These Wines and Spirits Feel Like Fall

Now that Philly's late summer has come to a close, here are some wines and spirits that pair nicely with cozier weather.

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Year Old

Fortune, superb taste and hustle led WhistlePig to the discovery of an aged rye whiskey stock in Alberta, Canada. They rescued it from misuse as a blending whiskey, aged it in new American oak, then hand-bottled this rye on its own. It’s now the world’s most awarded rye whiskey.

10 Year Old Fashioned

2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 dash orange bitters
½ tsp demerara sugar
2 oz WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Year Old
1 orange peel
Muddle first two ingredients in an old-fashioned glass. Fill with ice and add rye whiskey. Stir well and garnish with orange peel.

Bluebird Distilling Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey

A Pennsylvania bourbon that pushes the norms by distilling with four grains: corn, heirloom rye, red winter wheat and barley. By using four grains, this bourbon creates a seamless transition of subtle sweetness and rich spice.

Gold Rush

2 oz Bluebird Distilling Four Grain Bourbon
1 oz honey syrup
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
1 lemon wheel
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with lemon wheel.

Crown Royal Reserve Canadian Whisky

Crown Royal master whisky blenders hand-select whiskies with body and taste, delivering a whisky that is creamy, rich, flush with sharp clove, and cinnamon top points of rye. A reserve-grade blend, serve neat in a chilled glass.

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Straight Bourbon

Bourbon whiskey comprised of more than 200 detectable flavor notes.

Boulevardier

1 ½ oz Woodford Reserve Distiller’s
Select Straight Bourbon
1 oz Aperol Liqueur
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 orange peel
Combine first three ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel.

Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila

A blend of extra-añejo, añejo and reposado tequilas, aged in European oak barrels and double filtered to produce a crystal clear liquid.

Black Diamond

Margarita
Black salt
2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila
½ oz agave syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
1 lime wedge
Rim a rocks glass with salt and fill with ice. Combine next three ingredients in prepared glass; stir well. Garnish with lime wedge.

The GlenDronach Highland Single Malt Scotch 12 Year Old

Matured in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía in Spain, this richly sherried Highland single malt scotch presents smooth vanilla, soft fruits and a memorably long, nutty finish, for which it has become renowned.

Rodney Strong Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Supple in texture, with rose petal and red fruit aromas, this lively, medium-bodied wine is aged entirely in French oak, which adds a subtle, toasty vanilla character and a hint of spice. Ideal for current enjoyment, this pinot noir will hold nicely over the next two to three years.

Don Julio Tequila Añejo

Rich, distinctive and wonderfully complex, the flavor strikes the perfect balance between agave, oak and hints of butterscotch and honey. Aged in American white oak barrels for 18 months, the bright and lightly spiced finish of this luxury tequila is made with 100 percent Weber Blue Agave. Serve in a snifter or on the rocks.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Scotch

A luxurious and smooth whisky with notes of vanilla and dark fruit — a wonderful tribute to the harmonious partnership of Speyside and Highland whiskies, with just a hint of smoldering embers from the West Coast. Mix with soda water, pour over ice and garnish with orange.

Bulleit Straight Bourbon 10 Year Old

Tom Bulleit’s selected reserve. Aged in charred American white oak, select barrels were set aside to age for 10 years. The result is a special expression that provides a rich, deep, incredibly smooth sipping experience. Combine with cloves, lemon juice, brown sugar and hot water for a comforting hot toddy.

Johnnie Walker Double Black Scotch

Strongly influenced by powerful and peaty West Coast and Islay single malts, the intensity is immediately apparent with the taste of smoke and smoldering spices. It is matured in heavily charred oak casks for a deeper character. Mix with soda water, pour over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Les Darons by Jeff Carell Languedoc Rouge 2017

90 Points, Wine & Spirits Magazine
90 Points, Robert Parker
91—93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck
Les Darons is winemaker Jeff Carrel’s homage to grenache, one of the signature varieties of Mediterranean France. An unoaked blend that is loaded with character, it offers ripe, red and dark fruit aromas, with plenty of spice and an underlying streak of minerality.