Category: Whiskey

Healthy Spirits’ Recipes: Classic Hot Toddy with Whiskey

Post author By Healthy Spirits
Post date March 13, 2016

(Photo: Creative Commons)

Without a doubt we can all agree: this rainfall is much needed. As many of us are likely opting to stay indoors these nights, what could be a better warming opportunity than to break out some cocktail recipes?

The Hot Toddy is a tried and true O.G. cocktail. Not only a classic cold-buster (in case the rain takes your health down with it), it’s quick to execute and comes to life with quality ingredients.

Below you’ll find our recommended recipe for the classic Hot Toddy with whiskey. And if you come into any of our three Healthy Spirits locations, our whiskey experts will gladly connect you with a bottle of whiskey that will do this old faithful justice.

Classic Hot Toddy with Whiskey

• 1½ ounce whiskey
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ ounce lemon juice
• 1 cup hot water
• Lemon wedge
• garnish with a cinnamon stick and star anise (optional)

Tags classic hot hoddy, hot toddy, hot toddy with whiskey, liquor store, san francisco whiskey, sf liquor store, sf whiskey store, Whiskey

Agave Beer News Whiskey

New inventory and deals at Healthy Spirits (Bernal Heights)

Post author By Admin
Post date March 11, 2016

Howdy folks, Eli here reporting from the apex of Cortland Avenue. The sky is gray, the rain intermittent and the wind is cold. Perfect weather for big coats, beanies and whiskey. Below you’ll find a glimpse of our new inventory at Cortland and this week’s sale.

A GLIMPSE OF THE NEW STUFF:

MEZCAL

Mezcalosfera: Produced by the founders of Mezcaloteca and Maestro Mezcalero, Felipe Cortes. It’s a blend of Tobala and Madrecuixe. Only 3 bottles available, priced at $189.99. Agave Club members can pick it up for $169.99.

-Tasting Notes:

I drink my mezcal from a Glencairn glass which narrows the aromas. Putting your nose in the spirit and moving it away allows you to experience the aromatics of this mezcal in layers. At the furthest point which is for me, about 3″ inches away I smell very sweet cake frosting. Moving on in, I get bright, green and lush aromatics reminiscent of fresh nopales (steamed cactus), I also get pine and well done salted pork of all things.

On the palate, I the first thing I get is a sweet flame which coats my entire mouth instantly and in it’s dissipation, the piney-ness really stands out. It’s very herbaceous and ends dry and with black peppercorn, cucumber and candy corn sweetness.

Mezcal Marca Negra: Another amazing line up from a few fantastic distillers. I have the Espadin $69.99, Tobala $146.99, Dobadaan $149.99, Tepeztate $159.99 and last but definitely not least we got the rare Arroqueño $159.99.

Mezcal Tosba: Two cousins from Oaxaca came here in the late 90’s to realize the American Dream and were inspired by what they saw happen in the Silicon Valley. One of them went back to Oaxaca and studied under the mezcaleros, the other went to business school and together they started Mezcal Tosba. They cultivate their own Espadin, Tobala and their Pechuga is made with local fruits from the local tropical forest and it really comes through with notes of banana, mango and fresh wet earth. Espadin $63.99, Tobala $159.99 and the Pechuga is $109.99

GIN

Leopold’s American Small Batch Gin 40%: Juniper, orris root and hand zested American pummelos and oranges. 40% $42.99

Leopold’s Navy Strength American Gin 57%: Because it was stored next to gunpowder munitions on naval warships, Navy Strength gin was distilled to a proof just high enough that if it spilled during battle, the ship’s gunpowder would still ignite. Each botanical is individually distilled and then blended together to produce this beauty. $52.99

Hayman’s Old Tom Gin 40% – Smooth, botanical intensive and flavorful English Gin with a bit of sweetness. $32.99

Engine 49 California Gold Gin 40% – This style of gin is made by letting the botanicals sit in the neutral grain spirit after distillation. If you love herbal tea, this taste like herbal tea. $34.99

RUM

The Scarlett Ibis Trinidad Rum 49% – Blend of 3-5 year aged Trinidad rums. To retain the character of the sugar cane it is not chill filtered. $37.99

Denizen Aged White Rum 40% – Blend of amazing small batch rums sourced from Trinidad and Jamaica. Honestly the best white rum I’ve had for $20.

Denizen Merchant’s Reserve 43% – Another beauty of a rum from the Denizen blenders. $34.99

WHISKEY

Great King Street. We got two new scotch blends from Compass Box. The Glasgow Blend is rich with peaty-smokiness, underpinned by sherry cask-aged whiskies, full of dried fruit and wine character. Palate is full and round with a little sweetness. The Artist’s Blend is a blend of rich single malts and single grain whiskies. Both are available in 375ml bottles for $29.99.

Black Saddle 12yr Bourbon 45%- Who said older whiskies are hard to find? Black Saddle is back in the shop for $54.99

BEER

Modern Times: City of the Dead

Modern Times: Hooloomooloo Double IPA

Modern Times: Fruitlands Sour Apricot Gose

Modern Times Orderville: Dank Mosaic IPA

Modern Times: Floating World: Tropical ‘otherworldly’ Ipa

Coronado/Bear Republic Collaboration: It’s called MerBear. We have two different bottlings of this, one from each brewery that took a slightly different twist on the recipe. Try them both at Healthy Spirits.

Almanac – Peach de Brettaville

Almanac – Elephant de Brettaville

Paradox Beer Co– Skully Barrel no.37 & Hell for Stout

This is just a glimpse of the inventory we got in this week. We get in a ton of new items all the time and there are differences in inventory between our three (soon to be 4) shops, so it’s worth it to follow us on social media. The Book, The Instant Gram and the Tweeter are all good ways of keeping up with us.

SAVE 15% this week on:

High West Whiskies: Double Rye, Rendevous Rye, American Prairie, Son of Bourye, Bourye and Campfire.

Small Food Hands: Gum Syrup, Grenadine, Tonic Syrup, Orgeat and Passion Fruit Syrup

Corsair Whiskies. We have the Ryemageddon, Wildfire, Galaxy, Mosaic, Oatrage and last but not least our exclusive Triple Smoke.

Rami’s Mommy: We have our own line of hummus, spicy hummus, baba ganoush and jalepeño lebani. No preservatives and made fresh every week. Try them out!

News Whiskey

Rare Japanese Whisky Release March 12th: Yamazaki Sherry, Yamazaki 18 year and Hibiki 17 year

Post author By Nate Breed
Post date March 3, 2016

Howdy Folks,

Happy to announce the arrival of Yamazaki Sherry Cask! The number 1 rated whisky in the world from last year’s Whisky Bible. Interest and demand for this whisky are at an all time high, especially since it’s never been available in the US before. The current version is older than last year’s holy grail, with some barrels exceeding 25 years, and is comprised entirely of first fill sherry cask aged whisky. Early reviews suggest this year’s version is even better than Whisky Bible’s top 2015 choice.

Because of the extremely limited availability of this whisky we have decided to release our one bottle in the form of a raffle, and just for good measure some other choice Japanese whiskies from our cellar. Our Castro shop will host what we’re calling “Rare Japanese Whisky Day” Saturday March 12th when the doors open at 11am.

We’ll have some Yamazaki 12 year and Hibiki 12 year (no longer made) available right when the doors open, but come early as we expect those to sell out fast. Here are the times for the rare whisky raffles:

Noon: Hibiki 17 year $179.99

1pm: Yamazaki 18 year $299.99

2pm: Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2016 $499.99

Multiple winners will be pulled for the noon and 1pm raffles, and then one bottle of the grand prize Yamazaki Sherry will be raffled at 2pm. You must be present in the shop to get a raffle ticket and when the drawing is called to be a winner. Winning the raffle of course means you’ve won the right to purchase the bottle. Hibiki 17 year raffle tickets will be handed out between 11:45am and noon, Yamazaki 18 year tickets between 12:45pm and 1pm and so on.

All other Japanese whiskies will be discounted 20% from 11am to 2pm, so even if you don’t win a raffle it’ll be a great day to stock up on Japanese whiskies. Don’t miss out!

Rare Japanese Whisky Day: March 12th 2016, 11am to 2pm

Healthy Spirits Castro

2299 15th Street, San Francisco CA, 94114

415-255-0610

Tags Hibiki 17 year, Yamazaki 18 year, Yamazaki Sherry Cask

Whiskey

Whiskey Club Throwback: Hudson 4 Grain 10/2010

Post author By Admin
Post date February 21, 2016

Healthy Spirits Bourbon Club October 2010 Edition

Welcome friends to another edition of Healthy Spirits Bourbon Club. In our constant effort to bring you the best bourbons on the planet quality is of the up most importance. But when you have a truly exceptional bourbon producer that manages to pair that quality with innovation and sustainability, that my friends sets the stage for a bourbon of epic proportions. And that is exactly what Tuthilltown Spirits has accomplished with their Hudson Four Grain Bourbon.

We are breaking new ground with this month’s selection people, no really, and you won’t believe how many firsts there are:

-First time we have ever featured a micro distilled bourbon (there seriously aren’t that many, most of the world’s bourbon is made in 7 macro distilleries in Kentucky)

-First time we have ever featured a bourbon made in New York (New York once a breeding ground for farmer distillers was primarily known for rye whiskey production, making Hudson the first ever bourbon produced in the state. Hudson is also New York’s first whiskey produced since prohibition)

-First time we have featured a bourbon that incorporates 4 grains: corn, rye, wheat and barley (most bourbons are made from a mash bill of: corn, barley and rye or corn, barley and wheat)

-First time we have featured a bourbon younger than four years old (actually the youngest bourbon we’ve had in the club to date was 8 years old)

-First time we have ever featured a bourbon that has loud music playing for it while it sleeps (seriously, the guys at Tuthilltown Spirits believe loud bassy music helps develop flavor by vibrating the barrels)

-First time we have featured a bourbon from a distillery that has been in operation less than 10 years (Most bourbon distilleries have been in operation a very long time and are past down through the generations)

-First time we have featured a half bottle of bourbon (ok a little bit of a reach here but Tuthilltown Spirits is having serious trouble keeping up with the demand for their product so by selling half bottles they double their out put).

New Orleans won the Super Bowl for the first time last year, this is also the first time I have referenced a football team in Bourbon Club. I’m telling you, ground breaking.

History of Tuthilltown Spirits

Since their history is rather short I’ll let the distillers tell you their story: “Before Prohibition more than 1,000 farm distillers produced alcohol from New York grains and fruits. Tuthilltown distillers are bringing back traditional batch-distilled spirits. For 220 years Tuthilltown Gristmill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, used waterpower to render local grains to flour. In 2001 Ralph Erenzo and Vicki Morgan acquired the property and with the help of partner Brian Lee, they converted one of the mill granaries to a micro-distillery.The partners worked tirelessly to teach themselves the craft of smallbatch distillation while navigating the legal and administrative aspects of building the company.

First Time we have ever been able to fit an entire distillery staff in one picture, ground breaking!

Two and a half years later Tuthilltown Spirits produced their first batches of vodka from scraps they collected at a local apple slicing plant. Now the distillers use fresh cider from nearby orchards. Production includes vodkas, whiskeys, rum, eau de vie, brandy, and infusions. New York’s first Bourbon is Hudson Baby Bourbon, distilled from 100% New York corn. Tuthilltown whiskeys are the first legally distilled and aged grain spirits produced in New York since Prohibition. In 2007 Gable Erenzo, joined the team and the distillery sent off the first international shipment to Paris. The team has continued to grow with the addition of Joel Elder, Jared Powers, and Nick Stoughton to the production team. Cathy Erenzo has come on board to manage compliance and administration. The Tuthilltown Spirits Team is thrilled to bring the craft of small batch spirits distilling back to New York.”(tuthilltown.com) Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee had no previous distilling experience when they built their distillery from the ground up. In fact the location was originally intended to be a “climbers ranch”, due to it’s proximity to a celebrated climbing location at near by Shawangunk Ridge, and Ralph’s many years building climbing gyms and stunt sets. After local residents put up an intense legal fight to bar the climbing ranch from being built, Ralph began to look for business ideas that would not require neighborhood approval. He eventually came across a law passed in 2002 that encouraged micro distillers to set up operations with an inexpensive license costing only $1,450, which was very enticing when compared to the previous cost of an industrial distilling license of $50,000. Barrels at Tuthilltown Spirits, first time we have ever fit 33 barrels in one picture. Go ahead, count them, ground breaking! Once they got their license in order and completed construction of the distillery, experimentation with different local ingredients began. The first spirit produced was the afore mentioned apple vodka sourced from local apple scraps. To this day, Tuthilltown sources 90% of their raw material from farms within a 10 mile radius of the distillery, which allows them to test different heirloom varietals and ingredients. This also allows them to maintain high standards of quality as all ingredients are heavily scrutinized. They also do a fair amount of grain growing on the property itself, making their product even more sustainable.

First time men with this much side burn have ever met face to face, their really more like giant mutton chops than men, ground breaking!

Due to the short supply of information about distilling, as many distiller’s closely guard their techniques and recipes, Tuthilltown Spirits essentially had to learn from trial and error. One of the more innovative techniques that came from this experimentation was the use of smaller barrels to age whiskey. Using barrels 1/8 the size of normal whiskey barrels they were able to in part rich flavor and color, and achieve peak maturation in a fraction of the time it takes most whiskeys. This ability to produce whiskey in a relatively short period of time has been instrumental in their success as a micro distillery.

First time Hudson Bourbon has been pictured with four cigars, maybe, or something. Ground breaking!

Hudson Four Grain Bourbon Whiskey Produced and bottled by: Tuthilltown Spirits Made in: New York

Hudson Valley Mash Bill: 60% corn, 13.33% rye, 13.33% wheat, 13.33% barley Alcohol: 46% (92 Proof)

Distillation: double distilled in pot stills Barrel program: Hudson uses barrels 1/8 the size of commercial whiskey barrels, increasing the surface to whiskey ratio, and dramatically reducing the maturation period needed Serving suggestion: Neat, probably not going to need water with this one, it is, as Adam Sandler would say in Don’t Mess with the Zohan, “silky smooth”

First ever reference to Adam Sandler, ground breaking!

Tasting Notes: One of the great things about a micro distilled bourbon is the unique flavor profile. Heaven Hill, as an example, makes 1,400 different bourbons, many of them for export only, and with only a handful of different recipes you can summize that hundreds of their bourbons are essentially the same juice with different labels slapped on them. Each and every one of Tuthilltown’s whiskey have their own unique mash bill and there for different flavor components. Pours a nice dark caramel to amber in color with aromas of maraschino cherries, dates, brown sugar and milk chocolate. Very well rounded and inviting on the nose. The first sip is incredibly soft and creamy on the palate, as the flavors develop notes of chocolate covered cherries, caramel, roasted pecans, vanilla, toasted coconut, cinnamon, and Belgian waffles with whipped cream come through. That’s right I said flavors of Belgian waffles with whipped cream, ground breaking! As I continued to sip I was impressed with how full and lush it was on the palate, about as elegant as they come, and I found myself saying “wow” is this really what a small artisan producer can do. The finish on this one is some what short, but it goes down so rich and smooth you just want more and more with every passing sip. Outstanding stuff!

Well Suited Cocktail: Beet it

0.25 oz Esprit de June 1.5oz Tuthilltown Bourbon

1 oz Lime Juice 0.375 oz Rhum J.M Cane Syrup

0.25 oz Beet Juice 0.25 barspoon cayenne pepper Red Bell Pepper for garnish

In all honesty I haven’t had a chance to try this cocktail yet but I got this recipe off their website and it looks really tasty right? Although it is only a 375ml bottle, so I don’t blame you for savoring every last drop straight.

Until next month, let me leave you with this parting gift in the immortal words of Frank Sinatra: “I feel sorry for people who don’t drink. When they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day. ”

Well that’s it for this month’s Bourbon Club, hope you all enjoyed it. As always I welcome all comments and suggestions.

Nate Breed (Regional Manager)

Tags #Hudson #fourgrain #whiskey #healthyspiritssf #whiskeyclub

Whiskey

Barrell 8 Year Bourbon and Barrell 7 Year Whiskey

Post author By Nate Breed
Post date January 19, 2016

Barrell Bourbon and Barrell Whiskey are setting the new standard for sourced whiskey bottlers, especially in terms of transparency and overall experience. The whiskies are bottled at cask strength without the use of chill-filtration, allowing connoisseurs to try them in their pure undiluted state. And the best part is they’ll actually tell you where they’re coming from, who’s making them and what the mashbill is. No more smoke in mirrors, or tales of ancient relatives who might have made whiskey, or misleading claims about old or proprietary recipes that don’t exist. The combination of integrity and exceptional quality make these must try.

Barrell 8 Year Bourbon: Distilling Site- George Dickel Distillery in Tennessee. Mashbill-70% corn, 26% rye and 4% malted barley. Tasting Notes- Dark and concentrated with flavors of maple syrup, pumpernickel, petrified wood, caramelized nuts, brown sugar and toasted coconut.

Barrell 7 Year Whiskey: Distilling Site- MGP, Indiana. Mashbill- Bourbon mashbill of corn, rye and barley but aged in used bourbon barrels, making it an American or Light Whiskey. Tasting Notes- Creamy-lush flavors of cereal grain, wild flower honey, nougat, toasted pine nuts and marzipan. Soft and delicate while also bold and complex.

Tags barrell bourbon, barrell whiskey

Whiskey

The Whiskey Files: Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon

Post author By Admin
Post date January 6, 2016

Original Source: HS Bourbon Club November 2014

By: James Isaacs

Introduction

Welcome back one and all for another exciting edition of the Healthy Spirits Bourbon of the Month Club! This month we decided to switch it up a bit and feature (get this) an actual bourbon, brought to us by a company straight out of Sonoma, CA. 35 Maple Street, a spirit focused subsidiary of The Other Guys wine company, has developed quite an impressive and varied portfolio throughout its relatively short history. Perhaps our customers will be most familiar with their Canadian sourced Masterson’s Whiskey line, but they’ve also dabbled in other spirits such as rum and gin. With Bib & Tucker, their latest release and the subject of this month’s club, 35 Maple Street has decided to throw their proverbial hat into the bourbon ring, and the results are nothing short of spectacular, both in quality and presentation.

Bib and tucker refers to your Sunday best, and this bourbon is certainly dressed to the T in what is unquestionably the finest bottle I’ve had the pleasure of laying eyes on. When entertaining your friends, Bulliet will do; when the boss is over for dinner though, make sure you’ve got this bottle of Bib & Tucker displayed prominently for all to see (you’ll be a shoe-in for that promotion, no matter how dry the roast turns out).

The fine folks at 35 Maple Street were kind enough to get me in touch with August Sebastiani, president of The Other Guys and all around savvy fellow. He was more than happy to tell us about this exciting new release, as well as some possible plans for the future. I’ll let August take it from here…

Interview with August Sebastiani

Perhaps we could start with a little bit about your story. How did you get your start in the spirits industry?

Many are surprised to learn that family has a long history in various spirits. Going back far enough, you’ll find brandies, armagnac, grappa, even imported beer in the Sebastiani Family Tree! I think it’s just my inherited entrepreneurial spirit; trying new things, different markets, pursuing different passions… It’s been a fun challenge to complement our wine portfolio, but also to differentiate our business from the many other wine companies and brands that are out there.

-August Sebastiani

This isn’t your first foray in the whiskey game; 35 Maple also sources whiskey from Canada for their Masterson’s releases. Why the move towards Bourbon?

The move towards bourbon strictly stems from a patriotic interest in adding a domestic whiskey to our portfolio. As “America’s Native Spirit”, we thought it only appropriate to forge into the bourbon space. Also, I selfishly prefer the savory flavors and caramel and molasses notes typical of bourbon and have been eager to dive into it for some time.

You’ve stated that the bourbon was sourced from a distillery in Tennessee. What was that selection process like? Did you sample through bourbons from other distilleries as well?

As with our wine portfolio, we are negociants — We take many different routes to bottle. Our gins are made to our specs from the ground up, for instance. In this case however, we had been looking at a number of potential bourbons and ultimately found this stock of barrels. Once we learned that it was available, we signed on for a longterm supply as soon as we could. It will unfortunately take time for some of the futures to mature to the 6-year mark that we’ve set for the Bib & Tucker brand, but believe that it will certainly be worth the wait.

Are you continuing to seek out quality whiskies? Any fun whiskies you might be sitting on or plan to release in the future?

We have discussed a few options and will likely be pursuing them. Specifically, we’ve been exploring the prospect of a white whiskey. Current considerations is a white rye… Stay tuned!!

You have a strong wine background, and whiskies finished in wine barrels are all the rage right now. Are you currently experimenting with anything like that?

Absolutely, we have been looking a number of options, here. Specifically, as we look to bolster our future production and get more involved in the production bill of our various products, we will look to it more and more. Barrel aging extends beyond whiskey, however… We’re currently considering at barrel-aging gin, vodka, mezcal, even more!!

The Other Guys Wine Line-Up

Can you give us some details about the Bib & Tucker release?

In late September we released a limited number of 6-packs within select markets, including San Francisco. We focus on partnering with retailers that truly understand and embrace the essence of our craft spirits. The launch of this brand has been very successful and we expect the demand to remain strong through the holidays and well into 2015.

Bib & Tucker comes packaged in a gorgeous bottle. What was the process like in developing such a cool looking bottle?

This was our first foray into proprietary glass, actually, and it was quite a process. Lots of back-and-forth with glass companies all around the world and finally settling on the bottle you now see, then learning that the glass company only runs amber glass once or twice a year and then scrambling to hit the deadline to make sure that we hit their deadline. But we find it important to let our packaging designers own their domain. The last thing I want to do is to stifle their creative process and we’ve been fortunate to receive considerable acclaim for our packaging across our entire portfolio.

BIB & TUCKER SMALL BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY

Mashbill: 70% Corn, 26% Rye, 4% Malted Barley

Alcohol: 46% (92 Proof)

Age Statement: 6 Years

Barrel Char: Level 1 (Lightest)

Distillation Site: A Top Secret Tennessee Distillery

Tasting Notes
Bib & Tucker pours a light copper color, teetering close to dark gold, which is about what one would expect considering the age and the proof. A couple swirls produce a nice bit of lacing on my Glencairn glass. On the nose I find an explosion of nuttiness, salted cashews, chocolate covered peanuts, as well as a hint of vanilla, leather, and some citrus. The taste follows the nose, coating the palate with a nutty richness, accompanied by some dark chocolate notes popping up occasionally. I didn’t get much rye spice from the aroma, but it certainly shows up in the flavor, which adds a nice level of complexity. The finish is surprisingly lengthy for a 92 proof whiskey, with lingering notes of roasted chestnuts and molasses.

Cocktail Time!

The holiday season goes hand in hand with cold and flu season, and your humble narrator fell victim to the latter fairly early in the game, despite some extraordinary efforts. I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a hypochondriac or anything, but pocket hand sanitizer is on my person at all times. Alas, I succumbed to a moment of weakness when a sampler platter of Cellarmaker beers presented itself before a fellow co-worker and myself. Apparently alcohol does not kill cold germs. Needless to say I woke up the next morning not with the familiar head pains of a hangover, but with a scratchy throat and stuffy nose, and with less than a week before Bourbon Club was due! Thankfully, our friendly 35 Maple Street rep reminded me of this cure all cocktail. Okay, so maybe the vitamin C supplements and regular bed rest were the main contributors to my speedy recovery, but having one of these before calling it a night probably didn’t hurt. Without further ado, a present to you…

The Hot Toddy

What you’ll need:

2oz Bib & Tucker Bourbon

1tbsp Honey

1 Lemon

1 Bag o’ Tea

Hot Water (will vary depending on mug size)

*Vikings Mug Optional

At first I was worried that I’d have to settle for a poor man’s version of this beloved classic, as I’ve got a 2 cup of strong black coffee a day habit, which leaves little to no time for tea. However, my roommate being Irish means there are no shortages of tea bags, honey bears, or Kerry Gold butter in our house (that last one is certainly optional, but not recommended for this drink). Pretty simple process in assembling the Hot Toddy: squeeze some honey and lemon juice into a mug, add the bourbon, toss in the tea bag, and lastly pour on the hot water. Let the tea bag steep for a few minutes, allowing the water to cool off a bit. When it reaches the desired temp, have at it!

Also Worth Checking Out…

Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

If you’re looking for another striking bottle to add to your bourbon collection, look no further than the award winning Willett Pot Still Reserve, which comes packaged in a bottle shaped like an actual pot still. Add in the fact that it’s the only readily available bourbon (at the moment) with Willett in the name, this single barrel release is more than just a fancy bottle, and a worthwhile addition to any whiskey collection.

Baker’s

For lack of a better word, I found Bib & Tucker to be a “nut-bomb.” If you enjoyed that rich nutty flavor, I’d recommend anything from the Beam distillery’s low rye bourbon mash bill. I chose to spotlight the oft-overlooked Baker’s here because it has a similar age statement and price point to the B&T, but a higher proof (107).

Mosswood Apple Brandy Barrel (First Release)

This one might take a bit of effort and/or luck. You might recall Mosswood from last month’s write-up; these fine folks out in Berkeley source light whiskey from Indiana and do “additional cask enhancement” (in their own words), utilizing some funky barrels. With their first release however, they sourced six year old bourbon from Tennessee that I recall having a strong nutty flavor (sound familiar), in addition to the flavors derived from the apple brandy barrel it was finished in.

That’s all for this month’s edition of Bourbon Club. As always, we welcome any comments and suggestions. We hope you enjoy, cheers!

James Isaacs / Clement Store Manager

Facebook: facebook.com/healthyspirits

Twitter: twitter.com/healthyspirits

Tags 35 Maple Street, bib and tucker, sonoma, whiskey club

Whiskey

New Releases this week at Healthy Spirits

Post author By Admin
Post date November 2, 2015

Howdy folks, hope you’re all doing well…better than well actually. I hope you’re doing fan-freaking-tastic!

Here’s the scoop on the new whiskies we have here at the shop.

Mckenzie Whiskey: We have the Bourbon, Rye and Pure Pot Still Whiskey. These are distilled in New York in an area known as the Finger Lakes and all their ingredients come form in and around the local area.

The Pure Pot Still is aged in a 53 gallon cask for 3-4 years. The Bourbon is 70% corn, 20% rye and 10% barley and aged in 53 gallon casks with a heavy char for at least 3 years. The Rye is a blend of 3 year finished in sherry and 5 year rye.

Blade and Bow 22 year: We didn’t think we’d get our hands on more of these 22 year olds but the whiskey gods deemed us worthy.

From their official website:

The award-winning Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a limited-release whiskey inspired by the passion and craftsmanship of the legendary Stitzel-Weller distillery.

Inclusive of whiskies distilled at both the distillery historically located at 17th and Breckinridge in Louisville, Ky. and the distillery historically located at 1001 Wilkinson Blvd. in Frankfort, Ky., this limited release offering was most recently aged and bottled at Stitzel-Weller.

Smooth and smoky, this limited-release bourbon’s taste is accented with notes of torched sugar and apples baked in honey and spices. Its aroma is one of toasted oak mixed with vanilla bean, fig and just a touch of caramel.

Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was named the “Best Straight Bourbon” and received the DOUBLE GOLD MEDAL at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Bone Snapper Rye: We’re excited about this Rye but also fearful for our bones…

Bone Snapper Rye Whiskey is a straight-forward rye made in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It is distilled from a mash of 95% rye, 5% malt, and limestone-filtered water drawn from the deep aquifers underneath Southern Indiana. It is put into barrel at just under 120 proof and aged for 24 months in new American oak barrels.

Once the whiskey is ready, 20 barrels are selected to be batched together – truly a small batch – and fresh water is added to bring the proof down to a potent 108 proof. This takes the sharp edges off the whiskey while maintaining its full flavor and power.

Bone Snapper is bottled without chill filtration and hand labeled to let you know which batch you’re lucky enough to sip.

Backbone Bourbon Uncut: Drink this stuff when Biff calls you ‘yella’ or when your disk slips. Not to be combined with Bone Snapper Rye as that would negate the strengthening effects of this spirit. Here’s the scoop from the horses mouth..

No two batches of Backbone Bourbon are ever the same because we only bottle in small batches to create a unique Bourbon, molded by the quality of ingredients and and the barrel in which it was aged.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

AGED

4 years or slightly less

ABV

~57-58% depending on batch

PROOF

~114-115

MASH BILL

70% corn, 25% rye, 5% malted barley
(NOTE: This is a sample only taken from Batch #01 as each small batch has slight variation)

SOURCE

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN
Bottled in small batches in Bardstown, KY

Garrison Brothers Whiskey: Straight Outta Texas! Made from #1 Panhandle White Corn harvested in 2010 from farms in Dallam County and aged 2 years in Oak. This was a previous entry in our infamous Whiskey Club and one of my personal favorites this year.

Last but not least is the special edition Maker’s Mark with the Golden State Warriors wax job. This juice was distilled with the ambient sounds of the Warriors winning on Youtube video loops*

*This may not be true

Tags backbone, Blade and Bow, bone snapper, garrison brothers, makers, McKenzie, Whiskey

Whiskey

Whiskey Fest 2015

Post author By Admin
Post date October 31, 2015

Yesterday, the universe aligned in such a way that I ended up with a ticket to Whiskey Fest 2015 at the San Francisco Marriott, where it has been held for over 200 years. It is a tradition of the centurion event for Master Chefs to prepare pastas, greens, dim sum, steak to keep attendees from getting full solely on whiskey. The professional whiskey fest goer knows how to build layers of whiskey, food and water perfectly. The only time I was thrown off was when I stumbled upon the Chinese Spicy Mustard sauce. It created a black hole of pain that was somehow delicious and a little bit teary. Of the four times, I did that to myself I got at least two concerned stares.

My first stop was at Koval‘s table. I had never tried it and they distill their own juice so it was reason enough for me. Though I enjoyed their line up, I thoroughly enjoyed the Millet & Four Grain. I immediately saw two familiar faces working behind the Old Forester booth and enjoyed a little Birthday Bourbon while getting reacquainted. I had met the woman, Simone just 3 days prior at the King’s Ginger Pumpkin carving contest hosted at Anchor Distilling. Turns out she works at the Epicurean Trader just down the street from our soon to be opened, bigger and badder Healthy Spirits location in Bernal Heights. With that done, I laid down my second layer of food and then went to greet a familiar face. His name is Rafael and I met him when he worked at Hecho in the Financial District back in 2011. Hecho was one our most enthusiastic Mi Casa accounts and Rafael and I haven’t really seen each other outside of Facebook since those early days when I spent all my time hitting the streets and visiting bars. I asked him if he had any high proof Angel’s Envy Rye and I wasn’t disappointed. It was sexy with butterscotch lingerie, I didn’t want to dump such a high quality spirit so I enjoyed every last drop.

My next stop was the Suntory booth. They didn’t have much…apparently even they’re running out of juice, so what I tried was the Hakushu 12 year. Anyone who enjoys the flavor of Scottish peated whiskey would enjoy it. They had the Hibiki Harmony as well, but I’ve had it and couldn’t waste valuable digestive resources on stuff I already know I like.

My friends at the Nikka booth let me try the upcoming Nikka Coffey Malt, not to be confused with the Coffey Grain. It’s a completely different beast, wonderful and hopefully arriving by Christmas. I didn’t get far away from Jen Chen at the Nikka booth before I spotted the world famous Victoria George. Victoria is a spirits enthusiast of the highest caliber and currently tends bar at Woodbury down by the ball park. She’s graced the cover of Wine Warehouse’s catalog and has crushed grapes in Peru and blazed the Oaxacan palenques like a boss. She was pouring John Hall’s Forty Creek line up. If you’ve never had it, it’s all good stuff, I promise. John Hall is a serious distiller and his whiskies put the grain front and center.

I ran into my friend Gavin who was one of my favorite reps before he left JVS to start his own company called Bottled Spirits which a brokerage that offers representation and ground presence for craft spirits. If you’re a brand owner and need someone to represent you and actively work on your behalf, Bottled Spirits should be a tool in your branding arsenal. After I said my ‘what’s ups’, I left to say hi to Kevin Diedrich who was pouring at the Hudson Table. In 2011 before we launched Mi Casa, I bar backed for Kevin at the Burritt Room on Stockton and Sutter. It was a short stint but I loved working with the crew there, most of whom are killing it in their own right today. Kevin is soon to launch his own bar where the old Cantina lounge used to be. Kevin has always been a supporter of Mi Casa and no matter how many times he’s been in the spot light, he’s always humble and has the best manners. I can’t wait to see what he does with that space, I know he’s gonna wreck it.

All in all, I had a very good time. I love seeing industry friends and melting the ‘industry’ off of it. That was done in grand fashioned after the show when Nate Breed and I met up with Victoria George at Monarch to listen to Blondish.

I got my 7 hours of sleep and woke up feeling like a champ.

Happy Halloween freaks,

Be safe out there!