Awesome Whiskey

We recently had the privilege of visiting George Dickel Tennessee Whisky’s famous Cascade Hollow Distillery, and went behind the scenes to see how grains, water, and yeast are transformed into wonderful whiskies for us to enjoy. Here, we share our tour in photos.

While searching at Dickel’s Tennessee distillery for barrels of 9-year-old whisky, distiller Allisa Henley stumbled across a cache of barrels filled with this nectar of the gods. It’s rich, sweet, with tons of vanilla and oak. For now, you’ll need to visit Cascade Hollow if you want one.

While you could spill some whiskey on your floor if you like the way it smells, a much better and less sticky solution would be to go for this recycled glass candle that’s scented like whiskey with a touch of maple. Burns for appx. 70 hours. Save 10% in The Awesomer Shop.

Bulleit’s limited release whiskey offers a wonderful depth of character while remaining buttery smooth and impeccably drinkable. Layers of fruit, vanilla, and just a hint of smoke on the finish make this one a staple in The Awesomer liquor cabinet.

Johnnie Walker celebrates the Year of the Monkey with a very special limited-edition of its premium Blue Label scotch whisky packaged in an artful blue and gold bottle, symbolic of the Chinese Zodiac.

Another brilliant single barrel Kentucky whiskey from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Elmer T. Lee is smooth and fragrant, with notes of spiced vanilla, and a lightly honeyed note throughout. At 90 proof, it’s eminently drinkable, and you should always keep a bottle in your cabinet.

It may be difficult to find, but this uncut, unfiltered Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is worth the effort. At 138 proof, it’s not for whiskey wussies, but the payoff is a spectacularly warm and chewy mouthfeel, with bold notes of chocolate, coffee and berries.

Become a whisky connoisseur fast with The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whisky Know-it-All, a 24-page guide by master sommelier Richard Betts. The book includes a flavor profile chart and scratch-and-sniff scents to help identify flavor elements.

Step up your whiskey game with some spherical ice cubes. These silicon rubber ice molds create a 2.5″ ice ball that will help keep your drink chilled for a long time, and looks cool doing it. The set makes two ice spheres in about 4 hours.

A very special single malt scotch whisky, The Macallan Rare Cask is a drinkable essay in complexity. We love the wonderfully sweet and spicy balance of flavors like chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla, held together with a bold, yet incredibly smooth body of dried fruits.

Scotch whisky maker The Famous Grouse partnered up with Owl’s Brew to create special teas to complement to their spirits. The Smoky Earl works beautifully with the peaty Black Grouse, while The Famous Mint Tea balances with the fruity notes of The Famous Grouse.

Combining Canadian whiskey with premium ingredients, Studebaker’s old fashioneds and manhattans are shockingly good for pre-mixed cocktails. They’ll make you look like a pro bartender, and are more reasonably priced than buying the individual ingredients.

The premium Signature Craft collection adds two new Kentucky bourbon variants for 2015 – a bold and spicy high rye, and a deliciously smooth and honeyed rolled oat, both aged for 11 years. Two more expressions are expected in September ’15.

This bottle carrier from Walnut Studiolo is the perfect way to transport whiskey or wine, and a great gift for beverage aficionados. Handmade from vegetable-tanned leather and sustainably-harvested cedar. Includes 2 matching coasters.

These bullet-shaped whiskey chillers are the only way we recommend mixing guns and booze. They’ll keep your drinks cool without watering them down, and you’ll look like a badass drinking from a glass full of bullets.

A sweet, spicy and smooth concoction made from Kentucky bourbon whiskey, pure honey and spicy ghost pepper. With a flavor reminiscent of a red hot candy, it makes for a great shot, or to compliment apple pie à la mode.

If you like cinnamon flavored whiskey but feel weird swallowing mouthwash, Jim Beam’s Kentucky Fire is your go-to beverage. It’s a smooth ride that’s built from the bourbon up, so it’s as much fun to sip as it is to enjoy as a shot.

Small batch bourbons coming this Fall: Quarter Cask is a young whiskey with caramel and vanilla notes, while the 11 year Harvest Red Wheat is lightly sweet, and Brown Rice hints at sweet potato and brown sugar. More variants in 2015.

For a recent promotional campaign, Suntory Whisky used a 3D milling machine to create these impressively-detailed tiny ice sculptures for serving up their spirits on some seriously awesome rocks. The shark one is so badass.

Inspired by the classic 18th century beverage, Chicken Cock’s Cherry Bounce combines the flavors of cherry cola with 70-proof American whiskey. It’s perfect as a shot, but also pretty darned tasty on the rocks.

A smooth Irish whiskey made with mixability in mind. Tastes awesome with ginger ale and a citrus wedge, or with ginger beer, but also easy to drink neat, thanks to its delicate honeyed sweetness. Grab some for St. Paddy’s day.

Crate Style’s family tree posters both decorate and educate. Their already available beer chart explains the countless varieties of brew, while the forthcoming whiskey chart schools us on distilled spirits from around the world.

Jim Beam’s first single-barrel is an exceptional bourbon, crafted in hand-selected barrels. It has a great, full-bodied flavor, but is immensely drinkable – with just the right amount of sweetness and richness. Out March 2014.