If you like Oysters, you will love Øster Vit. We discovered it a couple of years ago and got a couple of bottles from the Virginia ABC store. We served it with Brandenburg Caviar from 25Teiche and it was divine. So we contacted the distillers at James River and ordered a stock to put into our last Virginia shipment. It has arrived and we are very happy to offer this superb Virginian take on traditional Scandinavian Aquavit. They start by crafting a triple distilled spirit before combining the Old World-style flavor of Aquavit with some New World flair: Using several pounds of oyster shells, they steep the distillate for 48 hours along with caraway, fennel and orange peel, before doing one final distillation. With Øster Vit the distillers at James River continue their commitment to using local products, procuring the oyster shells from Rappahannock River Oysters, an award-winning leader in the effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay through aquaculture and sustainable seafood. This combination of Aquavit and Oysters produces a complex spirit with all kinds of interesting aromas: Bracken, moss water, sea shells and sea air, dill, fennel and lemon on the nose. Fennel, caraway, white pepper, mint and vanilla on the palate. An herbal and mint finish that surprises as the fennel and Oysters fade away.