It's Whiskey #FFS | First Fill Spirits

We discuss all of the amazing new bottles to shop and it's a lot. We then do a grab-bag of sorts for new samples that we really need to taste and discuss all of the whisky trips we have planned for 2024 and 2025. In the mix, we talk about GlenAllachie and their new mainland-peated releases called "Meikle Toir". Come travel and drink whisky with us!

NEW BOTTLES TO THE SHOP:

GlenAllachie Madiera 13YR

Meikle Toirs - Original, Sherry, Chinquapin & Turbo

Nc’Nean Organic Single Malt Scotch

Glen Scotias - 12YR Amontillado, 15YR, 11YR Campbeltown Malts Festival Port Finish, Victoriana

Craigellachie, Old Pulteney & Auchentoshan Signatories

Redacted Bros – SRV5 - Caol Ila & Clynelish | TB/BSW - teaspooned Macallan

Raising Glasses Ascendence Linkwood Single Malt Scotch & Westland Single Casks

Port Askaig Islay Single Malt Scotch

SweetDram Blended Scotch

Spearhead Single Grain Scotch

Fat Baby Bourbon

Bardstown BIB Wheated Bourbon

EJ Curley Small Batch & Single Barrel Bourbon

Blue Note Uncut Single Barrel Bourbon

Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt

Penderyn Headliner Single Malt – Jamaican Rum & Ruby Port Finish

This episode is all about Coastal Scotland. We feature Isle of Raasay Distillery and discuss our September West Coast Scotland Whisky Trip. If these distilleries and this discussion don't make you want to book at least 5 trips to Scotland, we don't know what will...

Holly blind tastes Charles and we're both a bit out of practice when it comes to blind tastings!

• Douglas Laing Old Particular Jura 13YR & Authroisk 12YR
• Elements of Islay - Cask Edit, Cask Strength Bourbon, Cask Strength Sherry
• MacLean’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky
• Dead Reckoning Rum - Foursquare, Foursquare PX Finish, Australian
• High N Wicked High Rye Kentucky Bourbon 
• Desert Dessert from Lost Lantern, Del Bac is back in!
• Suerte 7YR Extra Anejo Tequila Single Barrel

A lot of big moves and acquisitions in our Scotch & Canadian Whisky world! We discuss Found North, Single Cask Nation, and what we see happening in 2024. We also discuss a Dramface article that was pretty harsh on all of this production increase continuing to happen in the Scotch industry (and beyond).

Then, we get back to blind tastings, and Charles blind tastes Holly.

• Lost Lantern Releases – Mountain Meadow, Flame & Shadow (Brooklyn Bakery gone)

• Cream of Kentucky 16YR

• Four Roses NY single barrels 

• Boone County Bourbon & Green River Bourbon Store Pick

• NEW Stauning Danish Rye Whisky Store Pick

• Just a heads up, these store picks are single-digit low: Stauning Tequila Finish, Black Button Bourbon & Obtainium Light Whiskey.

We discuss the experimental and delicious whisky from Spirits of French Lick in Indiana. We took in a few cases as a NYS exclusive of Hindostan Falls Bourbon and everyone is LOVING it, including us.

Every December all the influencers, magazines, and all their cousins and friends come out with their top picks of the year. We aren't going to tell you our favorite whiskies of 2023, that's just too dang difficult but we will take a look at our shelves and pick out the bottles that we would love for someone to gift to us. Our holiday picks!

Our Japan Whisky Tour is coming up in March 2024 so we have Kanosuke on the mind! Also, in the news a ton over the past few weeks is Indian Whisky. We are so excited to see all of this press as Indri, Kamet, and other brands continue to push the category into global awareness. We discuss our next Stauning store pick single barrel and don't forget to look at our upcoming whisky trips!

It's time for a more "classic" episode with a distillery discussion around Ardnamurchan on the west coast of Scotland. Do us a favor and look it up on Google Maps. You'll see how cool and rural it is! Then Holly blind tastes Charles on a delicious, old, and rare whisky and we talk about Charle's coastal Scotland trip. Don't forget our 2-Year Anniversary Party on September 8th. It's gonna be awesome!

We were able to sneak in a podcast before Charles leaves for Scotland & Holly for NOLA! Holly is on a panel this year at Tales of the Cocktail and in honor of this New World Whisky Panel, we discuss M&H Israeli Whisky Distillery. They recently won World Whiskies Awards 2023 World's Best Single Malt with their sherry-matured single malt whisky. They beat out Scotch, Irish, and single malts from all over the world! Also, I think it's fair to say, Holly gets a grade of C for her blind tasting attempt which is not a fail so she'll take it.

It's been a month but we have good reasons! I hope you're all up for it but Holly is going to tell you all about her Islay/Water of Life Film trip. No need to get fomo though because we let you know about upcoming trips that you can join as well! Then we discuss the exciting times for Glenglassaugh Distillery even though we're a bit nervous. That has been a hidden gem of the highlands and we hope it doesn't become too popular. I know that's selfish so, fine, we hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

We just had a class with Cara & Justin King of King's Family Distillery in Tennessee so that is our featured distillery for this episode. Although they are "sourcers" they are "sorcerers" in my eyes. They come from a grain merchant family and Justin even worked at MGP so they have access to pretty amazing barrels all over the country. They also have the relationships to really get what they want. They also aren't playing with the normal mashbills and have proved their finishing skills are spot on. It's also Charles' turn to taste blind but he actually does a pretty good job. *Applause* for Charles! Then we discuss this amazing chart that's called "The Evolution of a Whiskey Drinker". We've all been there and maybe go back there quite often. Whiskey folks can be difficult to handle and know-it-alls and that's ok, we are always evolving! If you want to see the chart head to our website. We think you'll enjoy this episode because we had a lot of fun recording it!

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Elements of Islay - Blended Malts (Elixer Distillers)
• Single Cask Nation WOLF 2nd edition
• Single Cask Nation Inchgower Oloroso Sherry Matured Single Cask
• Kilchoman STR Red Wine Cask ImPex Single Cask
• Kilchoman PX Sherry Cask ImPex Single Cask
• ImPex Collection Tormore 11YR Single Cask
• ImPex Collection Penderyn 5YR Madiera Cask
• King’s Family Maple Toasted Bourbon
• Boone County 8YR Single Barrel Bourbon
• Riachi Lebanese Malt & Wheat Whisky
• Riachi Lebanese Roasted Malt, Single Malt
• Athyr (Riachi) Lebanese Single Malt NYS Exclusive Single Cask "Empire" using Lebanese Oak

Episode 2 of our Interview Series! This time we get to chat with the former CEO & Director of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, Douglas Murray. If you want to have the best technical knowledge of whisky production and spirits production in general, the institute is where you MUST go. I had to sit down and interview them so us folks in the USA could learn all about this UK-based program. Charles and I also have a lot to discuss before we get into the interview though. He just got back from two weeks in Japan and has a lot to share. We also talk about some new bottles in the shop since he's been away and he blind tastes me on something that he got while in Japan. But, is it Japanese Whisky??

This episode was such a blast for me and I feel honored that Douglas took an hour out of his day to chat with me. Not only do we talk about the IBD (Institute of Brewing & Distilling) and all of the courses they offer but we also chat about Talisker, Dalwhinnie, and some of the other Diageo distilleries he's worked at.

He was a part of creating the Talisker Storm release and was also one of the folks who realized they needed to put the worm tubs back in at Dalwhinnie when they were renovating and changed to shell & tube! Oh and we take over ten minutes to go over worms versus shell & tube condensers. This is an audio-only podcast but if you could only see the massive smile on my face while we were chatting about worm tubs!! Maybe you can hear my heart racing in the background of the audio. Below are important links for you to check out if you're interested in the IBD.

This is our first-ever interview podcast! You'll still get to hear us banter at the beginning where we discuss some of our new bottles to the shop, our latest seminars, and Charles' trip to Japan. Also, Charles will finally get to taste Talnua, the Colorado distillery making Irish-style pot still whiskey. 

We're back! Although January & February are supposed to be the retail industry's "down time", we for sure didn't feel that way and we're not even sure why. We have had quite a few amazing Saratoga Whiskey Club classes over the past few weeks and have been focusing on all of our education and travel programs that we're about to launch for 2023. It is really going to be a stellar year of whisky travel. Then, Holly blind tastes Charles on a very special pour because they both deserve it and we discuss one of our favorite Islay distilleries, Bunnahabhain! Enjoy! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Isle of Rasaay Single Malt
• High West Single Malt High Country
• Tipperary Single Malt Rioja Finish
• Murray McDavid Craigellachie 8YR, so juicy and good
• The Firkin Ten Madiera Cask – Royal Brackla
• LAWS Colorado Bourbon Experiential Single Barrel 7YR 9th Floor 

It is so difficult to pick our favorite bottles for 2022 but we can pick out a few of the brands that really impressed us. Charles and I discuss which brands really hit it out of the park in 2022 and we can't wait to see what 2023 holds. We also discuss Bardstown Bourbon Company and how impressive their releases have been. They have grown so quickly! Holly blind tastes Charles on a potentially "off" whisky and we thank you all for your support this past year. See you next year!

The NOT-to-be-forgotten Orkney Distillery: Scapa! We discuss all things Scapa during this episode. Even though it can be a difficult malt to find, if you do see it, order it and take some time to sit with it. These are thinker whiskies. We also go through all of our adventures over the past few weeks in Kentucky and New York City. The holidays are here and the bottles keep comin'! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Found North 8YR Batch 5 & 17YR batch 6
• Castle & Key Batch 6 Bourbon
• New Riff & Blue Note Single Barrels Store Picks!
• Douglas Laing Rock Oyster Mezcal Cask
• Nulu Small Batch Bourbon Toasted French Oak Staves
• Nulu Single Barrel 8YR 61.3% ABV
• Nulu High Malt 9YR Bourbon -- so, so good. 
• King’s Thrice Barreled Ryeconic - Toasted
• King’s Tennessee Whiskey
• Garrison Brother’s Single Barrel
• Penderyn Hiraeth Single Malt 
• Wild N Wicked Single Grain - Midleton finished in Madeira Casks
• Mars — YA #1, Komagatake 2022 Edition
• Rolling Fork Rums: Barbados & Jamaican Single Casks 

For more information on IWAI check out this link. We mentioned it in the podcast. >> https://www.nomunication.jp/distillery/tsunuki/

We head back over to Japan with a look at Mars Distilleries including Shinshu and Tsunuki. Both Charles and I have visited Shinshu and had different experiences but all in all, this is a distillery worth the 4 hours one-way on public transit.

We also would like to hear from all of you about our 2023 whiskey travel plans. Charles owns a company called Rascal + Thorn which is a culinary and whiskey tour company. He has led trips to Japan, Scotland, Kentucky, Ireland, and other destinations with groups looking to hunt down the most immersive and fun whiskey experiences! We discuss some of our travel ideas and want to hear from all of you on what you would like to see and maybe you can join us on some of these travels. Write to us at info@firstfillspirits.com with your comments & ideas. 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

Distiller’s Art

• Tamdhu 14YR Sherry Butt Matured
• Craigellachie 13YR Sherry Butt Matured
• Dailuaine 21YR Hogshead Matured
• Tamnavulin 11YR Hogshead Matured 
• Macduff 14YR Hogshead Matured
• Blair Athol 11YR Bourbon Barrel Matured

Blackadder 

• Peat Reek - Sherry & Amontillado & Re-charred Cask
• 32YR Wardhead Teaspooned Blended Malt ( Google Wardhead ;) )
• Old Man of Hoy 16YR Highland Park Raw Cask
• Macduff Raw Cask 14YR
• Raw Cask Bunna 16YR Moine
• Miltonduff 10YR PX Cask
• Tomatin 10YR PX Sherry Cask Matured 
• The Legendary 10YR Single Malt 

Keeper’s Heart  - Brian Nation

• Irish + American Whiskey 
• Bourbon + American Whiskey

• Penderyn 10YR Ruby Port Single Cask English Whisky
• Filey Bay Flagship Welsh Whisky
• Kilchoman Loch Gorm & Sanaig 
• Castle & Key Bourbon Batch 4

For more information on IWAI check out this link. We mentioned it in the podcast. >> https://www.nomunication.jp/distillery/tsunuki/ 

The first truly Irish Peated Whiskey arriving this year? Charles and I take a look at Waterford Distillery and their farm-bottle, terroir-driven whiskeys along with a discussion of their highly anticipated peated release. We also discuss the exciting yet sad news of what the 2022 Van Winkle Family of Whiskeys are and what their suggested retail price is versus reality. But don't fret, there are so many new & fantastic whiskeys out there so go out and try them! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• King’s 15-Year-Old Light Whiskey Finished in a Toasted Barrel 
• Alton Distillery New York Straight Rye Whiskey 
• DS Taymans - Glen Elgin & Caol Ila 12 Year Olds finished in a Tulip Vinyard Syrah Red Wine (Israeli Red Wine)  
• Ki One Korean Whisky: Tiger & Unicorn Edition 
• Many new Blackadders are on the way! 

New World Whisky is on our minds this episode as we discuss Stauning Danish Whisky along with new celebrity partnerships for brands like The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and Monkey Shoulder. Holly sounds tired and Charles sounds very energetic so the dynamic has switched this episode, enjoy! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Edradour Burgundy Cask, 10YR Single Cask 60.3% ABV
• Lochlea Sowing Edition Single Malt Scotch 
• Bladnoch Vinaya Single Malt
• Starlight Rye, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, and Double Oaked Bourbon
• Pere Labatt Agricole Rhum 12YR 61% ABV
• Rolling Fork Four Square Rum 9YR 55.8% ABV
• Amrut Cask Strength 61.8% ABV
• Eifel German Rye, Peated Rye, Malt and Peated Malt

Holly guesses that the whisky Charles blind tastes her on is from Arran in Scotland and that's about all she got right, that it was from an Island but it was NOT Arran! We talk about all of the new Scotch Whisky that has arrived at the shop and Holly's trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. Did we mention we got a few Buffalo Trace products in too? We feel odd about it but hey, it's good whiskey. New Riff is our featured distillery this episode and we discuss the mass exodus of big-timers like Denny Potter & Jane Bowie leaving Maker's Mark. Here is the link for details about our 1YR Anniversary Celebration to benefit The Saratoga County Animal Shelter -- https://www.firstfillspirits.com/one-year-anniversary-party/

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Single Cask, Cask Strength Bottlings: Glentauchers 13YR, Glenallachie 14YR, Macduff 14YR, Caol Ila 15YR
• Gordon & MacPhail Distillery Label Series: Mortlach 15YR, Linkwood 15YR, Scapa 13YR
• Gordon & MacPhail Discovery Series Caol Ila 13YR, Glen Grant 11YR, Miltonduff 10YR
• Small Batch Bottlers Glen Garioch 13YR 54.4% ABV Single Cask
• Glenallachie French Virgin Oak 10YR
• Glenallachie Chinquapin Oak 10YR
• New England Barrel Company 6YR Single Barrel Bourbon
• Frank August Bourbon
• Kings County Distillery 7YR Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond
• And many more, check out our website because I got tired of typing! :) 

The blind tasting for this podcast is us walking through samples of a potential new store pick single barrel. We don't tell you the distillery, only the style so maybe you can guess it. Did we end up selecting one? What's our process? You'll find out soon enough! We also discuss Glenturret Distillery and all of their fantastic & new, heavily sherried single malt releases. Go highland malts! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye 63.7% ABV
• Teeling Pot Still Irish Whiskey
• Horse Soldier Bourbon - 62.3% ABV
• New Scotland Helderberg – Bourbon, Rye, Wheat Whiskey & Single Malt
• New Riff Balboa Rye

I went rogue for this podcast and recorded solo! Although I missed Charles, I wanted to share my fantastic visit to Hillrock Distillery earlier this week. The summer has been madness and trying to catch any extra time to record with us both in the same room has been tricky! I also have been asked quite a bit about "how I got into whisky" so I decided to share my whisky journey in the episode as well. Enjoy.

A quick list of new & cool bottles to the shop:

Penelope Architect 

Lucky Seven Frenchman 

Lucky Seven 14YR Single Barrel

Nulu Wheated Bourbon

King's 14YR Light Whiskey 

Filey Bay Yorkshire Single Malt, Fino Single Cask

Stauning Rye El Clasico Vermouth Finish 

Holmes Cay Barbados (Foursquare) Rum - Port Finish

Holmes Cay Uitvlugt 18YR Rum 

and so many more. See you at the shop soon! 

Holly blind tastes Charles as they discuss Laphroaig, upcoming & insane rum seminars and Bardstown Bourbon Co. is growing! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Mic Drop L22-01 Bourbon 
• Laphroaig Cairdeas 2022 Maker's Mark Cask Warehouse 1
• Nashville Barrel Co - Bourbon New York 2 / Rye New York / Single Barrel Rye New York
• New England Barrel Co. - 7YR Single Barrel / 4YR Small Batch
• Proof & Wood Crossborder Jackpot American Whiskey
• Proof & Wood Good Day 21YR Canadian Whiskey
• Lucky Seven 14YR Single Barrel #35 
• Glenturret Triple Wood & 10YR Peat Smoke
• Asaka Single Malt Bourbon Cask 
• Shizuoka Contact S 

Charles and I discuss why Old Pepper Distillery should not be overlooked when visiting Lexington. We are also extremely excited about the new distillery on Islay named Port-nah-truan. The owners Elixir Distillers, once owners of The Whisky Exchange, are going to have malting floors, direct-fired wash stills and will not only produce single malt but also rum! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Douglas Laing 10YR Fettercairn 48.4% ABV
• Four Roses Single Barrel OBSQ 10YR 5 Months 61.5% ABV
• Castle & Key Bourbon Batch 1 & 2 49.5% ABV
• Murray McDavid 6YR Peatside Single Malt 46% ABV Port & PX Finish
• Firkin Royal Brackla 10YR Madeira Cask Single Cask 48.9% ABV
• Firkin Ardmore Marsala Cask Single Cask 48.9% ABV

Okay, we were venting a bit on this episode but I promise, we really do enjoy following along with all of the spirits competitions. I guess there are just a few things we would change! We also discuss one of our favorite island distilleries in Scotland, Tobermory, the producers of the unpeated Tobermory malt and the peated Ledaig. Charles blind tastes Holly and let's just say a certain style of cask maturation tripped her up!  

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers!

New Bottles to the shop:

• Old Pepper Single Barrel - First Fill Spirits Store Pick
• Cardinal Single Barrel Bourbon - First Fill Spirits Store Pick
• Westland Garryana 6th Edition 
• Pinhook 6 yr Rye "Tiz Rye Time"
• Dram Hunters 14YR Ledaig, Rum Finish 57.2% ABV Single Cask
• Dram Hunters 34YR Invergordon 50% ABV Single Cask
• Kilkerran 12 and 16 Year Old 
• Nikka Miyagikyo NAS
• Rhumb Runner Foursquare Barbados 15YR Rum 62.4% ABV Single Cask 
• Rhumb Runner Venezuelan Corporation Alcooles del Caribe (CADC) 16YR Rum French Oak Cask Finish 59% ABV
• 
  

Holly picked a doozy bottle this week to blind taste Charles on, let's see if he can guess it :) We discuss our fantastic Saratoga Whiskey Club Shibui tasting and look at ways to re-think Japanese Whisky. Then we discuss Dingle Distillery in Ireland and the good news for American Distillers - the UK is dropping tariffs on Bourbon on June 1st, 2022! 

Please leave us a review wherever you are listening as well. We appreciate you! Cheers! 

New Bottles to the shop:

• Colkegan American Single Malt - Sante Fe Spirits Mesquite Smoked
• Mad River Revolution Roasted Rye - Vermont
• High N' Wicked The Wild Rover Triple Distilled Malt Whiskey finished in PX Casks 58.7% ABV

Charles and Holly discuss the dozens of new bottles that have arrived at the shop over the past few weeks. Everything from Scotch to Bourbon & Rye and of course, New World! Oh and Irish too. Then we discuss Boone County and their "Made by Ghosts" story and the recent Heaven Hill acquisition of Samson & Surrey. Charles also blind tastes Holly and she gets close but not quite right. 

New Bottles to the shop:

• Ingelred 13YR Ben Nevis X2
• Ingelred 17YR Ben Nevis
• Ingelred 10YR Caol Ila
• Lady of the Glen Mannochmore 13YR
• Lady of the Glen Dufftown 12YR
• Blackadder Raw Cask Bunnahabhain Staoisha 7YR
• Blackadder Raw Cask Ledaig 16YR
• Blackadder Raw Cask Aultmore 11YR
• Blackadder Red Snake Peated 20PPM
• Benriach Smoky 12
• Cotswolds Peated
• Boone County 6YR Single Barrel - RYE & BOURBON
• Boone County Pot Still Bourbon
• Lucky Seven 6YR Single Cask the Proprietor
• King’s Family Distillery Wheated Single Barrel 5YR
• Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Day Collab
• ALL THE SINGLE CASK RUM YOU COULD EVER WANT FROM BLACKADDER!
• Amrut Spectrum 004
• Amrut Single Malts of India Neidhal
• Cadenhead’s Dailuaine & Tomintoul Cask Strength 

Charles and Holly discuss a few of the impressive tastings they have attended over the past two weeks along with new releases to the shop, Caol Ila, and why people should stop hating on them. Then we end the episode with the announcement of two new distilleries to be built in/near Campbeltown! Oh, and Holly blind tastes Charles on a fantastic whiskey, does he guess it?! 

New Bottles to the shop:

Smoke Wagon Uncut

Method & Madness

- Pot Still Chestnut Cask

- Single Grain Spanish Oak

- Single Malt French Oak

Heaven Hill BIB

DS Tayman Single Malt Scotch Bordeaux Finishes including; Caol Ila, Linkwood & Blair Athol 

Charles blind tastes Holly while we talk about Penelope Bourbon from down in New Jersey and what our favorite Bourbon & Chocolate pairings are for this upcoming loooove holiday

New Bottles to the shop:

While tasting our latest store pick single barrel, Nulu Toasted Rye, we discuss Burn's Night, new bottles to the shop, and the most northerly distillery in Mainland Scotland, Wolfburn. 

New Bottles to the shop:

• Leopold Dickel Collaboration Rye Whiskey
• Ohishi 8YR Sherry Cask
• Fukano 2021 Limited Edition Rice Whiskey 

Blackadders:

• Chimera Blended Malt 59% abv
• Sherry Snake Single Cask Single Malt 1st & 3rd Edition at 61.9% abv / 58.2% abv
• Smoking Islay 10YR 59.3% abv
• 10YR Barbados Foursquare Rum 61.2% 

Fukano 2021 Limited Edition Rice Whiskey

Barrell 16YR Seagrass

January can be a bit odd for whiskey and the beginning of 2022 is proving to be quiet and bizarre already. We do have a fantastic new single barrel of Bourbon hitting the shelves from Town Branch so that is some great news! They will be our featured distillery today, along with Holly guessing the totally wrong country on her blind tasting, Breckenridge is now owned by a cannabis company and Jameson Orange was just released? Let's get whiskey weird! 

New Bottles to the shop:

IWAI Chestnut Cask

Wemyss Glenrothes 19YR Single Cask, Hogshead

The Single Malts of Scotland Teaninich 12YR Single Cask, 57.7% ABV

LAWS San Luis Cask Strength Rye, 65.7% ABV

and more!

An episode for you to listen to while sneaking away from your family for a quick breather this holiday weekend! Our featured distillery is Fuji Gotemba in Japan right at the foot of Mt. Fuji and that's because we got another one of their first-ever US releases this month! Also, what do you think of Whiskey Awards? We talk about Whiskey Advocate's latest Top 20 Whiskeys of 2021. 

New Bottles to the shop:

• Single Cask Nation Inchfad (Loch Lomond) Finished in Bordeaux casks 53.5% ABV
• Single Cask Nation Linkwood Ruby Port Finish 54.4% ABV
• Single Cask Nation Water of Life Undisclosed Island Distillery 48.8% ABV
• Blackadder Single Cask Rums including: 10YR Guayana Diamond Rum @ 56% ABV // 9YR Fiji Rum @ 64.1% ABV
• IWAI Japanese Whisky - 1.8L! What?!
• Komagatake Chichibu Malt Duo Partnership
• Pinhook Artist’s Series - Castle & Key
• Fuji Blend

and more!

Don't forget about our single barrels. The full story of how we chose them can be found here: www.firstfillspirits.com/learn-explore/

Starward Australian Single Malt 55.7% ABV

Stellum Bourbon 60.91% ABV

Tumblin' Dice Bourbon 59.01% ABV

Happy December! Charles and I have been working hard on our website and we want to tell you all about it! We are live at www.firstfillspirits.com. We also want to share details on our three latest single barrels and the barrels due to the shop soon. Starward is our feature distillery. 

New Bottles to the shop:

Murray McDavid -- so many to mention, we have over 12 new expressions in the shop (thanks 700mL law change) but here are a few highlights.

- Murray McDavid Craigellachie 12YR, matured in sherry hogsheads & finished in Murca Tawny Port 50% ABV

- Murray McDavid Caol Ila 6YR, matured in bourbon hogsheads & finished in first-fill Cognac 50% ABV 

- Murray McDavid Tobermory 20YR, matured in a Bourbon barrel and finished in a Madeira Barrique 50.4% ABV

Douglas Laing Rock Oyster Cask Strength 56.1% ABV

Kings County BIB Bourbon 6YR 50% ABV

Resilient 16YR Tennessee Whiskey Single Cask 52.47% ABV

IWAI Tradition Napa Red Wine Cask

and more!

Don't forget about our single barrels. The full story of how we chose them can be found here: www.firstfillspirits.com/learn-explore/

Starward Australian Single Malt 55.7% ABV 

Stellum Bourbon 60.91% ABV

Tumblin' Dice Bourbon 59.01% ABV

We're back! Charles was in Kentucky, no excuse for the delay in releasing episode 2 but at least it was for a whiskey reason. Since we have Kentucky on the brain we discuss Peerless distillery along with the new release from Molson Coors: Five Trail Whiskey. 

New Bottles to the shop:

Mars Tsunuki Peated | 50% ABV

Compass Box Canvas | 46% ABV

Sagamore 8YR Rye | 57.45% ABV

Ardnamurchan Single Malt Scotch | 46.8% ABV

Teerenpeli Port Cask| Finnish Whisky | 43% ABV

Our first episode! Charles and I walk through a few new products to arrive in the shop and then a blind tasting! Charles brought in a sample of something special and by nosing & tasting, I had to try and guess the age, distillery, cask type etc. My grade was a B- according to Charles, I'll take it! We do reveal live, on the show, what the whisky was but we will also list it in the next podcast release notes. Then we go on to discuss Clynelish, one of our favorite distilleries in Northern Scotland and what makes it so special. Ending on the big, big news in the whisky industry; the purchase of The Whisky Exchange, an online retailer, by Pernod Ricard - holy crap! 

New Bottles to the shop:

Smooth Ambler Old Scout Straight Rye Single Barrel | 4YRS | 58.4% ABV

New Riff Balboa Straight Rye | BIB | Balboa Heirloom Rye Grain | 50% ABV

Wemyss Malts Single Cask Clynelish "Coastal Orchard" | 19YRS | 269 Bottles | Hogshead | 46% ABV

Holly & Charles are two whiskey friends who have waited months and months to open up their dream, boutique whiskey shop called First Fill Spirits. Coming to you live from our shop in downtown Saratoga Springs in Upstate New York, you are about to listen to our "Welcome Episode". We will be hosting a weekly podcast to talk about what is new to the shop, whiskey news, blind tastings, distillery features and more.