We Have Moved!

WE MOVED AGAIN! Business keeps getting better, now you can shop online at healthyspirits.com

Our Beer, Whiskey and Agave Blogs have all been moved to our website: healthyspiritssf.com

Please visit us there to stay up to date on all things Healthy Spirits. Cheers!

Small Business Saturday Sale!

New Arrivals: Yellow Spot, Stranahan's Diamond Peak, Michter's Cask Strength Rye, Balcones True Blue and more...

Hey All,

Got some new stuff in the last week or so. A lot of these are going fast so if you don't grab em quick make sure you call in to see if we still have them. Castro and Clement also got slightly different allocations. Here's the list:

Balcones True Blue Cask Strength $99.99 (First time we've seen this is in a year and a half)
Yellow Spot 12 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey $120.99
Stranahan's Diamond Peak $89.99 (Extra aged version of the original)
Michter's Cask Strength Rye $99.99
Yamazaki 18 Year Japanese Single Malt $299.99
Filibuster Cask Strength Sherry Finished Bourbon $89.99
Ardbeg Perpetuum $127.99 (New Ardbeg Day Release)
Jefferson's Reserve Groth Cask Finish $99.99 (Finished in French Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels)
Maker's Mark Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml $69.99
Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood $259.99

The hits keep coming. And on a side note, just a word to the wise, there's been a few releases lately that have been so tiny in quantity that we went a head and put them on the shelf without posting about them, as a reward for anyone who stops by the shop more frequently. This will happen from time to time with things we only get a bottle or two of, we think it adds a layer of fun and excitement to things that would otherwise sell out in 5 minutes. Just something to bare in mind. Cheers everyone!

Nate

Review: Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpiece Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Casks

Hey All,

Had the privilege of trying Jim Beam's relatively new Distiller's Masterpiece a few days ago and I have to say I was remarkably impressed. There's no age statement but my palate tells me its one of the oldest bourbons they've ever released considering how tannic and oak driven the flavor profile is. While Scotch producers have been using sherry barrels to age whiskey for centuries, it's a relatively new concept for American whiskey. Here are my tasting notes:

Aromas/Nose: Strong notes of sherry on the nose in the form of fruitcake, figs and marizapan. I also get aromas of candied ginger, firewood, granite stone, chocolate souffle and Italian sausage. The impressive heavy handedness of the oak seems to proliferate even the aromas, adding a density you wouldn't think possible. I get the sensation of being in a swamp where fallen trees and branches are slowly decomposing and a damp wood smell fills the air.

Taste: Wow this stuff's good. It's bold, it's viscous and resinous, it's everything I never knew Jim Beam could be. The initially flavors I get are earth, volcanic ash and gravel. Tannic and oak driven are an understatement, and I could see how this might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm unabashedly smitten. All a board the oak train, we're riding this one till the wheels fall off. As it opens up I get notes of sticky toffee pudding, pumpernickel, cinnabons, espresso, cement and bran muffins. At 50% alcohol the flavors are perfectly concentrated without being overwhelming.

Finish: The finish is rustic and earthy, with a pronounced lingering minerality. There's some creaminess mid-palate but the finish is all beautiful leathery tannins that make your mouth water. Absolutely epic!

This for me is about as good as it gets bourbon wise. The richness of the sherry combines beautifully with the intensity of the oak. The price tag's a little steep at $200, but it's a one time release that's definitely worth seeking out. All things considered, you could pay $10,000 or more for a Scotch of equivalent quality. I'm sure I'll be taking home a few bottles of this for my cellar.

Available @ Both Shops!

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Black Maple Hill Rye and Bourbon, Black Saddle 12 Year Bourbon, Filibuster Sherry Finished Bourbon......

Hey All,

Got some great new stuff in recently and over the last month or two that I wanted to update everyone on. Here's the full new arrivals list:

Bourbon:
-Black Maple Hill Oregon Bourbon $89.99 (Castro Only)
-Black Saddle 12 Year Bourbon $51.99
-Jim Beam Distiller's Masterpiece (Finished in PX Sherry Casks) $199.99
-High West American Prairie Bourbon $49.99
-Forged Oak 15 Year Bourbon $89.99
-Maker's Mark Cask Strength Bourbon (750ml) $69.99

Rye:
-Black Maple Hill Oregon Rye $89.99 (Castro Only)
-Corbin Cash Rye $59.99
-Woodford Reserve Rye $47.99
-Smooth Ambler 8 Year Healthy Spirits Exclusive Cask Strength Single Barrel Rye $79.99
-Redemption 10 Year Cask Strength Rye $199.99 (Castro Only)

American:
-Seven Stills Fluxuate Coffee Porter Whiskey $45.99
-Mosswood Healthy Spirits Exclusive Espresso Barrel Cask Strength American Whiskey $75.99

Scotch:
-Alexander Murray 49 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch 1964' $1199.99 (Castro Only)
-Samaroli Glen Scotia Campbeltown 21 Year Sherry Cask Single Malt Scotch (only 360 bottles made) $299.99
-Blackadder Ledaig 13 Year "Raw Cask" 2001' Single Malt Scotch $169.99
-Blackadder Clynelish 22 Year "Raw Cask" 1992' Single Malt Scotch $269.99
-Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask Single Malt Scotch (back in stock) $89.99

2015 World Whiskey Awards Annouced

Hey All,

Thought I'd share some of Whiskey Magazine's 2015 winners, always a good microcosm of the best whiskies from a given year.

World's Best Single Malt: Kavalan Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Barrel $179.99

World's Best Blended Malt: Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year Pure Malt Whisky $169.99

World's Best Canadian Whisky: Forty Creek Confederation Oak $69.99

World's Best Pot Still Whisky: Red Breast 15 Year Old Pot Still Whiskey $89.99

World's Best American Whiskey: Thomas Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey $99.99

Pretty decent selections if you ask me, and wouldn't you know it we carry every single one of these. Thomas Handy is the only one not currently in stock although we do carry it, but if your familiar with the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection you'll know that's a one day a year release. Does this mean Healthy Spirits has the best whiskey collection in the world?

If you want to see the rest of the results check them out here:

2015 World Whiskies Awards

Cheers

Nate

New Arrivals: Jim Beam Signature Craft Oat and High Rye, Moylan's Double Barrel and American Single Malts!

Hey All,

Got some new gems in this week. We now have 6 offerings from the Jim Beam Signature Craft line, including the newest Oat and High Rye recipe bourbons. I get a smirk from people every time I recommend these but don't be fooled by the Jim Beam name. If they were the "Knob Creek Signature Craft" line no one would think twice, but it'd be coming from the same place. The four pictured above are part of the harvest collection where a new grain replaces rye in the mashbill, except for the high rye offering of course. We still have a little of the 11 year Red Wheat and 11 year Brown Rice left from the first release, and those were incredible as well.

Making a long awaited come back is the Moylan's line of whiskies. These are arguably the best single malt whiskies produced in the US and are shockingly hard to find. The crown jewel for me is the 8 year double barrel cask strength cherry wood smoked single malt. Aged in new charged oak barrels the color and texture are unbelievable. They use a percentage of cherry wood smoked barley so it's not overly smokey and actually has some wonderful red fruit and cherry like undertones. The "American Single Malt" is finished in orange brandy barrels and comes in regular or cask strength proofs. These two have some beautiful vanilla and candied orange undertones and are aged around 4 years. 

Get em while you can. Cheers

Nate