Wine

Wayne Gretzky No 99 Red

Wayne Gretzky No 99 Red

What to do when you’ve finished a legendary hockey career with the moniker The Great One? You could rest on your laurels, but you could also start a winery followed by a distillery. Wayne Gretzky Estates opened in 2017 in southern Ontario and boasts a wide array of offerings from both areas, including some beer. Taking a cue from recent trends, one of the brand offerings is the Wayne Gretzky No 99 Red, a rye whisky finished in casks taken from the estate’s winery – specifically the red one. While the details on which specific red wine casks are not specified, the winery offers Merlot, Shiraz Cabernet, along with multiple mixed reds.

By Adam | October 5, 2020 | Foreign | No Comments |
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Knappogue Castle 17 Year Twin Wood

Knappogue Castle 17 Year Twin Wood

While the trend in cask finishes is not as prominent in Irish whiskies as they are in scotch, you can still find them. Knaggogue Castle put out a limited release, distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2011, featuring a spirit finished in sherry casks. The Knappogue Castle 16 spent a few short months being finished in ex-sherry casks, and this release extends that sherry maturation. The Knappogue Castle 17 Year is somewhat limited (our bottle proclaims it as number 104 out of 4500), it doesn’t carry the rarity or price of the truly limited releases from the distillery and finding a bottle isn’t terribly difficult. So far, at least!

By Adam | May 11, 2016 | Foreign | No Comments |
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Kavalan Concertmaster

Kavalan Concertmaster

The name “Kavalan” refers to a Taiwanese ethnic group and means “people of the flatland.” This distillery is only ten years old, but made up for it hiring Ian Chang as master blender and Dr. James Swan to consult. Swan is also responsible for starting Penderyn, which we featured at 2014’s World Whisky Day, among other things. The Concertmaster is their second single malt release and their offerings have been garnering attention since 2010. By 2014, they’d amassed 100 gold medals from spirit competitions, including Best Whisky in the World at the 2015 World Whisky Awards (The Solist). We like the somewhat musical bent the names are taking. Is Kavalan Xylophone next?

By Adam | October 1, 2015 | Foreign | No Comments |
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