Category Archives: SPIRITS

Aquavit, Linie, Norway, NV, 41.5% abv.

Posted on August 8, 2015 by winellama

I admit it freely; I like the weird and unusual. When it comes to spirits, this is a little off the beaten track.  Picked up in Amsterdam, it was carried carefully across several borders to its new home in Vancouver.  However, … Continue reading →

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Cachaça Engenhosa, Santa Terezinha, #181/250, Dourada, Brazil, 42% abv. 700 ml, C$80

Posted on June 5, 2015 by winellama

The vast majority of Brazilian cachaça is unaged and ubiquitous – available everywhere and enjoyed constantly.  There are aged versions as well that are equally wonderful, for different reasons. This is one of those versions, and as bottle 181 of … Continue reading →

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Da Mata, Cachaça, Santa Teresa, Brazil, 48% abv.

Posted on May 27, 2015 by winellama

Meet cachaça, the most popular distilled alcoholic drink available in Brazil.  Seriously everyone drinks it and it’s available just about everywhere in either a water white, unaged version (like this one) or an aged, golden toned drink. This example is a … Continue reading →

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Cachaça Envelhecida, Reserva do Gerente, Brazil, 42% abv, C$18

Posted on May 25, 2015 by winellama

Here is a drink you don’t see every day.  In fact, in our market on Canada’s west coast, there is only one cachaça available – and it’s not this one. What exactly is cachaça?   Is it rum?  Well, not … Continue reading →

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The Macallan, Select Oak, Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky,  Speyside, Scotland, 40% abv. C$80

Posted on March 30, 2015 by winellama

Also known as the Mac’Allen’ if you’re drinking it with said friend who was kind enough to share, this Scotch was aged in American oak and first fill European oak sherry casks. It has a pale amber hue and on the nose … Continue reading →

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Macduff, Single Old Particular, Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 21 years old, Highland, Scotland, 41.9% abv.

Posted on March 27, 2015 by winellama

This is from a distillery located in Speyside that was founded in 1948 and is currently owned by Bacardi but managed by John Dewar & Sons. The Macduff 21 year old (‘glorious years’, according to the distillery) is a single … Continue reading →

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The Dalmore, 15 year old, Highland Single Malt Whisky, Scotland, 40% abv

Posted on November 11, 2014 by winellama

Mmmm…Scotch. Here we have The Dalmore – owned by Whyte & Mackay, which is in turn owned by India’s United Breweries (UB).  Did you know; India is the world’s largest market for whisky?  Most that is sold there consists of … Continue reading →

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Hennessy, Pure White, Cognac, France, 40% abv, C$70

Posted on November 8, 2014 by winellama

Allen picked this bottle up in a Mexico duty free store and it’s not available in Canada or the US. Apparently it’s made exclusively for the Caribbean market where it’s enjoyed chilled from the freezer or mixed into cocktails. Who … Continue reading →

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The Tyrconnell, Single Malt, Irish Whiskey, Andrew A Watt & Co., Ireland, 40% abv, C$60

Posted on October 10, 2014 by winellama

The Tyrconnell was a horse owned by the Watt family that was entered into the Irish national stakes in 1876 and won against enormous odds of 100-1. Now the name is used for this Irish whiskey produced at the Cooley Distillery, … Continue reading →

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Adrien Camut, Calvados, Pays d’Auge, Normandy, France, NV, 40% abv

Posted on June 28, 2014 by winellama

If you go: -arm yourself with a GPS with European maps, -the basics of French (you’ll need it when you get lost), and -make an appointment ahead of time with the Camut brothers, Emmanuel, Jean-Michel and Jean-Gabriel. When we began … Continue reading →

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