Whiskey Review – Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old

• Mash bill – Exact percentages unknown, rumoured to be 70-80% corn and the rest split between wheat, rye and barley.
• 53.5% Alcohol By Volume
• Official Website

Van Winkle bourbons are some of the most sought after spirits on the planet. Limited releases and almost universal acclaim have made acquiring a bottle almost impossible, with examples sometimes retailing in the thousands of dollars. There is a cottage industry in even spotting bottles for sale, with the Pappy Tracker app and social media tie ins helping fans worldwide not only capture a bottle, but share the triumph with other fans.

Whisky review – Armorik French Double Maturation Single Malt

• Mash bill – 100% Malted Barley
• 46% Alcohol By Volume
• Official Website (in English)

The Warengham distillery was established in 1900 by the eponymous family. Using the same copper alembic stills they use today, the family made their name as distillers of complicated herbal liqueurs -most famously Elixir d’Armorique. They maintained a high level of continued success in this field until Gilles Leizour (a trained chemist) took over from his father in 1984, and began a very successful diversification. Whisky distillation began in earnest from 1987.