Exuding class and a little mystery, our pal Johnnie Black deserves a spot in your drinks cabinet. Deep and complex with a flavour that tantalises the tongue, Johnnie Black has been perfectly refined with as many as 40 whiskies brought together to create a mature, intricate and enjoyable scotch. A long fruity finish is exceptional amongst others in its class, with currant and citrus notes lingering longest of all.

An iconic name in cognac, Martell has been producing quality bottles since 1715. Using sweet grapes from the Borderies region of Cognac, it has a naturally nutty flavour which stands out against others in its class. Regularly served with sweet ginger, tonic or simply on its own in a classic brandy balloon flavours of wood and spice stand out with lighter notes of citrus, pear and decadent saffron following after.

Try something different from your regular Tanqueray and tonic. Exotic and packed full of flavour Tanqueray Rangpur brings in the flavours of ginger, bay leaves and intensely fruity rangpur limes. Sweetness leads this extraordinary gin, with lime juice and zest marrying wonderfully with traditional juniper. Lime continues to take centre stage but ginger heat and a touch of pepper help to give a welcome bitter edge to think drink. Perfect for a refreshing gimlet.

A blended malt whisky from the folks at the famous William Grant distillery, Monkey Shoulder brings together a range of smooth single malts in beautiful harmony. The nose is an elegant marmalade-laced malty affair, with just a little clove and cinnamon spice. The flavour too is malt-driven yet creamy in the mouth with recognisable berries, toasted barley and butterscotch notes. The creamy warmth of this blend doesn’t let go until the very end and is a wonderfully enjoyable offering.

The drink which kept Napoleon Bonaparte sated during his exile, so legend tells us, the classic taste of Courvoisier VS remains popular today. One of the most enjoyed cognacs in the world it has a smooth, highly potable flavour and as it’s lighter than others in its class, it has great versatility. Whether it’s your after dinner drink or you use it for your light summer punches, Courvoisier VS remains mellow and offers flavours of toffee, orange and even coffee.

A St. Lucian rum with real character, Chairman’s Reserve is a classic golden rum that blends together both pot still and continuous still rums. Fruity on the nose with just the right balance of sweetness it hits the palate with a zing and slowly fills the mouth with fruitiness, creamy depth and sweet spice which blends wonderfully with mixers. The overall feel of this rum is creamy, medium-bodied and wonderful for mixing into cocktails and enjoying with your favourite sparkling mixer.

One of the younger Flor de Caña offerings, this 7 year old rum is perfectly primed for mixing into all your favourite rum cocktails. Whether there’s a dark’n’stormy on the cards or you simply want the perfect complement to a fizzy Coke, Flor de Caña 7 Years will do the job. Prominent hazelnut and almond lead the flavour of this rum, with vanilla rounding it all off smoothly. Coffee and bitter chocolate notes are hinted at but remain in the background alongside light spiciness. 

Dried pink grapefruit and earl grey tea followed by a strong liquorice undercurrent that leads into a sort of crushed Parma Violet sweets affair. Kick is woody and spicy and leads into juniper, bergamot and faint ginseng notes. All in all bloody good.

The vodka originally used in Douglas Ankrah's infamous Pornstar Martini and a one of the best vanilla vodkas available on the market. Cream soda and lush vanilla pudding notes spin around on your tongue wrapped in soft ripe lemon. The body is medium to full and the kick is clean and soft with a creme anglais note. This stuff really is outstanding and does real well when kept in the fridge. Drinks wise, flavour combinations are endless. to start off try it with chilled freshly pressed apple juice with a few squashed up blackberries. YUUUUMM!

Sweet Agwa, a liqueur which marries together an array of tempting herbal flavours, offering a distinct and enjoyable flavour. Agwa’s key ingredients are Bolivian coca leaves, Brazilian guarana and Chinese ginseng which work together to offer a herbal, minty scent followed by a thick, syrupy mouthfeel awash with spicy notes, sweet menthol and the depth of the herbaceous ingredients. It ends on a long herbal note which encapsulates the overall flavour of this traditional liqueur.

An original family recipe lives on in Hayman’s Old Tom. Clean and fresh in its flavours with a history dating back to the 1860s, Old Tom uses the same ten botanicals it always has. It stands out from others in the Hayman’s collection due to the intensity of the botanicals within and the addition of sugar for sweetness. Juniper and orange zest work together to introduce the drink and by the end you’ll be enjoying cracked black pepper in a clean, long finish.

MEGA YUM! Sipsmith boys came up trumps with this one. Super silky mouthfeel with notes of lemon barley water and crushed up breakfast cereal from your schooldays. This is followed by a creamy vanilla moment before more lemon and eventually a brief hard boiled barley sugar with orange rind. Finish is  silky and leaves you with a lovely lemon barley note and a desire for more of the same.

A Spanish gin that is one of only two gins in the world with its own EU Designation of Origin, Xorigeur is based on an 18th century recipe and was popular with the sailors at that time. The green handled bottle makes it stand out from the crowd but it’s the perfumed flavour and orange-rich character which really make this gin sing. A grape alcohol base gives it a juicy flavour which is peppered with bright herbaceous and spicy notes. Fresh, almost menthol juniper ends each sip, lingering as a quenching aftertaste.

La Maison Fontaine Chocolat Absinthe Liqueur is inspired and by an old handwritten recipe and the flavour is a really distinctive and exciting taste. Its nose is rich in chocolate notes with liquorice and aniseed coming through and the taste is sweet with definite dryness and aniseed absinthe notes coming through strongly alongside lighter, milky chocolate notes. It’s the absinthe that really stands out but the chocolate adds a really interesting twist.