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Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $44.94
A beautifully balanced blend of apricot, orange blossom, and mint rests on caramel, nutmeg, and rich oak. On the...
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $51.59
6 bottles: $47.99
Baked peach with cream meets cocoa with hints of lemon, an indulgent, smooth mouthfeel of stone fruit and toffee...
12 FREE
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $68.40 $72.00
This is a blend of three straight bourbons finished separately in pear brandy, Jamaican rum and Sicilian amaro casks....
12 FREE
WE
95
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $72.00
12 bottles: $68.40
Ebullient nose of ripe red berries and blossom is anchored by brown sugar, leather, lanolin, and wildflower honey....
12 FREE
UBC
97
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $80.40
6 bottles: $78.00
The latest from the limited Barrell Craft Spirits Cask Finish Series sees a selection of 6-to-14-year-old bourbons...
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $54.00
12 bottles: $45.89
APPEARANCE: Golden amber. NOSE: An initial wave of honey, candied-strawberry, dark cherry, and grilled cantaloupe...
12 FREE
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $72.00
12 bottles: $68.40
Barrell has long focused on blending and creative cask finishes; this is no different, with a mix of straight...
12 FREE
WE
94
UBC
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $67.94 $72.00
Classic, with caramel on the nose, vanilla and spice on the palate, and a creamy finish. A splash of water introduces...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $87.78 $92.40
Vanilla, amaretto biscuit, and black cherry on the nose precede a spicy palate of caramel, cinnamon, marzipan, and...
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $87.78 $92.40
This Bourbon shows a fantastically complex bouquet combining traditional notes of peanut candy, sweet apple, and...
12 FREE
UBC
95
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $87.78 $92.40
The caramel color sets the stage for notes of slight sweetness akin to toffee, brown sugar, candied nuts and dried...
12 FREE
UBC
93
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $87.78 $92.40
This is a dense, bold whiskey at high proof with bombastic aromas of vanilla custard, grilled pear, smoked paprika,...
12 FREE
UBC
91
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.40
12 bottles: $38.38
Complex and balanced, this go-to Bourbon features vanilla aromatics with a touch of fresh apple. On the palate, it's...
12 FREE
WE
93
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $60.53 $63.72
6 bottles: $55.38
Dark amber color. Aromas and flavors of peach cobbler, honey and chocolate teddy grams, and peanuts with a silky,...
12 FREE
BTI
93
WKY
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $60.07 $63.23
6 bottles: $58.74
This show-stopping straight bourbon whiskey is an incredible example of a complex and nuanced flavor profile....
12 FREE
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $49.08
6 bottles: $45.52
From New York’s Denning’s Point Distillery, this bourbon was aged for 4 years. Sawdust and chestnuts on the nose,...
12 FREE
WKY
88
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $74.10 $78.00
6 bottles: $69.60
Inspired by an enormous pecan tree on the old Belfour ranch in North Texas, this 92-proof bourbon whiskey ages with...
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $37.11
Pleasantly saccharine on the nose, promising flavors of caramel, toffee, and hazelnut. Follows through on the palate...
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $74.10
A special edition Bourbon Whiskey that is rich and full-flavored with notes of vanilla and caramel. Round and full on...
12 FREE
Case only
Spirits
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $37.02
Warm, inviting aromas of baked apples, cinnamon, and caramel on the nose. Complex palate full of clove and mace, with...

American Whiskey Bourbon Mencia

The United States of America is a country of great cultural diversity, influenced by migrating nations from across the world. As such, its whiskey industry is a fascinating and complex one, which represents the range of regional differences found there.

The Irish were the original pioneers of American whiskey, and when they emigrated in their thousands from the old country, they brought their skills, knowledge and distillation techniques with them, to give them something to remind each other of home in the New World. This is why American whiskey goes by the Irish spelling, with the additional ‘e’, and why many traditional American whiskies closely resemble the original Irish style.

Today, there are several different types of American whiskey, and the styles and production techniques are now set out in US federal law, cementing a set of characteristics and production methods to preserve and protect the industry.

Corn whiskey, which is made from a minimum 80% corn in the mash and aged for a short period, is probably the most historic of the American whiskey styles, but others like rye whiskey, which is made from a minimum of 51% rye and aged in charred barrels, are growing in popularity among a new generation of drinkers looking for something unique, interesting and independently produced. Alongside these styles, we find Tennessee whiskey, which uses maple charcoal for sweeter notes, the softer wheat whiskies, the world-dominating Bourbon whiskies, and others which are peculiar to specific states and regions.

Bourbon has survived all manner of difficulties and restrictions to become one of the world’s best selling and most recognizable spirits. This unique and distinctly American whiskey came from humble origins, allowing poor farmers in the fields of Pennsylvania and Maryland to make a living from their crops. Prohibition, temperance movements and conflict continuously threatened to wipe Bourbon from existence, but today the drink is stronger than ever and has a global audience of millions. Over time, it has become more refined, and innovation and experimentation has set modern Bourbon apart from other whiskey styles.

Today, the Bourbon heartland and spiritual home is in Kentucky, where the whiskey producers of northern states traveled to seek a new home, free from oppressive tax regimes in the early days. It is now far from the rough and ready spirit of yesteryear, governed by strict rules and regulations to maintain standards and keep quality high. Modern Bourbon must be made from a mash which is no less than 51% and no more than 80% corn (the rest of the mash being made from rye, wheat or barley), giving it a distinctive sweetness, and it must be aged in charred, white oak casks with no other added ingredient but water.

The varied flavors of different Bourbons come about mainly from the different quantities of the permitted grains in the mash. A larger proportion of rye will produce a spicy, peppery whiskey, whereas more wheat will result in a smoother, more subtle drink. Ageing and water quality, as well as the expertise and vision of the craftsmen who distill it, will also make a difference, meaning there is much more to Bourbon than might first meet the eye.