporates earthy peat and briny coastal character into their beautiful whiskies. Up until now their focus has been on annual and limited releases (including an incredible Binny’s handpicked cask), and they’ve finally released their first core expression. Taigh, Gaelic for ‘home,’ captures their house style, showcasing the incredible things they are doing in an approachable pour. Matured in ex- bourbon and Madeira casks and bottled non-chillfiltered at 92 proof, this is one of our new favorite everyday pours. 

Started in 1817, the Bladnoch distillery has been in operation for over 200 years, with a few relatively short shutdowns. Located on The Machars in the far southwest of Scotland, Bladnoch endures as a privately owned distillery that is making some of what we think are some of the most expressive legacy lowland malts. The latest release to hit our shelves is their 8-year-old expression double matured in American red wine casks. Bottled non-chillfiltered at natural color and 93.4 proof, it’s an excellent example of the importance of wood regimen on whisky.