New Arrivals

New Riff Single Barrel Rye
Everything you love about New Riff’s Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, but bottled at barrel proof!
Regularly: $68.99
Sale: $51.99

nce upon a time there was a legend about a bottle of rum that not even the makers knew existed…

For those who have been wondering, where is Pablo…? No, I’m not taking Waldo’s place, though I wouldn’t mind his fame and height —he seems taller than me. I’ve been struggling with a back injury but the light is at the end of the tunnel, so bear with me.

This story hits close to home for a few reasons: first of all, I’ll introduce you to a gem of a spirit from my beloved Puerto Rico, as part of my family is boricua. Secondly, there is a legend behind this bottle I’ve been curious about for years. And I’ve chosen this particular moment of the year to present it — I’ve been a good boy, and it’s on my wishlist!

Ron del Barrilito (a.k.a. “rum from the little barrel”), from Hacienda Santa Ana, was historically an independently-owned brand from 1880 until 2017, when it was acquired by Bacardí.

Ron del Barrilito Two Stars * * is the typical rum you buy in Puerto Rican pharmacies. It’s around twenty bucks and it sells like water. It’s a decent rum you’d drink with ice, cola and lemon while watching a little lizard on a wall.

A step above is their Ron del Barrilito Three Stars * * *, a great sipping rum aged between 6 and 10 years in American White Oak ex-Sherry Barrels. I brought one to one of our Saturday tastings and the consensus among rum drinkers was “I’d buy that, eyes closed!”

Their Ron del Barrilito Four Stars  * * * * expression was introduced after Bacardí’s acquisition and the development of a Visitor Center in 2017, and it is available only for those lucky ones visiting the distillery. At least until recently visitors were able to bottle by hand and seal their own bottles with this incredible elixir aged up to 20 years old.

And now things get mysterious: I heard stories for years about a legendary Five Star expression that could only be seen at the distillery (back when there was no visitor center), and was not available for purchase but just for sipping (if by chance you were invited to sip).

The funny thing is, Edward Hamilton, founder of Ministry of Rum blog, responded to rumors by assuring back in 2007 that Edmundo Fernández, from Hacienda Santa Ana, told him personally that they had never made a Five Star expression. Well, egg or chicken, rum or rumor, the bottle that became a myth then became a reality.

Long story short, Ron del Barrilito Five Stars * * * * * Reserva Suprema First Edition, aged up to 35 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks, hit our store last month! Maybe Bacardí decided that it was time to make wishes come true using old stock, or was the Fernández family’s idea after Hamilton’s inquiry. The fact is, being called “First Edition” also make me believe this may well become an instant collectible.

Tasting Notes:
Full body with strong wood backbone. Aromas of plums, bananas, almonds, vanilla, and caramelized sugar cane. Exceptionally smooth on the palate with a natural sweetness and smoky wood finish.

Now there is another magic story in town—this one comes through Edward Hamilton from the Fernández family, and recently a reliable source in Puerto Rico confirmed it: apparently there is a barrel older than the owners can tell, waiting to be bottled when Puerto Rico becomes independent from the US.

Not sure if I’ll be able to ever enjoy a Ron del Barrilito Independentista 6 Stars * * * * * * in my lifetime. But I’m definitely more than okay with a Five Stars! A truly unique spirit with a beautiful backstory.

Happy Holidays! Thank you for your support and for filling your wishlists with some of our fantastic wines and spirits. It has been a privilege joining Bikram & the NWS team, and running tastings with old and new friends.

Pablo Goldbarg
Marketing & Events Manager
Norfolk Wine & Spirits

Found North is a new independent bottler and blender of Canadian whisky, founded by our friends Nick and Zach Taylor. Launching this week, Batch 001 is a cask strength 16 year old Canadian rye whisky and Batch 002 is a cask strength 16 year old Canadian whisky containing an unusually high percentage of corn.

As a thank you to the people and place where they got their start, the Taylor brothers are launching Found North in Massachusetts first, before it rolls out nationally late April. Be one of the first to try these amazing new whiskies. Find North.

Found North Batch 001
Rye spice is a double-edged sword. The deeper you cut into the flavor opportunities, the spicier the palate. You can easily smooth the spice out with new oak or water it down through proofing. Batch 001 exemplifies the third option – forget about making it “smooth” and instead make the whisky as robust and dynamic as possible.

Found North started with herbaceous, 16 year old rye aged in Hungarian oak. They then blended in fruit-forward, 17 year old rye aged in ex-Speyside scotch casks. The combination revealed a smoldering symphony of spice. Last, they lengthened the finish and increased the viscosity by adding double-distilled corn whisky aged for 20 years in refill and level-2-char virgin oak. The final composition of 66% rye, 30% corn, and 4% malted barley is bottled non chill-filtered and additive free at 57.1% ABV.

Tasting Notes:
Batch 001 is initially defined by the spiciness. The first impression is hot cinnamon and cayenne. The second pass reveals all of the fruit-forward undertones. The third act exhibits all of the wood character – vanilla, caramel and tannin. The finish is lengthy, very warming and surprisingly berry-forward and sweet.

Price: $109.99

Found North Batch 002
Batch 002 is an anomaly that caused Found North quite a dilemma. In search of texturous whisky to complement the rye in Batch 001, they discovered stunning double distilled corn whisky, affectionately known at Found North as “Sample 18.” They blended Sample 18 with a parcel of buttery, minty 17 year old rye aged in ex-wheated bourbon barrels and then added a touch of lively, earthy 16 year old rye.

The problem was – the more they tweaked the ratio in favor of Sample 18 the more the blend improved. At 80:20 corn to rye the blend presented a mesmerizing orange creamsicle note, but no longer qualified as “rye.” Found North had to choose between bottling the best whisky or the most marketable whisky. They bottled this black sheep as is. They love her, and at 64.9% ABV she loves us right back. The final composition of 80% corn, 19% rye, and 1% malted barley is bottled non chill-filtered and additive free at 64.9% ABV.

Tasting Notes:
Batch 002 immediately shows a combination of new wood and bright fruit with butterscotch, burnt sugar and sweet clementine. The pairing of fresh vanilla and minty spice manifests as peppermint ice cream. The longer you sit with it the more the fruit notes take over, showing red apple, rock candy and an enticing orange creamsicle character.

Price: $114.99

Special Offer: Buy Found North Batch 001 and Batch 002 at the same time for only $209.98 – a savings of $15.00! Use coupon code FOUNDNORTH with both items in your shopping cart to receive the discount. Offer valid through Sunday, April 4, 2021.

Single Malt Scotch Whisky is inextricably linked to its place of origin, perhaps more so than any other product. The water, the land, the climate, all play a role in the character of the whisky. All these factors are also vitally important in planning a new distillery. Simply put, you cannot just build a distillery anywhere.

Some time ago, the team behind Torabhaig identified an old farmstead on the Isle of Skye as the perfect location for a small, traditional distillery. All the factors needed to make good, robust island whisky were in place, right down to the Allt Breacach and the Allt Gleann, the burns that feed them with the purest island spring water. They were also fortunate to start with a handsome, rugged building, rich in history and local lore. 200 years or so ago, the stone that forms this building was hauled up from the ruined castle in the bay, by horse and cart. Men toiled from dawn till dusk building this Steading which was to stand the test of time for the next 150 years or so until farming practices changed.

This 19th century building has been fully restored to hold the gorgeous copper stills and traditional wooden washbacks that will allow Torabhaig to produce whisky there for the next two hundred years, and they've even built in a removable roof so that in time the pot stills can be replaced without disturbing the old building again.

After a painstaking 4-year restoration and build, Torabhaig has been a fully operational Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery since January 2017, the second ever on the Isle of Skye. And now, their inaugural release is here!

Torabhaig 2017 The Legacy Series Isle of Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The inaugural release. Heavily peated Single Malt Whisky made with Concerto malted barley with an in-grain phenols content of 55-60 PPM. Fermented with Pinnacle MG+ yeast and aged solely in First-Fill Bourbon Barrels. Bottled at 46% ABV with no chill-filtration or coloring, and a residual phenols level of 16 PPM. This is a robustly peated spirit with a deceptively refined character resulting in a complex and characterful maritime whisky.

Introductory Price: $59.99
LIMIT STRICTLY ONE BOTTLE PER CUSTOMER!

Roses are red, violets are blue, we've brought in new craft beers, just for you! Allagash Brewing Company's Heart of Hearts Sour Ale (Portland, ME), Night Shift Brewing's Beer Mine Pastry Stout (Everett, MA), and Springdale Beer Company's Be The Beacon (Framingham, MA) are available now at Norfolk Wine & Spirits, just in time for Valentine's Day!

Allagash Hearts of Hearts
Brimming with bountiful tartness and raspberry richness, this ode to love is laden with flavor. Heart of Hearts is a ruby-colored, foudre-aged sour beer rested for four months on fresh-plucked raspberries. Here’s to delightful days and euphoric evenings for you and yours.
Price: $14.99 (Single, 375 mL, Bottled)

Night Shift Brewing Beer Mine Pastry Stout
Beer Mine is overflowing with notes of ganache, sweet raspberries, and creme savers. This 8.4% ABV chocolate pastry stout with raspberries is the perfect treat to share with that special someone.
Price: $17.99 (4 Pack, 16 Oz, Canned)

Springdale Beer Company Be The Beacon
New year, new tunes! Springdale’s 2021 Spotify playlist has inspired their Hazy IPA lineup for the year! Up first: Be The Beacon, a 6.5% hazy IPA with Mosaic & Citra hops. Last year they ran a contest on social media for one of their consumers to submit a song for the playlist, and the winning song was Be More Kind by Frank Turner! Be The Beacon takes inspiration from that song and has a simple message: “Be More Kind.”
Price: $14.99 (4 Pack, 16 Oz, Canned)

Springdale Beer Company BRIG Mocha Stout: Brewed with Coffee and Taza Chocolate
Springdale has collaborated with Somerville’s Taza Chocolate for another special edition of BRIG Mocha Stout. Taza Chocolate is renowned for its stone ground chocolates, sourcing cocoa beans by direct trade from sustainable and organic farmers around the world.
Price: $10.99 (4 Pack, 16 Oz, Canned)

Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
Uncle Nearest 1884 is the proud legacy of the Godfather of Tennessee Whiskey, Nearest Green. Each small batch comes from barrels chosen by the Uncle Nearest founders and each blend is curated by 5th generation Green descendant, Master Blender, Victoria Eady Butler.
Sale: $39.99 (Regularly $51.99)

Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey
A blend of premium aged whiskies between 8-14 years old. On the nose, baled hay and pumpkin seeds with subtle notes of ripe stone fruit and caramel corn. Bold and spicy upfront then mellows with sweet caramel and maple, like biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. The finish is long and rich. It lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate with notes of vanilla after the spice dissipates.
Sale: $49.99 (Regularly $61.99)