CONTACT THE WHISKEY HOTLINE: [email protected] or (888) 817-5898 The Whiskey Hotline team is on a never ending mission. We scour the world for the most interesting, unique and best barrels of spirits we can find. This can take us to Scotland, Taiwan, Washington, Tennessee, Kentucky... Wherever there’s good spirits to be found, we’ll find the best of it and bring it to you at the best price we can.

On a late winter roadtrip the Whiskey Hotline stopped at the most prolific distiller of American Whiskies. We weren’t in Kentucky, we’re talking about the Indiana workhorse situated in Lawrenceburg. You won’t find it on any distillery trail, or even widely advertised. However, you’ve already had products produced by them and bottled as some of your favorite daily drinkers. This year they really let us dig deep into the vast inventory of bourbons and ryes they have gracefully aging in their massive brick warehouses, and we came home with 12 barrels, 6 each of bourbon and rye. Take a peek behind the curtain of our barrel selection process with a virtual tasting with David Whitmer, Master Blender at MGP. He’ll break down the distilling process for both styles of whiskey and our barrels picks over the course of 2 tastings. So grab some bottles that strike your fancy, and join us for a virtual tasting with the man who makes the magic at MGP.

Chicagoans are particular and passionate about their traditions, one of which is enjoying a shot and a beer at the corner tavern. Haymarket crafted a beer in honor of this beloved institution. It’s nothing too fancy, just an honest lager that’s easy to knock back. 2020 has been a strange year, but as we continue to adapt and persevere, there’s still one handshake we can embrace– the Chicago Handshake, a shot of Jeppson’s Malort and an ice-cold beer.

Haymarket Chicago Tavern Beer 6 Pack of 12oz Cans $9.99 Shimmering gold in color, with a beautiful crown of white foam, Chicago Tavern Beer drinks like a classic German Dortmunder. Unfamiliar? Offering more body than a Pilsner, but not quite as sweet as a Helles, it’s a lesser known lager that deserves your attention. Medium in body, this is well balanced and refreshing, leaving the palate thirsty for another.

Jeppson's Malört 6 Pack of 50ml Bottles $9.99 If you’ve never tasted Jeppson’s Malort, you haven’t truly lived. This bracingly bitter beverage is beloved by a loyal cult of devotees, who delight in the masses’ inability to stomach it. Malort is once again proudly made right here in Chicago, and we sat down with CH Distillery founder Tremaine Atkinson to talk about the mystique of Malort. Check it out here and enjoy a Chicago Handshake while you listen.

Our newest handpicked single casks from Teeling have arrived and we have a rare opportunity to let the whiskey lovers get a peek behind the curtain of our barrel selection process.

Teeling 14 year old Single Acacia Cask #21964 Binny's Handpicked Irish Single Malt $99.99 Acacia wood has been a staple in the wine industry for many years where it imparts body and texture with minimal tannin. Soft floral tones, spiced orchard fruits, toasted oak and honey mingle throughout the layered nose. Soft and mouth-coating on the palate. There’s a surge of toffee and vanilla that adds depth to the ripe pears, cinnamon apples and sweet wood notes. The sweet and spicy balance continues into the finish that just goes on and on. A rich and elegant single malt. Teeling 18 year old Single Madeira Cask #39728 Binny's Handpicked Irish Single Malt $119.99 We love Madeira wine and Madeira cask whiskies so this was an obvious choice. The roasted and tropical fruits abound on the nose, grilled pineapple, orange oil, vanilla candies and toasted malt. Soft and expansive mouthfeel, highlighting the rich and ripe fruits. Caramel, vanilla, and bright citrus slowly creep across the palate. The finish turns a bit spicier but maintains the citrus character for an incredibly long and rewarding drinking experience.

Peerless distillery isn’t the biggest in Kentucky, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. We’re honored to present our first barrel selections from this wonderful new grain to glass distillery. Founder Corky Taylor’s ancestors have been making bourbon since the 1860’s, and he and his son Carson have built upon that legacy with their distillery in Louisville, even keeping the original DSP number, KY-50. Their whiskies are strictly sweet mash, non-chillfiltered and bottled at barrel strength. We have two barrels of amazing bourbon, and one barrel of maybe the most fun rye whiskey that you might ever have the opportunity to taste.

Peerless Bourbon Single Barrel #1 Binny's Handpicked $69.99 Soft and gently sweet toasted oak, baked apples, and vanilla on the nose. Robust and rich on the palate, the sweet fruits do the heavy lifting at first but oak and cinnamon slowly build before a crescendo of caramel takes over. The finish is layered and lingering with a mild spicy heat.

Peerless Bourbon Single Barrel #2 Binny's Handpicked $69.99 Our second barrel shows a darker character on the nose. Brown sugar, a whiff of smoke, toasted coconut, and rickhouse wood. Soft but full bodied, the palate shows more caramel, sweet corn, and oak spices. The spice is in charge of the finish before sweet corn creeps in to make a drawn out and balanced bourbon.

Peerless Straight Rye Finished in ex Copper & Kings Absinthe Barrel $99.99 This barrel certainly has no peers. Absinthe is not a subtle spirit, and immediately that aroma leaps from the glass. Unmistakable herbal anise but also sweet and doughy rye as well as ripe orange and cherries. Fat and chewy mouthfeel with sweet vanilla and oak giving balance to all the spice. The finish is just incredible, endless waves of sweet licorice candy, citrus, baking spices and stone fruits. A Sazerac cocktail made easy.

Cocktails in cans, as predictable as a killer shark movie during summer. We were presented with HUNDREDS this year and tasted through them all, narrowing our selection down to only the best. Since last summer some new arrivals have stolen the show but there are still a few classics that we just can’t stop reaching for. These 10 are the cream of the crop.

Miami Cocktails Bellini Mango Peach Spritz 4 Pack of 8.4oz Cans Regular Price $12.99 Special Price $9.99 with Binny's Card The nose is quite lively with peach flavors leaping from the glass. Great mouthfeel and carbonation on the palate as fresh peach steals the show. The finish is light and refreshing with buckets of fresh peach lingering. Miami Cocktails Paloma Spritz 4 Pack of 8.4oz Cans Regular Price $12.99 Special Price $9.99 with Binny's Card Sweet and floral grapefruit nose with a soft kiss of soothing hibiscus. On the palate, grapefruit takes over with the floral notes in the background. The finish is dominated by zesty grapefruit flavor. Overall, a very well-balanced cocktail made for summer.

High Noon Vodka & Soda Grapefruit 4 Pack of 355ml Cans $12.99 The nose is all fresh and tart grapefruit. Fresh and juicy on the palate with a hint of pith and lively carbonation. The finish is quick and refreshing with a little taste of grapefruit lingering. A wonderful refresher. Bacardi Rum Punch 4 Pack of 355ml Cans Regular Price $10.99 Special Price $9.99 with Binny's Card A welcoming nose with mango and pineapple up front and fresh sweet orange in the back. On the palate, fruit leads with dark, rich rum undertones to balance the acid. The finish is fruit heavy with sweet rum fading slowly. A perfectly balanced rum punch. We did not think a canned rum punch could taste this good!

The Copper Can Moscow Mule 4 Pack of 355ml Cans $12.99 Our mule winner last year is still king. The nose is dominated by fresh lime with a subtle ginger kick. The palate reveals a nice punch of lime with a snappy suggestion of ginger in the background. The finish is lovely with sweetened lime lingering alongside pickled ginger. Dangerously drinkable. Jack Daniel's Honey & Lemonade 4 Pack of 12oz Cans $11.99 Hard to imagine a more welcoming nose, honey and vanilla up front on top of fresh lemonade. The palate reveals more honey but sweet and tart lemonade takes charge. Finishes with lemon and honey drifting away slowly together. An easy drinking delight.

Jack Daniel's Jack & Cola 4 Pack of 12oz Cans $11.99 Classic. No nonsense here, just Jack and uh…cola. Pretty balanced with both cola and whiskey shining together. The palate is more of the same fading into a lovely finish that simply asks for another sip. A Whiskey Hotline favorite. Cutwater Spirits Vodka Mule 4 Pack of 12oz Cans Regular Price $13.99 Special Price $12.99 with Binny's Card Clear color in the glass. On the nose, fresh and spicy ginger paired with fresh juicy lime. On the palate, sweet ginger with a touch of heat alongside fresh lime and bitters in the background. Cool and refreshing finish with ginger and bitters fading away in unison. Just the right amount of kick from this mule.

New Holland Spirits Blueberry Gin Lemonade 4 Pack of 12oz Cans $11.99 Another favorite from last summer still on the list. The nose shows juniper and rich blueberry as lemonade percolates underneath. On the palate, tart blueberry and lemon with a soft and resinous juniper in the background. The finish is tart and pleasant with berry and lemon lingering. Rich and flavorful but still quenching and refreshing. Two Brothers Artisan Spirits Strawberry Vodka Lemonade 4 Pack of 12oz Cans $12.99 Crystal clear in the glass. On the nose, fresh strawberry dominates with lemon zest. On the palate, strawberry and lemonade sing in harmony. The finish is lead by lemon before giving way to ripe strawberry flavors. Wonderfully balanced and refreshing without being cloying or artificial.

It has been 7 long years for Illinois’ first farm distillery to get to this point, but when you grow your own grains to make your whiskey patience seems to just be part of the plan. Whiskey Acres’ first ever Bottled in Bond release was distilled from the 2014 harvest that gently slept in 53 gallon barrels from Kelvin Cooperage. Kelvin barrels are made by hand and charred over charcoal fires instead of the more modern propane jets. Thanks to that slow, #3 char these barrels also give soft, toasted oak notes. Like all Whiskey Acres bourbon this was made from 75% yellow dent corn, 15% red winter wheat and 10% malted barley. As a bottled in bond whiskey this is 100 proof and 4+ years old, with the added benefit of non-chillfiltration. It’s quite a mouthful of whiskey and a historic step forward for our local farm distillery. This first release was blended from just 7 precious barrels and certainly won’t last long.

AVAILABLE IN-STORE! - Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon Bottled in Bond $49.99 Vanilla drizzled caramel corn greets the nose with a background of cinnamon and nutty oak. A thick and coating palate highlights the sweet caramel corn and moves towards ripe apples and lightly toasted coconut. The finish is long and soft with sweet red berries fading into peppery spice. A new standard for craft bourbon.

Some 7,000 miles separate an Ohio distillery from the battlefields of Afghanistan. But some warriors-turned-whiskey producers are on a mission to bridge these two worlds with the release of Horse Soldier, our Whiskies of the Week. The American Freedom Distillery was founded by former Green Berets who were part of the famed “Horse Soldiers,” the earliest troops on the ground in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11. In our judgement, the bourbon is on course to become as fabled as the audacious story it seeks to honor of Special Forces riding to war on horseback against the Taliban. These whiskies were made at a partner distillery in Columbus, OH and are crafted from a wheated mashbill for a soft and sweet profile.

Horse Soldier Straight Bourbon Whiskey $49.99 On the nose cornmeal, vanilla sauce, caramel wafer, peach jelly, dried apple and a shot of powdered cinnamon. Sweet corn steals the show on the palate with gobs of butterscotch candy, baked peach, vanilla cream and clove. The finish is long and pleasant with fruit and oak fading slowly together.

Horse Soldier Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey $69.99 Vanilla jumps on the nose with caramel corn, sweet spices, and a background of baked apple and peach. On the palate, vanilla and caramel candy, more baked apple with clove and anise and sweet oak. The finish is pleasantly round with baked orchard fruits and vanilla candy fading into oak spice slowly.

Horse Soldier Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey $89.99 A gorgeous and fruit filled nose of fresh sliced red apples, baked peach, caramel sauce, vanilla, toasted oak, and anise. On the palate baked apple and peach lead before a wave of cardamom and clove surge into vanilla cream and caramel candy. The finish is lovely with fruit fading into oak spice before sweeter vanilla and caramel flavors return and linger. Gorgeous stuff.

Thanks to our nearly 20 year relationship with the Signatory Whisky Company, we were able to select some of their very best casks as our own without our usual dive into the depths of their warehouses. The first half of these 2020 picks just arrived and as usual they are non-chillfiltered and bottled at natural cask strength. Each are an authentic single malt Scotch experience to be savored.

Time to get excited rum fans, Bacardi has finally brought their outstanding “Facundo” line of rums to Illinois. The Facundo Collection is made of select aged rums, sourced from the Bahamas, which have long been available only to Bacardi family member’s as their personal library of blends. With hundreds of rums in this family stock these blends were created to show what fine sipping rums can be, on par with the world’s great Single Malts and Cognacs.

Facundo Neo Silver Rum Regular Price $49.99 Special Price $44.99 with Binny's Card This silver rum was aged up to 8 years. The nose is soft and pleasant showing flavors of molasses, vanilla bean, grilled pineapple, and lightly grassy sugar cane. The palate is lush and textured with dark molasses and cane with slowly building tropical fruits and vanilla. The finish is clean, and well rounded with ripe tropical notes lingering. A wonderful white rum for mixing or sipping neat. Facundo Eximo Rum Regular Price $79.99 Special Price $69.99 with Binny's Card 10 to 12 year old dark rums make up this blend. That wonderful maturity is squarely displayed on the nose showing raisin, plum, leather, pipe tobacco, and chocolate toffee. On the palate, dark stewed fruits and molasses mingle in harmony with pleasant oak spice, leather, and tobacco providing balance and depth. The finish is long and well-structured with dark stewed fruits persisting as oak fades slowly. A gorgeous sipper. Facundo Exquisito Rum Regular Price $149.99 Special Price $139.99 with Binny's Card Exquisito highlights youth and maturity, combining rums aged 7 to 23 years. The nose is indeed exquisite, with dark chocolate, brown sugar and toffee over grilled pineapple, vanilla and toasted coconut with layers of raisins, plum and allspice. The palate reveals ripe plum and raisin with white chocolate, leather bound books, vanilla syrup, and oak char. The finish is long and absolutely gorgeous with spice and fruit fading away in unison with waves of vanilla, caramel bananas and toffee. Incredibly complex and layered. Facundo Paraiso X.A. Rum Regular Price $299.99 Special Price $279.99 with Binny's Card The oldest blend of the Facundo line featuring 23 year old rums. Complex and thickly layered, the nose shows macadamia nuts, peach, fresh plum, pluots, hard toffee candy, milk chocolate, cocoa powder, cinnamon bark, and clove. On the palate, dark chocolate and allspice intertwine nicely with honeyed grape, raisin, toffee, and soft oak. The finish is long and layered with banana, vanilla, sweet toasted oak, chocolate and brown sugar in a balanced dance that lingers endlessly. A rum to sip and contemplate.

Looking for something BIG? Look no further than George Dickel 12 1.75L, the Whiskey Hotline's favorite option when it comes to Tennessee whiskey. A favorably priced classic that drinks like a luxury sipper. The bold flavors of bourbon are all there, balanced by the supple sweetness of Tennessee whiskey. If you haven’t tried Tennessee whiskey, this is the place to start.

George Dickel Original No. 12 White Label Tennessee Whiskey 1.75L Bottle Regular Price $39.99 Special Price $29.99 with Binny's Card The corn heavy (80%) mashbill is obvious on the nose, with sweet corn pudding, vanilla, butter, and a touch of citrus rounding things out. Oak and spice take a more prominent role on the taste with baking spice and vanilla up front and notes of dried fruit and leather providing balance. The finish is long and fat with highlights of vanilla, dried cherries, cinnamon and a touch of spicy oak. There isn’t a better whisky in the store at $30 for a 1.75 liter.

Introducing the newest member of our Clark & Sheffield family, Small Batch Bourbon. Clark & Sheffield Small Batch bourbon hails from Sazerac’s Bardstown, KY distillery and is 5 years old and 90 proof. A versatile whiskey equally at home on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail and is maybe the best deal in our ever-expanding bourbon aisle. A gentle and flavorful sipper, and a full flavored but budget priced mixer, this bourbon does it all.