Category: Whiskey
Hey all,
Just got in the first California made bourbon to hit San Francisco! This is the first batch of bourbon from our friends over at 1512 Spirits in Sonoma. With only 128 bottles produced, we were lucky to score a few. It pours a deep mahogany with tones of ruby vermillion. The nose brings out round, sweet notes of rock candy and maple syrup combined with damp earth and oak. The palate brings more of the same, but the cherry-wood smoked barley becomes more prominent. Cherry-vanilla coke meets maple syrup and baking spices to create a symphony of lush sweetness leading into an earthy, round finish. The proof keeps the sweetness in check, while also contributing to the overall weight of the whiskey. Wildly innovative yet elegant and refined….. We’re looking forward to what these guys come up with next.
Cheers
A great write-up on our ice creams!
http://www.examiner.com/article/healthy-spirits-scoops-up-beer-ice-cream
Hey guys,
Just got in the new super limited Private Edition from Glenmorangie, called Ealanta. This single malt comes with quite a story as Master Distiller Dr. Bill actually traveled to the Ozark Mountains of Missouri in the early 90’s to hand select a few American oak trees to be made into barrels. The new or “virgin” oak barrels were then used to age this exceptional whisky 19 years. Here are my tasting notes:
On the nose I get aromas of wild flower honey, brittle, marzipan, sea air and candied orange peel. On the palate I get flavors of shortbread, honeycomb, lavender candy, cream, and lime zest. Very elegant and refined with a zesty-mineral finish. Epic!
Get this one while you can! Cheers
Nate
Hey All,
Got some fun new whiskies in today including 3 new single malts from local brewer/distiller Moylan’s. All of the Moylan’s whiskies scored high points and had rave reviews from Beverage Tasting Institute’s latest 2013 Spirit Review. I listed the corresponding scores in parentheses below or check out these links:
2013 American Single Malt Results
2013 All Results
New Arrivals:
-Moylan’s Double Barrel Cask Strength Cherry Wood Smoked Single Malt (89 points BTI)
-Moylan’s American Cask Strength Single Malt: Finished in Orange Brandy barrels (94 points BTI)
-Moylan’s American Single Malt: Finished in Orange Brandy barrels (90 points BTI)
-Russell’s Reserve Non-Chill Filtered 55% (110 Proof) Single Barrel Bourbon
-Parker’s Heritage 6th Edition 69.7% (139.4 Proof) Cask Strength Bourbon (New Batch)
-Big Bottom Non-Chill Filtered Port Cask Finished Bourbon
-Big Bottom Non-Chill Filtered Zinfandel Cask Finished Bourbon
Back in:
-Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Rye
Cheers!
Nate
Hey everyone,
To commemorate our favorite snake-chasing Irish saint, both Healthy Spirits locations are having a sale!
Starting TODAY, Wednesday, March 13th until St. Patrick’s Day on Sunday the 17th, as a special thank you to all of our patrons we’ve deeply discounted a selection of your favorite Irish specialties including Guinness Stout, Smithwick’s Ale, Harp Lager, Murphy’s Red and Magner’s Cider. In addition, our newly expanded selection of Irish whiskies will be discounted for your sipping pleasure.
HEALTHY SPIRITS CASTRO
2299 15TH STREET
(CORNER OF 15TH & CASTRO)
Hey all,
March Bourbon Club just landed at both shops! This month I’m featuring a brand new bourbon to the Bay Area: Homestead. I got a chance to interview brand creators John Andrews and Reggie Amos who shed some light on what it’s like to create a new American whiskey. Homestead is a high rye content barrel strength bourbon that is very complex and spicy with surprisingly soft and lush tannins. There’s a few extra bottles on the shelves if any non-bourbon club members are interested. Cheers
Nate
Hey all,
Just got in some phenomenal Speyside whiskeys from Glenrothes!*** One of the oldest currently operating distilleries in Speyside, Glenrothes specializes in releasing whiskey not at any particular age statement, but when they feel it has reached its peak. Instead of the usual 12,15 and 18 year old releases, Glenrothes produces small batch blends of various vintages. It’s a nice change of pace to see a traditional distiller bottling outside the rigid constraints of age statements. We just got in the Select Reserve (no age statement), the 1998 Vintage, and the 1995 Vintage…. here’s what I thought of ’em.
Tasting Notes:
Select Reserve: I get lemon and orange citrus, caramel, and just enough spice on the finish to keep it from being too easy-going. The body is smooth and silky, the finish spicy and warming. Probably the best Speyside single malt for the price in the shop.
1998 Vintage, bottled in 2012: Engaging nose of candied lemons, and ripe red fruits. Mid-palate rich vanilla cream sets in, laying a comfy foundation for the invigorating and spicy finish. Easily one of the most engaging single malts I’ve tasted in recent memory.
1995 Vintage, bottled in 2012: A bit richer than the ’98, the ’95 exhibits lush caramel, almost butterscotchy aromas that serve as a wonderful backdrop for the brighter citrus fruit notes. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and grapefruit rind round out the lush body and leave the mouth watering for another sip. It is a remarkably cohesive whiskey, full of rich nuanced tones, and one that certainly rewards careful inspection. A definite winner in my book!
Well there’s the quick and dirty of it, until next time…. cheers!
Scott Hackney
Store Manager Clement St.
415-682-4260
***NOTE: these whiskeys are only available at the CLEMENT ST location!
New Rums: El Dorado 21 year and 15 year!
Hey all,
So as you know bourbon is king around here, but every once in a while I find a spirit so transcendent it warrants mention. El Dorado is absolutely killing it with their 15 and 21 year rums! The words lush and oak-bomb are the first descriptors that I think of. The rums are rich and decadent without being cloying, a very hard line to walk. Here are my tasting notes for the 21 year:
Pours a beautiful brown-mahogany color with a super thick and viscous texture. On the nose I get aromas of browned butter, dates, raisins, candied yams, wildflower honey, vanilla ice cream and bread pudding. On the palate its very lush and soft with flavors of butterscotch, rice pudding, cream corn, caramel chews, sweet cream and kettle corn. The finish is on the shorter side but its so engaging you immediately want more. Absolutely epic!
Come and get it! Cheers
Nate
WHERE:
DETAILS:
-10% off EVERYTHING in the store for the duration of the event.
-We’ll be selling rare and vintage beersfrom our cellar! (bottle limits will apply)
-The first 100 customers will receive a
-We’ll be sampling our Rami’s Mommy’sline of home-made Middle-Eastern delicacies.
The event will begin when the doors open at
We hope to see you there!