New Arrival: Elijah Craig 21 Year Bourbon

Hey All,

So the hits keep coming today as some Elijah Craig 21 year unexpectedly fell in our lap. The last release of Elijah Craig was the 20 year, which was astonishingly good and won Whiskey Advocate's best whiskey of the year in 2012. The talk around town is that the 21 year is even better. We got tiny allocations at both shops so I don't expect these to last long but if I get a chance to try it I'll repost tasting notes here later. Good luck! Cheers

Nate

New Arrival: Michter's 10yr Single Barrel Bourbon

I'll keep this short and sweet folks,

Holy shnikies!  Just when you think you've seen the last of something, it seemingly falls from the skies above.  That's right, Michter's 10yr Single Barrel Bourbon is back for a limited time!  In case your memory needs jogging, Michter's is known for surpassing expectations with their age-stated whiskeys.  This 10yr release has the depth and character of a 15 or 16yr old bourbon, and most likely contains juice of that age.  No way of knowing for sure, of course, but by golly if my palate isn't in heaven.  This sauce is easily some of the best bourbon available right now, up there with the most anticipated releases of the year...  Don't wait for the holidays to snatch this up!

Available at both shops!

cheers,
Scott Hackney
Associate Bourbon Blog Editor

New Arrivals: George T. Stagg Jr!

Hey all,

We've had a lot of interest in the Stagg Jr. since Buffalo Trace announced the product several months ago. Fortunately the wait is over as both shops got in a limited allocation today. Even though we got a small amount to start, I've heard that we may see Stagg Jr. released a couple times a year. So if you miss this run there may be more coming down the pipe line in a few months. The Stagg Jr. is a younger cask strength expression of its older sibling. This bottling clocked in at a robust 67.2% alcohol (134.4 proof) and has some super concentrated flavors of cocoa powder, espresso, cinnamon stewed berries, earth and burnt caramel. We anticipate these selling out fast, so there will be a limit of one bottle per customer per day. Good luck everyone. Cheers

Available at both shops!

*Update: Currently Sold Out*

Nate

New Arrivals: Buffalo Trace Experimental- Wheat Experiment (Castro Only)

Hey All,

Just got in the new Buffalo Trace Experimental, apparently it was so limited we only got it at one shop (just a few cases floating around for all of California). This new release is called the wheat experiment, which involved producing four identical wheated recipe bourbons where the only variable was the barrel entry proof. Here are some of the details for the bottlings:

Production Method:
-All 4 bourbons were distilled on 10-24-2001
-All 4 used the wheated recipe
-All 4 used the sour mash technique
-Still proof was 130
-Charred white oak with a level 4 char was used
-All barrels were made by Independent Stave Co. and air dried 3 months
-Barrels were aged in Warehouse K on Floor 6
-All 4 bourbons were bottled at 11 years and 7 months old
-All barrels were chill-filtered and bottled at 45% (90 proof)

Wheat 90 (barrel entry proof of 90)
-"This entry proof resulted in a bourbon with more wood characters and slight sweet notes. It is mellow with hints of cedar and other wood flavors".

Wheat 105 (barrel entry proof of 105)
-"The 105 entry proof produced bourbon that is a nice balance of sweet caramel, vanilla and dry oakiness".

Wheat 115 (barrel entry proof of 115)
-"The 115 entry proof produced a well-balanced spirit. The up-front taste is sweet and fruity, with buttery toffee notes that follow. This is completed with a dry oaky finish".

Wheat 125 (barrel entry proof of 125)
-"The 125 entry proof resulted in a well-rounded flavor. The taste is a balance of cooked berries mingled with sweet honey and slight hints of spicy cloves and pepper".

These are of course descriptions from the bottles, not from me. If I get a chance to try any of them I'll add my descriptions here. Don't sleep on these, they'll go fast. Cheers

Nate

Healthy Spirits: Elijah Craig & Willett

1. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon -Made in the same tradition as other award-winning Elijah Craig bottlings, this is a Barrel-Proof, small batch bourbon. Bottled straight from the barrel and without chill filtering, the nose, taste and finish are from 12 years of aging are preserved in their purest form.-$59.99

2. Willett 7 Year Bourbon- This limited- release, hand selected single barrel produced just 192 bottles. Willett is known for selecting exceptional whiskies, so grab this one while you can! -$72.99

New Arrivals: Octomore 10 Year Single Malt, Stein Rye, Stein Bourbon and Gordon & Macphail Cask Strength "Caol Ila" 11 Year!

Hey all,

Just figured I'd give a run down of the whiskies we got in the last week or so.

New Arrivals:

-Octomore 10 Year Single Malt (Super Limited) $299.99
-Stein Distillery Small Batch Rye (New Oregon Micro) $59.99
-Stein Distillery Small Batch Bourbon (New Oregon Micro) $59.99
-Gordon & Macphail Cask Strength "Caol Ila" 11 Year Single Malt $119.99
-Four Roses 2013 Limited Cask Strength Single Barrel $108.99
-Bowmore Dorus Mor (Small Batch Release 1) Cask Strength 10 Year Single Malt $119.99

Back in Stock:

-Jefferson's Presidential 21 Year Bourbon $158.99
-Black Maple Hill Bourbon $49.99
-Hooker's House Healthy Spirits Exclusive Single Barrel Bourbon $44.99
-Larceny Bourbon $27.99
-Eagle Rare Healthy Spirits Exclusive Single Barrel Bourbon (will arrive Friday 8/2) $32.99
-Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond Single Barrel Bourbon $32.99
-Old Medley 12 Year Bourbon $57.99
-Highland Park 12 Year Single Malt $59.99

All are available at both shops. Feel free to ask me any specific questions about a particular whiskey in the comments section. Cheers!

Nate

New Arrivals: James E. Pepper 15 Year Rye and 15 Year Bourbon!

Hey All,

Just got in some brand new releases from James E. Pepper including: a high rye content bourbon, a 15 year bourbon and a cask strength 15 year rye. The two year rye, which I've stocked for a few months now, was a revelation in quality. It's bottled at 100 proof and non-chill filtered allowing it to retain a lot of the body, texture and complexity chill filtration removes. It reminds me a lot of the Willett Family Estate rye which has an intensely floral-perfumey spice profile with notes of lavender, jasmine, cloves, peppercorns and fennel. The James E. Pepper brand dates all the way back to 1776, the Revolutionary War era. Washington DC based Georgetown Trading Co. decided to re-launch the brand and spent countless hours gathering original bottlings and researching the original recipes and techniques. The whiskies they settled on are distilled in Indiana, by LDI, and are very much in tune with what whiskies of the time may have been like, given the high rye content, bottled in bond style proofing and non-chill filtration. Here are my tasting notes on the two new 15 year releases:

James E. Pepper 15 Year Barrel Strength Rye
-On the nose I get notes of cinnamon, fennel, marzipan, leather, honey suckle and lavender. Pretty intense aromas with a fair amount of charred oak coming through. On the palate I get notes of baklava, cinnamon buns, toffee, fennel, peppercorns, sweet tobacco, buttery scones and lavender. The flavors are vibrant but surprisingly well integrated. The oak is there but never crosses the line, super soft and engaging tannins. The finish is long and spicy, pretty typical of a great LDI rye.

James E. Pepper 15 Year Bourbon
-This bourbon comes in at a whopping 38% rye content which really comes through on the nose with notes of gravel, mint, charred oak, dulce de leche and apricot preserves. The aromas were as vibrant as the 15 year rye with just a little hint of fruitiness separating the two. On the palate I get notes of lavender candy, vanilla, orange zest, salt water taffy, dates, fudge and toasted almonds. The flavors on this are extremely well layered and evolve with every sip. The finish has a distinct gravelly-earthiness which draws you in for more.

Stocks this old are extremely hard to come by, which means the older bottlings won't last long. Fortunately the younger bourbon and rye are quite good as well. All are worth a try if you get a chance.

Available at Castro and Clement St. Shops

Nate

New Arrival: Jefferson's Presidential 21 Year Bourbon!

Hey all,

The long wait is over! Jefferson's Presidential 21 year has finally landed. Super limited allocations on this one, I'm fully expecting to sell out today or tomorrow. This incredible small batch bourbon is a blend of 15 barrels ranging from 21 to 24 years old. The barrel character and tannins are sumptuous and engaging and not at all tired. The flavors are super lush with notes of caramel, bread pudding, vanilla, Italian suasage, fennel, rock candy and earth. This stuff is also perilously drinkable and perhaps one of the last ultra aged releases we'll see. Get it while you can!

Nate

Featured Bourbon: Jefferson's Very Small Batch and Jefferson's Reserve Very Old Small Batch!

Hey all,

So I'm a big fan of what Trey Zoeller and our friends over at Jefferson's are doing. The legendary Jefferson's Presidential 18 year was without a doubt one of the best bourbons ever bottled. Their pedigree for searching out and finding quality lots of bourbon is unmatched. What I love about the Jefferson's and Jefferson's Reserve lines are their willingness to actually make "small batch" bourbons. They're not using a hundred plus barrels like some of the big boys would do. And their taking the time to taste every single component that goes into the blend, a labor intense and time consuming step that few bother doing. Kentucky Bourbon Distillers would be the other bottler I can think of.

-Jefferson's Very Small Batch $29.99: An incredible value for a whiskey containing 5 to 12 year old stocks. The older bourbon gives this offering alot of depth, earthiness and barrel character while the end result remains soft, lush and creamy. A long-lingering finish makes this a classic

-Jefferson's Reserve Very Old Small Batch $39.99: Another mid-range master piece at a price point we've never had it at before. The Jefferson's Reserve contains bourbon as old as 20 years, and sinfully inundates the palate with notes of burnt caramel, toffee, butterscotch, roasted nuts, leather, nutmeg and a hint of blackberries and rye spice. The mouthfeel is a little thicker and more complex than the regular small batch, making it worth the extra ten bucks.

These price points will be while supplies last at both the Clement and Castro locations. Happy drinking!

Nate