Mint

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2021 Pedro Ximénez

The Cairdeas line under Laphroaig was created to celebrate the Friends of Laphroaig, with the word being Gaelic for friendship. The Friends of Laphroaig is similar in some ways to other scotch loyalty clubs (e.g. the Ardbeg Committee) but is a little unique in that there are actually membership levels. Those levels are gained by inputting points gained by purchasing – what else? – bottles of Laphroaig and other distillery products. The three levels of membership are, perhaps unsurprisingly, Peat, Smoke and Oak. The Cairdeas 2021 is a cask strength scotch that began maturation in standard ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred to smaller quarter casks for more wood influence and then finished in ex-Pedro Ximénez sherry hogshead casks.

By Adam | February 5, 2024 | Islay | No Comments |

Virginia has a long tradition of whiskey, with companies like A. Smith Bowman among others. As with many other states, it is currently enjoying a craft whiskey boom, with younger distilleries like Reservoir popping up. Copper Fox, though being a little on the older site of the current boom (founded 2005), is doing something slightly different: an American Single Malt, made in the Scottish style using apple and other fruit woods as a source of the smoke. No surprise given founder Rick Wasmund interned at the fabled Bowmore Distillery.

By Adam | January 5, 2024 | Foreign | No Comments |

Wood Hat Spirits was founded in 2012 by Gary Hinegardner, a local agronomist and businessman, located right by the side of the highway in New Florence, Missouri. Gary is also a wood turner and creates, among other things, the wooden hats after which the distillery is named. More pertinent to this website, Gary also creates whiskies and cordials. The Wood Hat Aged Blue Corn Whiskey uses Hopi blue corn and is aged in toasted chinquapin oak barrels, a specials of white oak native to eastern and central North America.

By Adam | November 20, 2023 | Foreign | No Comments |