The Best Rums To Gift For Christmas

Rum has been one of the winners of lockdown, with sales skyrocketing as people experiment more with cocktails at home and build their own home bars. We’ve also been hugely impressed with the new rums we’ve seen this year. Here’s our selection of the best that would make great gifts for your loved ones - or yourself. My goodness, we deserve a tot this Winter!

Hattiers Rum  

Hattiers source fine rums from around the world and blend and bottle them in Devon. Perfect for sipping alone or mixing, they currently have three to choose from: a navy strength, which is like a fresh danish pastry with banana cream filling; the premium reserve rum, which is perfumed and silky smooth and a premium, blended aged white rum, which is reminiscent of vanilla fudge with pineapple notes. Highly recommended. 

ABV: 40% - 54.5%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £37.50 - £56

Equiano Rum 

This is the world’s first African and Caribbean rum blend, named after Olaudah Equiano, a freedom fighter who played an important part in the abolition movement. In this rum, two great distilleries combine: Foursquare in Barbados and Gray's Distillery in Mauritius. The Foursquare is aged in American white oak, while the Gray's is aged in both Cognac casks and French limousin oak before the both are put together and left to mellow in ex-Bourbon casks. The result is rich and creamy with notes of chocolate, toast, orange peel and a kick of ginger, with some red fruit on the finish. Great for sipping or in cocktails! 

ABV: 43%
Size: 70cl
Find here: Master of Malt or Equino.com

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

This stunning sipping rum from Venezuela is molasses-based and produced with a blend of exclusive rum reserves aged for up to twelve years. With wine-like viscosity, this rum is super smooth with a beautiful nose of orange peel, toffee and licorice with elements of carmel and fudge on the finish. Elegant and delicious. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 70cl
Find here: UK £38.75 // US $39.99

Merser & Co Double-Barrel Rum

One of Helena’s absolute favourites, this is an elegant, understated style of golden rum, created by blending aged rums from Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala and Panama before giving them a secondary cask maturation and being bottled in London. A great one for sipping over ice, with its subtle vanilla pod, caramel and tropical fruit notes. 

ABV: 43.1%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £34.95

Don Papa Rye Aged Rum

This delicious new edition from the Don Papa: the rum Gods based in the Philippines, has been aged for four years in American rye casks. The result is a fragrant, peppery and spicy rum that’s silky smooth and quite different from what they’ve done before. We love it and are very happy sipping it alone. Launching this week at Harvey Nichols!

ABV: 45%
Find here: £65

‘The 45’ Scottish Spiced Rum

Handcrafted in Glasgow in very small batches, 45 Scottish Spiced Rum is a golden rum infused with interesting local botanicals such as smoked seaweed and liquorice as well a ginger and orange zest. At 45% it is flavourful and very distinctive. A perfect addition to some festive cocktails.

ABV: 45%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £37.50

Black Tot 50th Anniversary Rum

This Rum celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Black Tot Day, which is the day in 1970 when rum rationing to those in the Navy ceased. A special limited edition, this rum hails from the Caribbean with a blend of rums from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad, and is rich with layers of flavour including Vanilla pods, dark chocolate, nuts and baked bananas. Touches of mint, liquorice and lime juice keep everything in balance. Sumptuous and decadent, this is a great rum for Christmas.

ABV: 54.5%
Size: 70cl
Find here: £110

Fire Dept. Coffee: Rum-infused

Rum lover and a coffee lover? US brand Fire Dept. Coffee is a veteran-owned business that's run by firefighters who sell high-quality coffee, with 10% of net proceeds donated to help first responders that have become sick or injured while on the job. They have a fantastic range of booze-infused coffees too including this rum one! It’s a delicious, sweet and very smooth coffee where the rum flavour comes through in just the right amount. Also try their bourbon, tequila and other whiskey-infused coffees for a festive pick me up!

ABV: 0%
Size: 12oz
Find it at Firedeptcoffee.com $19.99

Love whisky too? Then make sure to check out our 2020 whisky gift guide! Oh, and let’s not forget our vodka, tequila and gin gift guides too!

The Best Vodka To Buy For Christmas

Aval Dor Vodka

Cornwall’s first single estate distillery, Colwith Farm, created its first vodka in 2014 using Colwith Farms' potatoes. Aval Dor being Cornish for ‘potato’ the vodka was then aptly named Aval Dor Vodka. Produced in small batches, the vodka is distilled in a copper batch still and blended with mineral water from an aquifer deep beneath the farm. The use of these local ingredients gives Aval Dor Vodka a real sense of terroir which is something that has only recently been embraced in the world of vodka. An intense, floral and spicy vodka, with silky viscosity and a saline minerality on the finish it is definitely one to try.

But wait. If you’re in the mood for something a little more festive you can check out the Aval Dor Christmas Pudding vodka and the Aval Dor Spiced Christmas Edition gin too!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy now: £40

CRYSTAL HEAD

Deemed by many as the worlds ‘purest’ vodka, Crystal Head sources it’s water from a natural aquifer hidden on a remote island named St John Newfoundland (basically the most Eastern point in North America). Peaches and cream corn are distilled four times before being filtered seven times and finally triple-filtered through a cone of Herkimer Diamonds. Sounds kind of classy, tastes kind of beautiful.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy now: £40 // $50

BELVEDERE HERITAGE 176

A brand we’ve known for a long time and for all of the right reasons, this Polish gem is the newest expression to grace our spirit shelves from Belvedere. Polska Rye and purified water are what go into the bottle; nothing more, nothing less. What’s most intriguing is how they’ve decided to revisit a malting process that is centuries-old to perfect the taste. Allow me to geek out for a second – this is essentially done by steeping the barley, drying it in a kiln so it then becomes malted and thus allowing it to be fermented as the starches are broken down into fermentable sugars. I told you I was going to go a little geeky… The end result? A fabulous malted rye spirit. Full-bodied with so much texture, there are pure notes of honey, almonds, walnuts and distinct baking spice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy now: £36 // $35

BLACK COW

This was created in the west of England by Jason Barber, a farmer who uses only whole milk to make his vodka. The whey is used to make the vodka and the curds make his award-winning cheese. This vodka is very pure, and has a creamy, beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy now for £22

THE REID SINGLE MALT

In 2011 a talented craftswoman by the name of Desiree Whitaker thought to herself, ‘you know what? I want to own a distillery”. So, doing what any ambitious spirit-lover would do, she went about building. Fast-forward 9 years and she’s got a portfolio of stunning drinks, all of which call New Zealand their home and have travelled internationally to grace our glasses. The subject of today’s conversation, their Reid Single Malt vodka is produced from 100% malted barley, giving a pure, smooth flavour profile. You can expect to find hints if pear drops, biscuits, toffee and a huggingly sensational mouthfeel as the texture wraps itself around your tongue. Not gonna lie, I’m kind of in love with the bottle too. Simple, yet elegant.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Buy Now £54

VESTAL

This vodka is made by an Englishman in Poland. He has very fine single potato variety vodka but he also creates this blend of varieties for under £25 and thankfully is a brilliant vodka. Made from Asterix and Russet Burbank potatoes this vodka has lots of character. It has been created with mixing in mind and makes a fabulous Martini. It is distilled and filtered only once to retain the flavour and character of the potatoes.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy now for £25.95

ABSOLUT ELYX

This bounty is distilled from a single estate in southern Sweden and produced from soft winter wheat that gives the unique and distinct profile on taste. Forget burn, this is smooth as smooth can be, with baked bread, dry spice and an incredible nuttiness showcasing macadamia nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts upon taking a sip. Vibrant, sophisticated and quite frankly, sexy. Drink neat or knock up a martini for a little tipple treat.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 42.3%
Buy Now: £35 // $35

Don’t forget to check out our rum and gin gift guides too!

Simply Whisky

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There is a plethora of independent bottlers of whisky these days. Some are well established having started decades ago, and sometimes more than 100 years ago. There are newer bottlers who have set up to make money as whisky becomes ever more popular. Then there are the enthusiasts, the clubs and whisky folk who inhabit a world between their regular jobs and the whisky industry. These are the passionate few, who will bottle whisky because they love it and want to share their findings with other whisky lovers.

This year saw one such bottler finally produce something they love. Simon Roser and Franchi Ferla have been running “Simply Whisky” events and tastings for over a decade. I first met them at a tasting where they had a cocktail made with 70 year old Mortlach and had a fire breather light up the ceiling of the cellar bar holding the event. Hair raising stuff. And so is the whisky they have bottled recently; there are two very different expressions, one Scotch and one Irish, but both 8 years old.

The Scotch called Let’s Dance is a single malt from Clynelish and is 51.6%. it is a full-on young highland whisky with all the characteristics one would expect from Clynelish. It is waxy and has lots of citrus, but also orchard fruits and balanced oak. The Irish is a single grain called Good Times, and it is fruity with lots of toffee flavours. Bottled at 45.6% it is party juice; I kept going back for more! It’s easy to drink and incredibly enjoyable.

The Scotch is definitely the more cerebral of the two, but they are both very good and have completely different reasons to exist, and I’m glad they do. There are only 250 bottles of Let’s Dance, and 157 bottles of Good Times.

Thank you Simon and Franchi for these two, and I look forward to future discoveries.

Let’s Dance

 ABV 51.6%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £58.95

Good Times

ABV 45.6%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £34.95

10 of the Best American Whiskeys to Discover

Words by Aidy Smith

In case you couldn’t tell… I LOVE my whiskey and whisky. My drinks journey began when I was living in California, so I had incredible access to some of the best bourbons, ryes and whatever other form of whiskey you can name coming from across the country. That’s where I fell in love with this glorious drink and the so many different expressions it encompasses. So, today’s aim is quite simple – I want you to discover some of my absolute favourite whiskeys coming out of the United States so you can enjoy them exactly how you like to – whether neat, with ice or as part of a cocktail like an old fashioned. The possibilities are endless.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked 

Whenever the words ‘double oaked’ appear, I get a little bit excited. Place those words next to ‘Woodford Reserve’ and a whole new level is reached. Woodford has been producing exceptional bourbons for decades and is always one of my go-to choices. When I want something a little more special, I hit up the double-oaked for a reason. Rich, sumptuous and naughty with a soft, sweet and spicy nature all wrapped up in one. Dark fruits combine with a sensuously divine dark caramel chocolate, roasted hazelnuts and marzipan. The journey continues to evolve with baked apples in honey, toasted oak, dry spices and creamy lingering vanilla oak on the finish.  

ABV: 43.2%
Size: 700ml
Price: £48 / $57

Elijah Craig Small Batch 

Reverend Elijah Craig was somewhat of a genius. He was the first drink pioneer to utilize charred oak barrels as a means for ageing his whiskey. The result? Well, given that’s what we know bourbon as today, I’d say it went down pretty damn well. Small Batch makes the list for 2 major reasons. Firstly, it tastes great and secondly, it’s affordable. With its rich, smoky, sweet vanilla spice interlaced alongside nutmeg, fresh mint and sweet plush stone fruits, what’s not to love?

ABV: 47%
Size: 700ml
Price: £40 //$32

Westland Garryana

Say hello to one of the finest examples of American Single Malt Whiskey and by god is it delicious. Sitting snugly in the heart of Seattle, Westland sources it’s barely from two of the best regions for this grain in the world and their water is sourced from the Cascade Mountains. Everything comes from within Washington, no compromise.

While the core range includes three varieties; American Oak and Sherry Wood being two of them, I’ve decided to showcase “Peated”. A far cry from the shores of Islay and Jura, this American example packs a punch of its own. Many peated whiskeys will use 100% peated malt, the result of which brings a rich heavy smoke to the whiskey, but in this beauty non-peated malts are used, locally grown in Washington State in a ratio that actually outweighs the peated Malt. The result is a vibrant nose of smoked orange peel, roasted banana and kindred almonds, with the taste giving you a variety of green herbs, roasted pistachio nuts and a distinct campfire smoke.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Price: £65 // $79

Michter’s US*1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I love a good small batch, especially when it actually is that. Basically, each batch of this stunner is batched in a holding tank sized to fit a maximum of twenty full barrels. Because there’s no room for ‘blending out’ – you’re left with a rich spirit designed to taste exactly how it was intended to.

Created at Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery, this radiant bourbon expresses notes of toffee apple, burnt caramel, banana bread and dried apricots. It’s rich, it’s spicy, it’s full of ripe fruits and vanilla oak and quite frankly, it belongs in your glass. Try this in your next Old Fashioned… damn! 

ABV: 45.7%
Size: 700ml
Price: £55 // $47

Distillery 291 Single Barrel Rye

This wonder is finished in heavenly Aspen staves after being placed in white American oak barrels for initial ageing. The result? A unique maple glaze which totally elevates the bar of curiosity to the next level. Given its mash bill is made up of 61% malted rye and 39% corn, there’s an assortment of truly unique notes. Small batch, with a big personality. You can expect sweet vanilla oak, coconut, maple syrup, clover, cinnamon, dark meadow fruits and cherry candy. Nom Nom ;)

ABV: 50.8%
Size: 700ml
Price: £87 // $76

Angel’s Envy

Angel’s Envy just recently arrived in the UK, but our friends in the US have been able to sip it for a while now (cue the envy!). The name is taken from ‘angel’s share’ – the notorious evaporation of spirit due to the climate and general atmosphere of where the barrels are stored. It’s catchy, I dig it.

What makes this liquid stand out from many others is the fact it is finished in ex-port casks, giving it a beautifully sticky dark plum vanilla element to it. This isn’t something you often find in Bourbon land, so we’ve been sitting eagerly awaiting its availability and now we have it! I have to say, I’m always suitably impressed by a dram of this stuff, it doesn’t disappoint whether sipping solo or as part of a variety of cocktails. It’s got personality, that’s for sure.  

What should you expect from the flavour then? Dried orange rind, cinnamon sticks and creamy plum vanilla with red berries, dark chocolate and a little kick of baking spices.

ABV: 43.3%
Size: 70cl
Price: £57 // $54

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select

Jack Daniel’s are one of the most famous names in whiskey on a worldwide level and while the standard ‘Jack’ hits the spot at a value level, it’s the Single Barrel range that truly shines in the spotlight for me. Single Barrel is crafted with love and affection and boy oh boy does that show on the taste.  Rich toasty notes of oak, dried apricots and honey glazed fruits sit alongside a cinnamon popcorn, white pepper and Christmas cake spice that escapes from the glass as soon as its poured. I call this my nostalgia whiskey and for the money you pay – it’s sure to create some happy memories.

ABV: 47%
Size: 750ml
Price: £44 // $53

Koval Single Barrel Bourbon

Here’s part of the 5% of American Whiskey made outside of Kentucky, sourced all the way from Minnesota and guess what?! It’s organic too! KOVAL combines all American corn with an ingredient you may not have read about too much, Millet. This gluten-free cereal comes from Asia and Africa and is a staple ingredient for spirits in Nepal, of all places. Here, the two work side by side to create something wonderfully unique and I mean, there really isn’t anything quite like it. The nose gives harmonious notes of mango chutney and vanilla while the palate produces custard, apricots and nectarines (I told you it was very different!). Peppery chocolate comes into play before a lingering clove, tobacco and orange finish. If you want an experience, you just found it.  

ABV: 47%
Size: 750ml
Price: £62 // $50

Sonoma Distilling Co.'s Cherrywood Rye

There are very few Cherrywood Rye whiskeys on the planet, this one being one of the absolute top ones out there. A true benchmark of the quality that can be expected by utilising this wood source for ageing. Sonoma Distilling Co. has never shied away from experimentation and this one really worked wonders. Using a base of 80% Californian rye, 10% Californian wheat and 10% cherrywood smoked barley gives it a distinct and exceptional taste. If you want to venture off the beaten path and discover something new and exciting – here’s your choice. Take a sip to explore stewed meadow fruits, caramelized sugar, ripe blackberry and allspice with ginger, cinnamon, orange rind, toasted nuts and a ton of brown sugar.  

ABV: 47.8%
Size: 750ml
Price: £55 // $45

Maker’s Mark 46

Maker’s Mark has always been one of my favourite quality-for-value whiskies given its price point and I’m continually in awe of how tasty it is. The ’46’ became their first ‘wood finishing’ whiskey, created to really amplify the existing flavours of their original. Fully matured at cask strength, they then utilise 10 seared virgin French oak staves into the barrels to finish them for a further 9 weeks. The result is a bolder, more complex whiskey with lots of vanilla, caramel, red plum and cinnamon. Exceptional taste without breaking the bank!

ABV: 47%
Size: 700ml
Price: £37 // $40

Caorunn Negroni Christmas Pudding Recipe

Here at 3DHQ, we are firm believers that Christmas is not Christmas without the following two things: brussel sprouts (don’t shoot us!) and a yummy Christmas Pudding. So naturally, when we heard that our good friend and winner of MasterChef the professionals Sven Hanson Britt had partnered with Caorunn to bring to us a stunning Negroni Christmas Pudding recipe, we had to share it with you!

There’s still time before Christmas to get your pudding made, so if you are still looking for a recipe to try out, we can highly recommend this one!

Caorunn Negroni Christmas Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

 The dried fruit to be soaked

· 90g sultanas
· 90g currants
· 90g raisins
· 18g chopped glace cherries
· 18g mixed peel
· 22.5g prunes

The soaking syrup

· 25ml Black tea syrup infused with heather, apple and juniper
· 18ml Guinness
· 40ml Caorunn Negroni
· 15ml sherry
· 15ml dark rum
· 7.5ml cognac

The fresh ingredients

· 1 cooking apple – grated 
· 20g carrot - grated
· 1 small orange, zest and juice
· 1 lemon, zest only
· 1 small egg
· 10ml milk (of your choice)

The dry ingredients

· 37.5g plain flour
· 16g ground almonds
· 50g dried breadcrumbs
· 37.5g dark brown sugar
· 5g sea salt
· 55g suet, veggie

The spices

· ½ teaspoon mixed spice
· ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 2g crystalised ginger, chopped finely
· ½ teaspoon juniper, powdered or crushed finely

Have ready:

· Baking parchment
· Tin foil
· String

Method:

1. First, 2 days before you want to make the pudding, make the soaking syrup by creating an infusion of strong black tea, a little heather, juniper berries and apple skin. 

2. Make a classic negroni mix with the Caorunn Gin, Campari and Vermouth Rosso. Mix this with the black tea syrup and the other alcohols and pour it over the dried fruit. Leave this covered in the fridge to soak for 2 days, stirring occasionally. Stirring it whenever you open the fridge to get milk for your cup of tea is about the correct frequency. 

3. When you’re ready to make the pudding mix, place all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and add in the spices. Then add the fresh ingredients. The milk you choose to use is completely up to your preference.

4. Remove the soaked fruits from the liquid and add to the mix – retaining whatever juice and soaking syrup remains – you’ll need this later.

5. Mix everything very well with your hands for a few minutes and pack it into a pudding basin, ensuring the top is flat and there aren’t any air bubbles inside.

6. Cover the top with a perfectly cut ‘cartouche’ of greaseproof paper and then wrap the top with a tight fitting lid of tin foil.

7. Let this sit in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking. Once ready to cook, prepare a pan suitable for your bain marie, place a small side plate into the base of the pan and half fill it with water. Place the pudding basin into the pan and make sure it sits well on the plate. Bring this water to a boil and drop it down to a simmer and simmer it for 5 hours, checking and replenishing the water when necessary. This stage can also be done really efficiently in a steam oven. 

8. Once the cooking is finished, allow it to cool in the pan before removing and storing in a cool and dark place. 

9. 24 hours after cooking, comes the time to make use of that excess soaking syrup. Remove the tin foil and greaseproof cartouche and pour the syrup over your pudding and allow all of that deliciousness to soak in. Replace the cartouche, discard the tinfoil, and then cling film the pudding and keep it somewhere cool until Christmas. This stage can be repeated as little or as often as you like. Every time you make a Caorunn Negroni, make a small one for your pudding and pour it over. It’ll lead to a very jolly Christmas!

10. On Christmas day, heat your pudding in exactly the same way as you cooked it, but this time leave it simmering for 1 hour and it will be hot in the middle. Pour over another glug of Caorunn gin before serving it at the table – becoming the coolest person in the whole house at that precise moment. Serve with loads of cold brandy butter and hot cognac and juniper crème anglaise.

To get your hands on a bottle of Caorunn click here and you can find out more about Sven and his latest food adventures here.

Spot on! New Blue Spot Irish Whiskey

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Those that love Irish whisky will have a particular fondness for the Spot family of whiskies. In the early 1900’s wine and spirits merchants, Mitchell & Son started to mature spirit from the Jameson distillery on Bow Street with the intention of bottling whiskey. The casks used for maturing the whiskey had a system of coloured spots on them to indicate how long the whiskey had been maturing in each cask. A blue spot indicated 7 years, a green spot 10, a yellow spot 12 and a red spot 15 years and it was with this system of spots they named their whiskies in correspondence with the age of the whisky in each bottle.

The Spot family of whiskies is now managed by Pernod Ricard in conjunction with the Mitchell family. The Green Spot has been on the market for some time, with the Yellow Spot returning in 2012, the Red Spot making a new appearance in 2018 has been off the market since the 1960s, and now having not been seen since 1964, the Blue Spot has finally completed the family.

The men and women recreating Blue Spot have never tasted an old bottle such is its rarity. They have notes and records and with them, they have created a re-imagined Blue Spot. It has been designed with how it would have tasted in the past very much in mind. Using a base of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks they also used whiskey aged in ex-Madeira casks. This was inspired by the historical stock held by Mitchell & Son and the flavours were very typical of the Spot whiskey style.

These Madeira casks have been maturing and conditioning over 20 years. Coopered in northern Portugal they were then shipped to Madeira for seasoning and once seasoned, they were transported to Midleton, filled with pot still spirit, and left to mature. These casks gave lovely flavours of stewed orchard fruits, nuts and sweet spices.

“It is with absolute pleasure that we reintroduce Blue Spot and bring a piece of Dublin’s rich whiskey history back to life,” said Kevin O’Gorman, Master Distiller at Irish Distillers. “Over the years I have had the honour of collaborating with the Mitchell family, who for generations have celebrated the influence of fine wines on Irish whiskey, as we have reintroduced expressions to the beloved Spot range.”

“I am incredibly proud to celebrate with Jonathan and Robert Mitchell on this historic day as Blue Spot takes its place alongside Green, Yellow and Red Spot, reuniting the whole family once again.”

“It’s been a privilege to shed light on the history of whiskey bonding in Ireland and the role our family had to play in it as we relaunch Blue Spot,” added Jonathan Mitchell, Managing Director at Mitchell & Son. “The inclusion of whiskey aged in Madeira casks adds flavours that would have been originally introduced into Irish whiskey by the Mitchell family. As the full Spot range comes back to life, we find ourselves bursting with pride for the role our family played in the creation of this treasured range of whiskeys.”

Blue Spot will be a batched product, non-chill filtered and cask strength which will vary annually with each release.

You can get your hands on a bottle here for those based in the UK and for those in the USA Blue Spot will be available from February 2021.

Did you enjoy this? Why not have a look at Whisky Just Hatched from the Other Side of the World!

7 Vodkas to Embrace Lockdown 2.0

Ah, Lockdown 2.0. It seems the inevitable is upon us. Alas, all we can do is try and keep our spirits high, drink less but better and crack on with it. One thing I’ve been delving into a lot more recently is vodka! It seems working from home has allowed my mixology skills to flare and having just judged around 200 of these wonders a few months ago, I’ve been inspired to jump back into my vodka discovery days.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of 7 extremely versatile vodkas that work perfectly for creating everything from Martinis and Bloody Mary’s to simply drinking them neat. How should you drink your vodka? However you bladdy want to!

Ramsbury Vodka

Tucked away in the fertile lands of Wiltshire, Rambsury vodka is produced from the estates very own Horatio wheat and chalk filtered water – both of which are taken from their own land. Horatio wheat is typically used to bake biscuits, giving it an incredibly smooth profile and complex character. Dried fruits, cocoa and caramel are found on the palate with a creamy texture on the mouthfeel. It’s all a bit oo-la-la if you ask me, in a good way. This in a Bloody Mary… woah! 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Buy for £35

Belvedere Heritage 176

A brand we’ve known for a long time and for all of the right reasons, this Polish gem is the newest expression to grace our spirit shelves from Belvedere. Polska Rye and purified water are what go into the bottle; nothing more, nothing less. What’s most intriguing is how they’ve decided to revisit a malting process that is centuries-old to perfect the taste. Allow me to geek out for a second – this is essentially done by steeping the barley, drying it in a kiln so it then becomes malted and thus allowing it to be fermented as the starches are broken down into fermentable sugars. I told you I was going to go a little geeky… The end result? A fabulous malted rye spirit. Full-bodied with so much texture, there are pure notes of honey, almonds, walnuts and distinct baking spice.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy Now £42

The Reid Single Malt

In 2011 a talented craftswoman by the name of Desiree Whitaker thought to herself, ‘you know what? I want to own a distillery”. So, doing what any ambitious spirit-lover would do, she went about building. Fast-forward 9 years and she’s got a portfolio of stunning drinks, all of which call New Zealand their home and have travelled internationally to grace our glasses. The subject of today’s conversation, their Reid Single Malt vodka is produced from 100% malted barley, giving a pure, smooth flavour profile. You can expect to find hints if pear drops, biscuits, toffee and a huggingly sensational mouthfeel as the texture wraps itself around your tongue. Not gonna lie, I’m kind of in love with the bottle too. Simple, yet elegant.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 44%
Buy Now £54

Absolut Elyx

 This bounty is distilled from a single estate in southern Sweden and produced from soft winter wheat that gives the unique and distinct profile on taste. Forget burn, this is smooth as smooth can be, with baked bread, dry spice and an incredible nuttiness showcasing macadamia nuts, walnuts and hazelnuts upon taking a sip. Vibrant, sophisticated and quite frankly, sexy. Drink neat or knock up a martini for a little tipple treat.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 42.3%
Buy Now £35

Crystal Head

Deemed by many as the worlds ‘purest’ vodka, Crystal Head sources it’s water from a natural aquifer hidden on a remote island named St John Newfoundland (basically the most Eastern point in North America). Peaches and cream corn are distilled four times before being filtered seven times and finally triple-filtered through a cone of Herkimer Diamonds. Sounds kind of classy, tastes kind of beautiful.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy Now £40

Grey Goose

Arguably one of the most famous vodkas in the world and for good reason. Grey Goose couldn’t be any ‘Frenchier’ (not quite sure if that’s a word but hey, we’re going with it).

Firstly, they use soft winter wheat grown on the doorstep of their distillery. This is then distilled in Picardy before being sent to Cognac for filtration. But wait, there’s more. The water they use to make this beauty is filtered through limestone from the Champagne region, you know, just if you had any final doubts of its authenticity.  

A chap called François Thibault is the cellar master, and given he’s been doing this for as long as he has, you can trust you’re in safe hands. De-mineralisation of the water, 5 column stills for distillation and a bunch of other purification and rectification methods are all part of the process. To top things off, the inside of every bottle is washed once with Grey Goose alongside every cork being macerated in the vodka too.

The result? Delicate floral aromas on the nose with a sweet, creamy toffee and brioche flavour. Throughout my journey, I have never been let down by this vodka. Long may that continue! 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy Now £35

Chase Vodka

Here’s a vodka from England and it’s the only one to be produced from 100 per cent estate-grown potatoes. Celebrating their 10-year anniversary this year, they’ve perfected the vodka craft. Forget mashed, roasted or baked – this is the kind of potato creation you want to be sipping on. Creamy black pepper, macadamia nuts with a light earthy potato from start to finish, this vodka works perfectly with a little elderflower liqueur

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy Now £32

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New No and Low Drinks for November

Sober October may be past but with lockdown and the festive season coming up, many of us are vowing to take it a little easier on the booze this time. Here are some great, new products that feel like a treat and in some cases, can actually do you good. 

SPIRITS ALTERNATIVES

Caleño Dark & Spicy

Fresh to the market is Caleño’s new baby: Dark & Spicy! We adored the original, with its infusions of inca berry and juniper - a perfect gin alternative perhaps, though very much of its own style. This new version does the same for lovers of dark rum. Think of riper, tropical notes of pineapple with a kick of ginger, vanilla pod and a twist of lime. They’ve nailed it!

Find it for £18 for 50cl at calendodrinks.com (with discounts for multiple bottle buys!) 

Warner’s Juniper Double Dry Gin - 0% ABV

Hats off to Warner’s for being the first English gin brand to bring out its own 0% ABV versions. Using 100% natural botanicals and 90% of their ingredients being sourced from their farm in Northamptonshire, its herbaceous and powerful with a kick or warm spice on the finish. Also try their Pink Berry version, which is packed full of red fruit and spice. 

Find it at 31Dover.com for £17.95 for 50cl

BUBBLES

Fortnum’s Sparkling Tea - 0.0% ABV

We talked about how much we loved Fornum’s sparkling rosé tea here and in our podcast, so it was great to get to try the white! Certified organic and a blend of eight teas, this version is subtle, fragrant and elegant with both tropical notes and more darjeeling-like tea flavours. Totally refreshing! It’s worth noting that this sparkling tea contains 150mg of caffeine per litre.

Find it at Fortnumandmason.com for £16.95

Good One, Craft Hard Soda - 4 % ABV

Hot on the trails of the hard seltzer trend, Good One is an English hard soda company with three, genuinely good flavours that taste natural, where so many others feel synthetic. Its sleek, vibrant, matte packaging makes it feel like a step up from a regular soda too. We particularly loved the raspberry, lime and basil but the cloudy grapefruit and thyme and the lime and cucumber are darn good too. Gluten free, vegan, lo carb and low calorie, there’s a lot to love about these.

Find mixed packs of 12 for £33 at haveagoodone.co.uk

BEER

Small Beer  - under 2.8% ABV

The Small Beer Brew Co. are going strength to strength with their low alcohol beers that are good for you (being under 3% and isotonic) and good for the planet. Given what could end up being a marathon of drinking over the next two months, wouldn't it be good to have a stash of these lower alcohol beers in the fridge? For a limited time from now until 20th Dec, they are also offering a 6-month gift subscription, compete with brilliant videos and a gift poach for under the tree!

Find the beers and the subscription pack at theoriginalsmallbeer.com