New Arrivals: Glenfarclas 12 Year, 21 Year and 25 Year Single Malts

Hey All,

Just got in some great new single malts that have slipped under my radar the last few years. Glenfarclas is a distillery in the heart of Speyside situated right next to the river Spey, and in very close proximity to industry stand outs: Balvenie, Aberlour, Cragganmore and Glenlivet. Here's my brief notes on each one:

-Glenfarclas 12 Year: Surprisingly vibrant and zesty with hints of lemon peel and wild flower honey.

-Glenfarclas 21 Year: Incredible value for a 21 year, the 17 year Glenfarclas is around the same price but no where near as good. A lot more oak and sherry notes than the 12 year with an exceedingly lush and engaging finish.

-Glenfarclas 25 Year: This one was really interesting because it tastes a lot like the 12 year just a lot more elegant and refined. Less oak than the 21 year but it has a beautiful viscosity, long lingering finish and the similar citrus/ lemon zest notes with a hint of crushed minerals.

These are probably some of the best priced 21 and 25 year single malts I've seen. Definitely worth a try if you're looking for something new or unpeated. Cheers!

Available at Castro and Clement

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

New Arrival: Highland Park 25 Year Single Malt!

Hey all,

Let me preface this by saying I have a new favorite single malt in the shop. There were two whiskies at Whiskies of the World Expo that really stood out to me as the best in show. The first one was the Laphroaig cask strength 25 year single malt (which luckily we already have at the shop), the second was the new Highland Park 25 year single malt. I can't remember enjoying something so much in a long time. Highland Park walks a beautiful line between hints of smoke and sea air, but delicate, rich and approchable flavors. Here's my tasting notes:

-Nose: Aromas of seaweed, peat, earth, heather honey, butterscotch and crushed minerals. The aromas are really terrior driven, you can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself on the Islands of Orkney.
-Palate: Mouth coating flavors of salted caramel, toffee, gravel, brine, vanilla and white chocolate with a hint of campfire and peat.
-Finish: Super long and lingering with notes of bitter chocolate, burnt caramel and earth.

You want this!

Nate

New Arrival: Douglas of Drumlanrig- "Laphroaig" 15 Year Single Malt

Hey all,

Independent Scotch bottlers are having an increasingly tough time finding quality lots of single malt. Older Laphroaig stocks are almost impossible. But that's exactly what Douglas has accomplished here in their beautifully colored 15 year non-chill filtered Laphroaig single cask, which only produced 282 bottles. Got a chance to try this at Whiskies of the World Expo, and let me just say, holy cow! It's smoky, earthy and minerally while being lush, caramely and creamy. An absolute winner start to finish, and one we may never see again. Get it while you can!

Currently at Both Castro and Clement St. Shops

Nate

New Arrivals: 1512 Bourbon - Distiller's Private Reserve

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