McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt comes with an Ultimate Recommendation and 97 Points. The impressive flavors and texture also won the Chairman's Trophy. A warming nose of smoke and peat is buttressed by subtle toasted oak. Toasted brown bread, subtle vanilla, and hints of savory herbs combine to make this a very complex whiskey on the palate with a peatiness that slowly fades.
William Hill Estate Winery Merlot 2014 Central Coast comes Highly Recommended with 94 Points and the Chairman's Trophy. At just $17 per bottle, it also received a Great Value award. This is a classy, easy drinking wine that has satisfying aromas of plum liqueur, baked blueberries, and mocha. The palate is soft and round delivering copious amounts of rich fruit and leading to a pleasing finish.
Started as a small cooperative of growers in 1918, KWV has become a major pioneer leading the development of South African wines. Timothy Schoener, the United States representative of KWV, elaborates on some of the impressive history of the company: “...as the country’s first and only wine-and-spirits regulator at the time, KWV was a driving force in supporting, structuring and transforming the South African wine industry – it is safe to say that the [South African] wine industry as we know it today was shaped by KWV and the people who worked in its cellars and walked its passages.”