Category: Whiskey

Hey friends,

Bourbon may be our first love here at the shop, but that doesn’t stop us from having some serious affairs with single malt scotches. Tobermory, currently the only distillery on the Isle of Mull, produces this beautiful 15 year non-chill filtered master piece which comes in a nifty oak box. This is seriously in my top two or three favorite single malts, period. Also got in two Bunnahabhain single malts, the 12 year and 18 year. Bunnahabhain has the unique distinction of being one of the only non-peated Islay single malts, Bruichladdich being the other one. While the barley isn’t smoked with peat you still get traces of peat from their water source, which is surrounded by peat bogs, couple that with the exquisite notes of sea air from the coastal barrel aging and you have a ridiculously complex dram that is more approachable than most Islays. Shhhh, don’t tell any one but this is the last shipment of 18 year to hit shelves, they have stopped production on this expression of Bunnahabhain so it will no longer be available.

Nate

Hey all,

For September Bourbon Club we are featuring Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve. A premium barrel selection program for an already fantastic bourbon. If your not a Bourbon Club member feel free to sign up any time this month and receive this month’s selection at a discount with full tasting notes and serving suggestions. Look for more information on the club on the left side of this page. Cheers!

Nate

Hey all,

Finally got the first official release of Ardbeg Alligator in today, and let me just say this is an epic Scotch! Ardbeg’s latest achievement uses 100% new charred American oak barrels. They toasted the oak to a level 4 or “alligator” level char which results in a beautiful color and flavors of BBQ, smoke, ginger snaps, menthol, grilled steak, tar, earth, coffee and a massive amount of peat. This is an exceptional dram and something you won’t want to miss. Get it while you can………..

Nate

Hey all,

Got a pretty limited new release from High West Distillery today. It’s a nod to the newly revived trend of barrel aging cocktails. They use a classic Manhattan recipe combining two parts rye, one part sweet vermouth and two dashes bitters. They then barrel age it for 90 days helping to integrate the ingredients and giving it a great texture. Only got one case of this so get it while you can.

Nate

Hey all,

Got a pretty epic release in the shop today, Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project. The concept behind the Single Oak Project is as extravagant as they come. It’s Buffalo Trace’s attempt at figuring out once and for all what conditions and variations result in the best bourbon. Their essentially trying to figure out how to make the perfect bourbon by adjusting all the possible variables. The project started almost ten years ago when Buffalo Trace hand selected 96 individual American oak trees. The trees were selected for their varying pore sizes: fine, average and course. The trees were then cut into two sections, a top and bottom section, and a barrel was made from each, resulting in 192 barrels. The barrels were then allowed to air dry or cure as it’s called, some for 6 months and others for 12 months. The barrels were then filled with two different recipe bourbons, one with rye as the small grain and one with wheat. They even varied the barrel entry proofs, filling some with 105 proof bourbon and others with 125 proof bourbon. The final variation in the experiment was the use of both cement and wooden floor warehouses during the aging.

It’s a pretty inspiring project that allows us the consumers to get on their website and vote for our favorite barrels.  You can do that here: http://www.singleoakproject.com/

You want these!

Nate

Hey guys,

So just got a few bottles of Old Potrero Straight Rye and 18th Century. Because of a distribution change these have become even harder to get. It sounds like the production will increase with the spirits division taking over the old wine facility across the street from Anchor Brewery, however it probably won’t increase the supply of these whiskies for 2 or 3 years. We will continue to fight for every bottle we can, in the hopes that one day we can have it on the shelves more regularly. Cheers!

Nate

Hey all,

Got some super limited Scotches in over the weekend and I dare say they may not last long. First off we got a tiny amount of the Ardbeg Alligator, a release that’s not due to hit shelves till late Sept. This was a special Committee Reserve bottling that we were fortunate enough to get our hands on. Also got a small amount of the Oban 18 year single malt that has been very elusive and hard to come by for the better part of the last few years. You don’t wanna miss out on theses!

Nate

Hey all,

It’s my favorite time of the month once again, Bourbon Club! This month I’m featuring Jefferson’s Reserve bourbon which I’m told is usually blended in tiny 8-12 barrel lots. I have a fun interview in the tasting notes with the Founder and President, Trey Zoeller, who gave me some great insider details and information. If your not a member yet, feel free to come by the shop and sign up any time. Cheers!

Nate

Hey all,

Rye whiskey drinkers can rejoice! Jefferson’s 10 year rye has just hit the market and let me tell you it is laying waste to the competition. I had a chance to catch up with Trey Zoeller, the president and founder of Jefferson’s, and he was quite excited that they were able to offer an older rye at such a reasonable price. They are sourcing it from Canada, making it likely a whiskey that was destined for blending. They used all new charred oak barrels which is why they are able to call it a straight rye whiskey. Here’s my tasting notes from this month’s bourbon club:

Hey all,

So its been a pretty exciting day for us here at the shop. The man behind several of my personal favorite bourbon brands stopped by to pay us a visit, Mr. Drew Kulsveen of Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Drew was nice enough recently to allow us to buy our own barrel of Willett Family Estate Bottled bourbon, their extremely limited barrel strength unfiltered line. Everything they bottle seems to turn to gold, brands like Michter’s, Jefferson’s, Noah’s Mill, Rowan’s Creek and Black Maple Hill, to name a few. Drew tells me they are able to maintain such high standards through ultra careful barrel selection and longer aging. He also shared with me conformation that the distillery renovation has been completed and that they will begin producing bourbon again on site for the first time in almost 30 years. Drew continues a family tradition of involvement in the bourbon industry that goes back several generation. His fresh and innovative ideas carry a resolve to create the absolute best bourbon possible. I can’t tell you how much people like him mean to the bourbon industry, as well as whiskey geeks like you and me. We at the shop salute you good sir, keep up all the great work!

Nate