FlaviarAwards2021

<p>2020 was… something.</p><p>But if this bizzaro year did anything right, it was this: it reacquainted us with <em>the magic of building a formidable home bar.</em> One that could withstand the trials of building out a sweatpants-based wardrobe, ordering too much take out and telling your co-worker Rob to turn off his Zoom mute button for the billionth time.</p><p>Out of the countless boozy options you had at your quarantined fingertips this year, five bottles rose to<em> the top of the Flaviar ranks.</em> This box celebrates these spirited soldiers, each one given a rousing seal of approval from our members and staff.</p><p>As we kick 2020’s arse firmly out the door, let’s raise our glasses to these Spirits’ boozy honor. After all, not all heroes wear capes — some prefer a bottle. <em>Onto the winners!</em></p><p>What exactly does it take to be a<em> Flaviar Awards winner?</em></p><p>Aside from impeccable taste in ingredients, distillation methods and clubs for Spirit lovers (ahem)…</p><p>This crowning achievement in the Spirits world <em>all comes down to you.</em></p><p>Yes, you.</p><p>Since 2012, we’ve turned to our <em>Flaviar community’s ratings and reviews </em>to select the top five sips worthy of the award. To round out the data, we also look at sales numbers, wishlist information and our staff’s informed opinions (it takes a lot of drams to get there, but don’t worry — we’re up to the task).</p><p>Members of this esteemed group run the liquor gamut — from spicy Rum to smokey Scotch… and everything in between. But they all have one thing in common: they’ve received the seal of approval from <em>the largest spirited community in the world.</em></p><p>This year’s picks are no exception. So without further ado, let’s meet the<em> 2021 Flaviar Awards</em> graduating class:</p><p>Westward Single MaltUncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged WhiskeyMount Gay XOHercules MulliganBruichladdich Scottish Barley The Classic Laddie Whisky</p><p>That’s a hell of a list, right there. The line up includes two U.S. underdogs (category-wise), a Rum for everyone, a weird but beloved halfling, and a peaty punch for your palate! Now, it’s time to send off 2020 and look ahead to a brighter, boozier future. We hope this box will inspire you and light the way.</p><p><em>Cheers, Sláinte, Santé, Prost and L’Chaim!</em></p><p><u>Smartass Corner:</u></p><p>1) There are over <em>15,000 different Spirits </em>on the market, 99% of which are unreachable to most people as most bars and liquor stores carry 10-50 bottles on average. We here at Flaviar believe in <em>disrupting the heck out of that notion</em> by putting bottles from all around the world right at your fingertips.</p><p>2) This year, we’re lucky to count over <em>600,000 Flavaristas</em> amongst our ranks, with over 2,000,000 Spirit samples delivered and 20,000 bottle tasting notes to date.</p><p>3) <em>Hercules Mulligan Rum & Rye</em> is as complex and layered as its namesake, a tailor-spy who plied British soldiers with booze to get their tactical secrets. The bottle marries American Rye Whiskey with aged Caribbean Rum before being macerated with fresh organic ginger.</p><p>4) The man who actually trained Jack Daniels (yes, that Jack Daniels) to be the future Whiskey behemoth, was a preacher’s slave, Nathan Green, a.k.a. <em>Uncle Nearest </em>—<em> the first African American distiller in the world.</em></p><p>5) Mount Gay got its start from very “sober” beginnings. Literally. The story of Mount Gay Rum begins on the Caribbean island of Barbados in <em>1703</em>, when John Sober inherited a distillery and invited <em>Sir John Gay </em>to help manage it.</p><p>6) While we haven’t mastered the whole turning water into Wine thing, we’ve come a long way in <em>making Beer into Whiskey. </em>In fact, Westward American Single Malt Whiskey starts its journey as an <em>American Pale Ale </em>that goes through slow fermentation and double distillation, turning this brew-y caterpillar into a beautiful Whiskey butterfly.</p><p>7) Bruichladdich is darned hard to say correctly. The trouble is that the “-ick” in Scot’s Gaelic is sometimes pronounced with a hard “k” and other times remains silent. And in “Bruichladdich” there’s one of each. Say it this way: <em>“Brook – laddie” </em>— and you’ll be close.</p>