There aren’t many scotch whisky brands more famous than Johnnie Walker. And despite seeing it in every grocery store and bar, I’ve never actually tried it myself. But thankfully, I was gifted this bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label by a family member, so I can finally experience the brand and see how it measures up to other blended scotches. Johnnie Walker was first established in 1820, when John Walker opened up a grocer’s shop in Kilmarnock, Scotland. At the time, these shops were known to stock different spirits, and eventually Walker would start selling blends of single malt scotches using the Johnnie Walker label. The whisky […]
Citadelle Gin is produced by Maison Ferrand, a Cognac, France based spirits company that produces a variety of spirits including gin, cognac, and rum. With wild Juniper growing near the property of the production facilities, Château de Bonbonnet, this sparked the idea for Citadelle Gin, which launched in 1996. The brand now grows and harvests their juniper berries on site, which are eventually included in the gin with 19 other botanicals. These botanicals are added one at a time in a patented technique called “progressive infusion”. It is then distilled in naked flame copper pot stills. This particular bottle of Original gin is not aged […]
With such a wide variety of bold spirit bottles out there, sometimes a simple design can be striking. And, the simple white label of Leopold’s American Small Batch caught my eye the last time I was browsing for new bottles at my local store. The independently owned and operated Leopold Bros. was founded by brothers Todd and Scott Leapold in the 2000’s. They first established the brand in Michigan, but soon moved near Denver in their home state of Colorado to build their current distilling facilities on four acres of land. They use sustainable methods such as water recycling and composting to help produce a range of spirits, including: […]
SelvaRey Chocolate Rum is produced by SelvaRey – a U.S.-based, celebrity-owned rum brand that partners with distillers in Panama. With the help of master rum distiller “Don Pancho” Francisco Fernandez, SelvaRey releases single estate rums that aim to elevate the perception of rum in the U.S. market. Each of SelvaRey’s rums are produced from start to finish at the same distillery. The brand goes so far as to brag about the labor conditions of the sugarcane harvesters, who work 4-hour shifts to avoid the midday heat, receive clean water and food, and get paid at least minimum wage for their efforts. The pesticide-free sugarcane is then […]
I’ve been using this blog as a good excuse to gain experience in spirits I’d previously missed, like bourbon and rye whiskey, for the past few years. But, I think I want to put more effort this year into learning more about the different regions of Scotch whisky, since I had mostly just tried Highland and Islay. It’s also tax season here in the US, so I was looking to find something a bit more affordable. So, luckily, the vibrant orange label of Bothan Sherry Expression Scotch Whisky caught my eye, and it happened to fit most of my criteria. Bothan Sherry Expression is a lowland single malt whiskey that is aged in both ex-bourbon and […]