As we move into the new year, it’s time to celebrate with a mix of new spirits and a few classic favorites. Straight up, on the rocks, or in a legendary cocktail such as Ernest Hemingway’s favorite lime daiquiri, it’s hard to miss with any of these.
Our Rum Picks
Grander Panama Rum
Grander Panama Rum is a single-origin product that is produced in the Las Cabras distillery in Herrera, Panama, using molasses produced only from locally grown sugar cane, a proprietary yeast strain, local water and barrel aging, nothing more.
Bacardi Reserva Ocho Años
Bacardi Reserva Ocho Años is a rare, limited-edition rum blend that is barrel-aged from eight to 12 years in American oak barrels before receiving an additional three months in Oloroso sherry casks. This imparts a smooth, velvety texture, deep mahogany color, and tasting notes of caramel, vanilla, orange and walnut.
Frigate Reserve Rum
With the iconic frigatebird as its logo, Frigate Reserve Rum was born in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, and is made to sip with good friends after a day offshore. Available in four ages ranging from eight to 21 years, Frigate embodies the spirit of fine rums from the Caribbean and Central America.
Papa’s Pilar Spanish Sherry Cask
Papa’s Pilar Spanish Sherry Cask is billed as an ultra-premium 86-proof rum aged in Spanish Oloroso casks, which gives it a slightly sweet, uniquely complex flavor and unparalleled smooth finish. Papa Hemingway would be proud.
Flor De Caña 25-Year Añejo Rum
Named 2017 Best Rum of the Year by the International Rum Conference in Madrid, Spain, this is an ultrapremium, elegant spirit. The aroma integrates vanilla, wood and dark cocoa notes, which mingle smoothly with fruity, nutty and caramel palate notes.
Ron Zacapa XO Añejo Rum
Crafted in the highlands of Guatemala, Ron Zacapa develops its complex flavor and character in part due to its location, 6,900 feet above sea level. XO is a blend of rums from 6 to 25 years old, with an extra aging step in ex-French cognac oak barrels. The taste is perfectly balanced and very smooth.
Mount Gay XO Barbados Rum
An opulent blend of the finest spirits, which are aged from eight to 15 years, XO uses older barrels of double pot distillates that have softened the once-crisp notes into a subtler balance. This offers a true flavor of a top-shelf Caribbean rum.
Our Tequila Picks
Cincoro Añejo Tequila
Cincoro Añejo Tequila is aged 24 to 28 months, and embodies intricate tastes of agave, maple and dark chocolate, with a complex finish. It’s made from 100 percent Weber blue agave grown in the highlands and lowlands around Jalisco, Mexico, which amplifies its unique flavor.
Herradura Ultra Añejo Tequila
This premium tequila is made using a base of Herradura Añejo blended with Extra Añejo, which has been barrel-aged for up to 49 months. Agave nectar is added prior to filtering, giving Ultra Añejo its full-bodied yet smooth taste, with flavors of caramel, honey and vanilla.
Gran Patron Piedra
This premium tequila is made from the finest 100 percent Weber blue agave, and is crafted using the centuries-old tahona process at the famed Hacienda Patrón distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. It is aged in a combination of French Limousin and new American oak barrels for four years. The taste is sweet yet complex, with notes of agave, vanilla and mushroom.
Our Bourbon and Whiskey Picks
Walker’s Cay Bourbon
From King Spirits comes Walker’s Cay Bourbon, inspired by the small yet resilient fishing community in the Bahamas that proudly bears its name. It’s carefully crafted in small batches in Kentucky, aged in new oak barrels, and finished on sherry cask staves. Gamefish artwork by brand ambassador Carey Chen
graces the label.
Michter’s 10 Year Kentucky Bourbon
Mature in age and exceptional in quality, Michter’s 10-year-old bourbon is aged for a decade in signature American white oak barrels, yielding a bold yet spicy body of nutmeg, fennel and cinnamon, with hints of lemon and grapefruit and a molasses finish.
Dewar’s White Label Scotch Whisky
From one of the world’s most acclaimed scotch brands, Dewar’s White Label has a subtle sweetness with a curl of peat smoke and Scottish heather. The flavors are rich and warm: fresh vanilla and honey, with a slight fruitiness. Overall, it is well-balanced and satisfying.
Cask & Crew Blended Whiskey
This small-batch whiskey is blended from 51 percent 3-year-old Canadian rye and 49 percent barrel-aged Kentucky corn whiskey. This makes for an incredibly smooth blend with a clean nose and a memorable finish, with a satisfying flash of heat.
Our Vodka Picks
Cape Fear Distillery’s GameFish Vodka
Cape Fear Distillery’s GameFish Vodka is an award-winning spirit produced in southeastern North Carolina. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Cape Fear Distillery Conservation Foundation, which supports coastal ecological initiatives and communities in the US.
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
A staple of boat liquor cabinets around the world, Tito’s Handmade Vodka exploded on the scene from Austin, Texas, in the mid-1990s and quickly rose to award-winning acclaim. Today, it’s still on the same land, and made by hand in small batches using old-fashioned pot stills.
Our Cognac Picks
Remy Martin XO Cognac
Made exclusively from grapes grown in the Cognac region of France, which are known for their aromatic superiority, Remy Martin XO is one of the finest cognac brands in the world. Under French law, it is twice distilled, and aged in oak barrels for at least two years. It is rich and long on the palate.
