Do we ship to you?.
750ml
Bottle:
$154.94
Baked cherry, campfire, and vanilla are enveloped by cinnamon and herbal tea. On the palate, waves of ginger and malt...
750ml
Bottle:
$138.23
$199.94
On the nose, this delivers plenty of semi-sweet delights, with orange peel, dark chocolate, Andes mints, and vanilla...
750ml
Bottle:
$138.24
$159.94
This whiskey from Bardstown leaps out of the glass with cocoa nibs, chocolate croissant, cigar box, and banana split...
750ml
Bottle:
$159.94
Iconic trailblazers of craft brewing, Goose Island is a perfect partner for innovation. This bespoke blend of 6 and 7...
750ml
Bottle:
$140.22
$147.60
Our Discovery Series highlights the Art of Blending, creating exciting expressions that together are greater than the...
750ml
Bottle:
$44.94
A beautifully balanced blend of apricot, orange blossom, and mint rests on caramel, nutmeg, and rich oak. On the...
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....
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....
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...
750ml
Bottle:
$54.00
12 bottles:
$45.89
APPEARANCE: Golden amber. NOSE: An initial wave of honey, candied-strawberry, dark cherry, and grilled cantaloupe...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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....
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,...
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...
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...
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...
Bourbon Mavrodaphne Mencia
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.
In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.
Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.
Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.
Additional Information on Greek Wines
Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?