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Red
750ml
Bottle: $17.94 $20.08
12 bottles: $17.58
Ripe, plummy aromas and flavors. Medium body. A hint of vanilla coming through at the end. Balanced, tasty finish....
JS
90
Instore only
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $10.99
A newcomer to the marketplace, this velvety, blended Irish whiskey offers sweet, malty flavors that incorporate baked...
WE
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $27.74 $29.20
12 bottles: $26.60
TOP 100 SPIRITS 2019. This easy-drinking whiskey has a straw hue, mild vanilla aroma and feather-light feel on the...
WE
92
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $20.56 $21.64
Inviting aromas of roasted grains, wildflower honey, apple pastry, and lemon tart introduce this classic whiskey. In...
UBC
91
WE
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $60.87 $64.07
6 bottles: $49.91
Rich aromas of toasted marcona almonds, saltine crackers, and hay are earthy, savory and ethereal. Equally powerful...
12 FREE
WE
92
UBC
92
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $60.87 $64.07
6 bottles: $60.47
Pours an inviting amber color and shows complex aromas of preserved lemon, toasted grains, dried peach, and honey...
12 FREE
UBC
92
WKY
91
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $152.39
6 bottles: $143.99
Blanched nuts, clover honey, and hay are delicate and mellow aromas. The palate erupts with baking spice and tropical...
12 FREE
UBC
96
WE
95
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $286.13 $301.19
Red wine poached pear, dried tobacco, baking spice, and baked apricot on the nose. Much softer and honeyed on the...
12 FREE
UBC
96
WKY
96
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $37.38 $39.35
This elegant, super-soft sipper is a blend of grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was finished in oloroso Sherry...
12 FREE
WE
96
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.80 $42.95
12 bottles: $33.73
This elegant, super-soft sipper is a blend of grain whiskey and malt whiskey that was finished in oloroso Sherry...
WE
96
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $35.34 $37.20
12 bottles: $31.92
The closest you can get to the Bushmills that would've sat behind the bar at the Shelby's legendary Small Heath pub.
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $40.80 $42.95
12 bottles: $29.17
A brilliant copper color, this medium-bodied spirit is creamy and lush, with flavors of dried peach, date, and apple,...
UBC
90
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $13.81 $15.34
Color: Streaks of garnet giving way to intense ruby red. Nose: Candied fruits and spices that evolve into clean...
Case only
Red
750ml - Case of 12
Bottle: $16.92
Color: Ruby red very intense and deep. Bouquet: Strong and distinctive with scents of red fruits and spicy hints of...
Rapid Ship
Red
750ml
Bottle: $31.05
Very ripe and spicy aromas in the nose. Powerful and earthy on the palate, rich and deep. (Bronze) - DWWA 2022
12 FREE
DC
89
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $11.93 $12.57
A rustic, chewy red, with pungent stemmy herb and smoke notes on the nose layered with tangy raspberry and red...
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $12.76 $13.43
12 bottles: $10.45
Sale
Red
750ml
Bottle: $14.94 $15.63
12 bottles: $14.85
The term "Maru" translates into dark or severe and correctly describes some of the characteristics of Puglia's native...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $54.71 $57.59
6 bottles: $52.79
12 FREE
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $50.15 $52.79
6 bottles: $47.99
This golden whiskey offers pear aromas and a honeyed palate accented by candied ginger. Adding water coaxes more...
12 FREE
WE
91

Fruit Wines Irish Whiskey Mavrodaphne Negroamaro Mencia

The Irish are hailed as being the original producers of whiskey in the British Isles, and their innovations and techniques were so successful, that neighbouring Scotland were quickly influenced by them in the 15th century. Centuries later, it was the Irish who brought whiskey to America, and their style of whiskey has since become popular all over the world.

However, it wasn’t always plain sailing for the Irish whiskey industry - from being a dominant force in the 19th century, whose produce was considered far superior to that of Scotland, political upheaval and war saw the Irish whiskey almost disappear forever in the early 20th century. Today, the Irish whiskey manufacturers are back on their feet, and they are once again proving that the original is often the best. With new distilleries opening every year, it is safe to say that Irish whiskey is very much back.

Irish whiskey differs from Scotch whisky in a number of ways, and not least the spelling - the extra ‘e’ was said to be added in the 19th century as a way of distancing the Irish drink from what they saw as an inferior Scottish product. Irish whiskey was traditionally made in enormous stills, as a way of ensuring consistency from bottle to bottle, and maintaining the quality and complexity their reputation was founded on. The typical tasting notes of fine Irish whiskey include apple and vanilla, alongside spicy and sweet touches of nutmeg and fresh hay, making this a highly pleasant and smooth drink, made for relaxation and stimulating conversation about times past.

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?

One of the key grapes of the ever-growing Puglia wine industry is the Negroamaro, a native grape of this southern Italian region, famed for its deep, bloody red color and excellent set of flavors Indeed, many of the finest and most highly esteemed full bodied red wines of Puglia are made using the Negroamaro varietal grape, and it is grown most notably in the Salento area of the region, where it makes several types of red wine enjoyed locally and sold overseas. The name 'Negroamaro' means 'black-bitter', giving some clue as to one of the key features of the grape. Wines made with Negroamaro do indeed hold quite a lot of earthy bitterness, but generally are celebrated for their 'rustic' taste and extremely aromatic qualities.