FIGHTING IRISH:
The Launch of Concannon Irish Whiskey

An Irish whiskey with a Bay Area connection… Livermore, to be exact? It’s true. January saw the release of a brand new whiskey, not a common occurrence in Ireland. What better way to initiate this new release than with a Bon Vivants’ party?

My recent travails through Ireland, particularly exploring whiskey production in County Cork (from pot still beauties like Redbreast, to mass production Jameson), amplified my love for the smooth pleasures of Irish whiskey.

Cocktail and event gurus, the Bon Vivants throw some of the most memorable parties I’ve ever been to, and their Concannon Fighting Irish party was no exception. Think unmarked Mission warehouse, rousing, traditional Irish band, and two boxers pounding it out in a clandestine brawl for multiple rounds (yes, there was blood).

Meanwhile, pours of Concannon (which means “wisdom without compromise”) flowed neat, over hand-chipped ice, in Irish Coffees or punch. Filling up on corned beef sandwiches, were were a happy lot, transported to another time and place, to boxing matches of decades ago.

What about the whiskey? It’s smooth and supple as you’d expect an Irish whiskey to be, but not because it’s thrice distilled, like a number of popular Irish whiskeys. Concannon is actually twice distilled at Ireland’s Cooley Distillery by master blender, Noel Sweeney, who blends all Cooley whiskeys. I appreciate minimal distillations at it simply means more of the original flavors are left in the spirit rather than stripped out of it.

Made from locally harvested Spring barley and blended with French corn distilled in a column still (again, unusual for Irish whiskey), the whiskey is distilled in copper pot stills, then aged a minimum of 4 years in Heaven Hill bourbon casks.

Cooley Distillery is known for pushing Irish whiskey boundaries: they continue that tradition by finishing Concannon whiskey for four months in Concannon Vineyards‘ Heritage Petite Syrah barrels (the winery’s highest tier, award-winning wine). The whiskey is then bottled here in California.

After a rousing release party, I spent the next day in Livermore at Concannon Vineyards over Irish breakfast and Irish Coffees, made with Concannnon whiskey, naturally. We were joined by the winery’s 4th generation vintner, John Concannon, and Cooley’s global brand ambassador, John Cashman.

John Concannon regaled us with stories of the Concannon family’s immigration from Ireland to California, the winery’s history dating back to the 1800′s, and how they survived Prohibition by being one of the few wineries designated to make altar wine… yes, religion kept them alive. The unexpectedly swank but relaxed winery is well worth visiting on its own with a tasting room, restaurant and wine bar pouring over 50 wines by the glass.

Concannon whiskey is an obvious step above other Irish whiskeys in this price range. Smooth and affordable ($24.99 a bottle), caramel and vanilla notes from bourbon barrels hit the nose. To taste, there’s apples, gentle spice and golden raisins with a silky, oak finish. And that Bay Area connection creates an immediate bond. $24.99

BARREL AGED BEAUTIES

Here are two new barrel aged beauties worth seeking out, plus more to look forward to in 2012.

1512 SPIRITS BARREL AGED 100% RYE

We’ve talked small production 1512 Spirits rye before, made by Salvatore (Sal) Cimino in a small, custom still up in Santa Rosa. During the day you’ll find him giving shaves and cutting hair in his classic Nob Hill barbershop.

His brand new release is a barrel-aged 100% Rye, just on the market at merely a handful of bottles ($59.99-per half-bottle) with the largest allocation available through K&L Wines.

Ryes are (blessedly) flooding the market these days but only a handful are made from 100% rye and even less with the one-man attention that goes into 1512. Sal cautiously guards his process, not allowing anyone else present when distilling.

Whiskey fans may quibble about a $60 half bottle when they can get cheaper ryes (or stand-outs like Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye for more). But this rye is the opposite of high production whiskey. One tastes the hands-on care in each sip. Though 100 proof, it is bright, fresh, popping with apple, vanilla, pepper, a gentle rather than bracing spice, and a lingering complexity.

I had the privilege of tasting early batches of 2012′s future releases, including a 105 proof Poitín (or poteen in the States), a rare Irish spirit made in this case from potatoes (the word poteen refers to small pot stills in which the liquor is historically made). Despite the use of potatoes, I would not liken this to potato vodka. Clear, bold and light, it evokes cucumber and Summer, with the spirit of an eau de vie and robustness of a white whiskey. There’s nothing in the US quite like it and it is set to be released in April 2012.

Later in 2012, Cimino is releasing a bracing white wheat whiskey at over 70% wheat (I sampled it at 120 proof but it will be bottled closer to or below 100 proof). For that proof, it’s awfully smooth, evoking surprising flavors from straight-up wheat bread to clean chocolate notes. Another unusual sip, it confirms that this Nob Hill barber is creating some of California’s (and yes, the country’s) more interesting, very small batch, historical spirits. Aged Rye $59.99

BOLS BARREL AGED GENEVER

The classic Dutch spirit, Bols Genever, has been produced by Lucas Bols since 1575. Not many distilleries can boast such a heritage. Master distiller Piet Van Leijenhorst has been crafting Bols for over 25 years. Genever is a spirit often referred to as the original gin that London dry and other gins morphed from. It’s worlds apart from what we commonly call gin, more akin to whiskey in boldness but with its own unique, herbaceous profile.

In trying the new Bols Barrel Aged Genever, which Esquire magazine just named best new liquor of 2011, complexity raises a few more notches. Made with traditional genever botanicals (like cloves, anise, hops, ginger, juniper, etc…), the genever is aged 18 months in French Limousin oak. Bottled in a grey, earthenware bottle, it has substance visually as it does in taste. It drinks bold with a silky texture. Subtly sweet with vanilla honey, cinnamon spice, wood and pepper linger on the finish.

As with a good whiskey, I like to sip Bols Barrel Aged Genever neat, pre or post dinner, but it also gives intriguing dimensionss to classic cocktail greats like a Mint Julep or Manhattan (substitute whiskey for genever). $49.99

SCOTCH: WINTER DELIGHTS

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much of good whiskey is barely enough.” - Mark Twain

Last issue I shared a few dynamic new spirits releases across categories, from creme de menthe to Scottish gin. This round, it’s Scotch sips for a winter’s night. While I continue to sip Mortlach 16 and one-of-a-kind bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society I recently brought home from Scotland, wishing they were available in the States (there is a Society chapter in the US, and as is true with each bottle they offer, the ones I had in Scotland were single releases there), here are four producers that are available and would be gladly received as holiday gifts by Scotch whisky lovers in your life.

Something Different

BOWMORE – Smoky Sophistication
Smoky, like a fine cigar, with muted, sophisticated tones… that’s Bowmore’s 15 year “Darkest” Scotch.

For Islay Scotch-fanatics (Islay: the island on which generally peaty/smoky Scotches thrive), this one is an understated beauty. Where Laphroaig‘s standard 10 year Scotch hits hard and heavy on the smoke (Ardbeg’s Supernova and Alligator take it even further – like sucking on an ashtray… in a good way), Bowmore 15 takes a more seductive route. Tantalizing on the nose with chocolate, pepper and wood, the taste is rich in cedar wood, sea brine, sherry, toffee, and, yes, peat. This gorgeous Islay Scotch is aged in American bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, without being overwhelmed by either sherry sweetness or peaty smoke.

It’s among my top peat-driven Scotches of all time, a lesson in balance, offering all the smoke one could desire, but not merely that. Bowmore is the oldest distillery in Islay, around since 1779. In keeping with its rich history, it’s one of Islay’s gems – at a reasonable price. $69.99

BALBLAIR 2000 – Young and Bright
Young and bright aren’t words one thinks of in relation to Scotch. Way up north in the Highlands, Balblair crafts stand-up Scotches with just such a profile.

Though I like the green apple, woody spice of their 1989 single malt, I’m more taken with the younger 2000. Golden, and balanced, it unfolds with pear and green apple notes, making way for honey, coconut, and a spice zing that lingers warm and soft on the palate. It tastes young, yes, but this makes it no less complex than an older, mustier Scotch. In fact, in my latest travels through Scotland, Balblair 2000 stood out not just because of it’s modern packaging, but because it is fresh, different than many of the other whiskies I was sipping (and well-priced for a single malt). Though not easy to find in the States, SF’s own Whisky Shop has it at $62.50 a bottle. $62.50

Elegantly Approachable

THE MACALLAN – Romance & Range
Returning last month from Speyside up in Northern Scotland, I stayed on the enchanting Macallan estate. I’ll never forget the austere peace of their 370 acre land: the river Spey, lush green hillsides contrasting with vivid colors of fall, moody storms passing swiftly through.

The Macallan whiskies are a lesson in elegance, even if the popularity (and thus scarcity) of higher-aged product drives up prices. Harmony of spice and brightness is obtained by maturing their Scotches in both sherry and bourbon casks.

Besides their bracing 10 year cask strength Scotch, which is sadly not available in the States, my favorites are on the pricier end: 21 year Fine Oak ($180-250) is heady with jasmine and tropical fruits, while nutty, orange blossom notes of the 3o year Sherry ($900-$1000) compliment its earthiness. Both are gorgeous. On the affordable end, the 15 year ($80) is honey-rich, with cinnamon and floral notes melding into orange and chocolate. The classic Sherry Oak 12 year ($49.99) is a great value, evoking orange marmalade, vanilla and toffee. $49.99-$1000

THE GLENROTHES – Smooth Balance

If you can find Glenrothes Vintage 1994 ($79), snatch it up, for it is the last of the vintage. Making way for Vintage 1995 ($82) just released this month, the Speyside whisky producer makes some of the more elegant Scotches from the region.

Like The Macallan, they mature their whiskies in both sherry and bourbon casks. 1995 evokes pepper, cedar, creamy butterscotch, and when a couple drops of water are added, a surprising whisper of chocolate. 1994 gives off a nose of apple and even pencil shavings, while tasting of woody vanilla.

On the cheaper end ($45), you won’t go wrong with Glenrothes classic Select Reserve ($45), bright with orange zest, malt, salt, and coconut.

If you want to go all out, hunt for the rare (only 120 bottles in US, $375) 1996 Single Cask Editor’s Edition. The nose evokes an earthy, aged rum and demerara sugar, while the taste is crisp spice, maple syrup richness, and Oaxacan chocolate. A truly unique Scotch.

I recently spent time with Glenrothes director Ronnie Cox, his sense of humor and good taste evident. Glenrothes is one of the great blended whiskys, and as he quipped: “Single malts for thinkers, blended whisky for drinkers.” I’d say Glenrothes is for both. $45-$375

A Spirited Winter: Bottles for Gift-Giving

Whether hunting for the latest and unusual spirits as a gift or pour during holiday festivities, these brand new products, a number of them local, are standouts in my incessant sampling.

TEMPUS FUGIT CREME de MENTHE & CREME de CACAO
Praise be for the arrival (finally) of these game-changing liqueurs! I had the privilege of tasting early prototypes of local Tempus Fugit’s Crème de Menthe and Crème de Cacao well over a year ago. One taste and I could never go back to the cheap-tasting versions of both we’ve been stuck with for decades. As popular elements in classic cocktails (you’ll find them all over the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book), Tempus Fugit (TF) revives the crèmes to their original glory using natural herbs and botanicals. Just as they’ve done with Gran Classico and Creme de Violette, they recover recipes from long before chemical additives and mass production.

As I’ve said before, my guilty pleasure cocktail is a Grasshopper (confession: it was my first favorite cocktail at age 21), and no Grasshopper is more revelatory than one made with TF’s menthe and cacao with a splash of cream. Their crèmes also re-invent classic cocktails like the Stinger (brandy, Crème de Menthe) or a Brandy Alexander (cognac, Crème de Cacao, cream). Creme de Menthe is crisp, minty, like breathing in fresh mountain air. Creme de Cacao is earthy, dark chocolate with a light, subtly sweet hand. Waiting on label approval, TF has two more treasures in store for us, hopefully by early next year: a Fernet (less menthol, more layered herbaceous notes than Fernet Branca), and a Kina, a bitter, bright aperitif most closely related to Lillet. Again, tasting early versions of both historical recipes, I’m not surprised: they’re beauties. $29.99

ESSENTIAL SPIRITS BIERSCHNAPS
Sergeant Dave Classick, master distiller and Vietnam War vet is known for his gold and silver rums. Besides being a Bay Area local (his distillery is in Mountain View), he runs Essential Spirits, producing a grappa, bierschnaps, and a pear brandy. All three (or the rums, for that matter) make worthy gifts, but “most unusual” points go to the bierschnaps. Distilled in an Alambic still, this clear, Bavarian spirit is brewed from, you guessed it: beer, a California Pale Ale (light on the hops) which they brew themselves. Smooth like a quality vodka, it elicits elements from spirits as varying as grappa to tequila, retaining a dry finish from American malt. A rare German treat, enjoy on the rocks, as a martini, or in Sergeant Classick’s own Classick Lime Ricky. $34.99

BITTERMENS SPIRITS AMERE SAUVAGE
Each November, the Indy Spirits Expo offers excellent small production pours, and even I find a few new surprises every year. This time, a winner was New York’s Bittermens Spirits (yes, of the popular indie bitters line) brand new line of five bitter liqueurs ($29.99). Each is a worthy purchase, whether it be Amère Nouvelle, an Alsatian-style bitter orange liqueur used in classic cocktails like the Amer Biere (pale lager, bitter orange and gentian liqueur), or the limited edition Hiver Amer, a bitter orange-laced cinnamon liqueur, ideal in egg nog or toddies. My favorite at first taste was the Amère Sauvage, an alpine gentian liqueur, using famously bitter gentian root herbs, it is earthy and lush in a White Negroni. $29.99

OLD WORLD SPIRITS GOLDRUN RYE
Old World Spirits, a small gem of a distillery just south of SF in San Carlos, produces a whole line of winners, from their California-spirited Blade Gin and its aged counterpart, Rusty Blade, to their lushly spiced Kuchan Nocino black walnut liqueur. Their new release of Goldrun Rye is the right gift for the whiskey fans among you. K&L Wine Merchants has some of the early bottles available of this long-anticipated rye. With an Old West label, the Gold Rush-inspired rye whiskey evokes warm cereal and whispers of molasses and caramel, smooth enough to convert bourbon drinkers to the spiced pleasures of rye, the “other” American whiskey. More than most, the spice doesn’t overwhelm, rather it tastes as a fresh as just-baked loaf of rye bread. $36.99, 375 ml bottle

CAORUNN GIN
In my recent travels through Scotland, I sampled a brand new Scottish gin (we’re seeing more, e.g. Bruichladdich’s Botanist and Darnley’s Gin made in England but with Scottish connections): Caorunn (pronounced ‘ka-roon’). Besides typical London dry style botanicals like juniper, Caorunn goes a different direction with Scottish ingredients like heather, dandelion, rowan berry, bog myrtle, and Coul blush apple (a total of six traditional and five Celtic botanicals make up the gin). Despite its traditional roots, Caorunn plays against type with rosy apple notes, a crisp body, and dry finish. For gin lovers, it’s a slightly different take. In experimenting at home, I find it works best with rustic apple juice, bringing out its vivacious fall spirit evocative of the gorgeous Scottish Highlands in which it is made (distilled at Balmenach Distillery). $35

Bonus ideas: any of St. George’s three stunning new gins, or Art in the Age’s (Philadeliphia-based company that created Root and Snap liqueurs) brand new Rhuby, a spirit based on 1700′s American rhubarb tea recipes, and made from rhubarb, beets, carrots, lemon, cardamom, pink peppercorn, coriander, vanilla, and pure cane sugar.

Recapping WHISKYFEST 2011

Another year, another WhiskyFest. I’ve been attending a number of years now, ever relishing an opportunity to try unexplored whiskies, refresh my taste memory on others, and connect with whisk(e)y industry folk and distillers here from Kentucky to Scotland.

A number of options listed as VIP tastes (more than ever this year) were not, in fact, available at all. Some purveyors said these bottles hadn’t reached the States yet (like Isle of Jura’s Shackleton or Pierre Ferrand Ancestrale Cognac), but I find this a problem, particularly for those paying more to hit VIP hour for these rare tastes ($135 regular tickets; $185 for VIP hour).

One that WAS there however, was the soft, layered, fruity yet slightly oaky, Tamdhu 30 year from Gordon & MacPhail. Their Benromach 10 yr (available all night, not just during VIP hour) is surprisingly complex, with essence of cedar, nuts, smoke, and spice. Aged in bourbon casks, then finished off in sherry, it does not taste a full 20 years younger than the Tamdhu. I chatted with the company’s friendly managing director, Michael Urquhart, one of 3rd and 4th generations of the Urquhart family who own the company and have been making single malts long before they were ever marketed as a category.

My favorite VIP taste may have been Ardmore’s gorgeous 30 yr Scotch. Surprisingly light, it evokes coffee, caramel, dried orange and a long, gently peaty finish. I found this beauty at the Laphroaig table, where I also enjoyed another taste of Laphroig’s Cairdeus and Triple Wood whiskies).

Italian company Samaroli imports a number of special edition whiskies, but of greater interest to me were their unique rums, some layered and elegant, others funky, but all fascinating, particularly Caribbean2003, a rum that is predominantly Cuban, and a French-style rhum agricole: Guadaloupe 1998.

Bruichladdich, who wins for hippest, out-of-the-norm packaging, is doing some interesting things, particularly with their new gin (yes, I said gin), The Botanist. Though containing far too many botanicals (22 in all, from bog myrtle leaves to apple mint), somehow it manages to come together in a cohesive, smoothly refined whole. Their unique Black Art 2 whisky, an uber-secretive recipe that purportedly only distiller Jim McEwan knows, was aged in a range of unlisted barrels, possibly sherry, even wine casks, just like the first limited edition of Black Art.

High West Distillery in Park City, Utah, has a new bottled Manahattan cocktail. Though it’s a decent product, I couldn’t fathom preferring it to a freshly made (or barrel-aged at a bar) Manhattan. All initial barrels in Utah sold out in 8 days, so they launched the product beyond. I sampled their new 21 yr Rocky Mountain Rye, but actually preferred another new bottling:  OMG (meaning Old MononGahela, a Western Pennsylvania river) Pure Rye Silver Whiskey. They left the heads and tails left in, giving it a rugged, green profile of Meyer lemon citrus and rye spice, best enjoyed neat at room temperature.

Tequila Corrido, a tequila line I enjoy from start to finish, poured their new Extra Anejo from the first barrel to ever leave the distillery. It tastes of lemongrass, oak and chocolate, with agave actually detectable (a fault of many anejos when wood drowns out the agave).

Great King Street, a blended Scotch made by the Compass Box Whisky Company wasn’t my top taste of the night, but is a smooth blend of Lowland, Highland and Speyside single malts, lightly toasty with vanilla and spice. It’s fresh, classically modern packaging and approach of bringing back respect for blends make it stand out.

WHISKYFEST Seminar with Parker Beam & Alain Royer

My seminar of choice was the evening’s highlight, led by one of my whiskey heros, Parker Beam (who I had the privilege of meeting last year and chatting again with this week), and master Cognac blender Alain Royer of the Renaud Cointreau Group. Beam and Royer discussed Parker’s Heritage Collection 2011 release: a 10-year bourbon aged first in charred American white oak barrels, then 6 months in used Limousin oak Cognac casks. You wouldn’t know it’s a bracing 100 proof, as it goes down smooth, sweet and silky with maple, apple, and gentle spice. It might not be as revelatory as Parker’s Golden Anniversary or 27 year whiskeys, but alongside last year’s robust Wheated Bourbon, it’s yet another winner in Beam’s impeccable collection.

Only Heaven Hill, the company that makes Parker’s Heritage Collection (among my top bourbons of all time), can claim that since 1934 every drop of whiskey from their distillery (all their brands) is overseen by Earl, Parker or Craig Beam of the esteemed Beam family. They produce 900,000 barrels of whiskies out of 49 rickhouses across 30+ acres.

Parker ever charms with his slow-as-molasses (or maybe even slower) Southern drawl belying his feisty sense of humor. Keeping it real, he says, “If you want to make good bourbon, you make it in Kentucky. If you want to sell it, you damn well make it in Kentucky.” He sips one of Heaven Hill’s most popular, affordable whiskeys during his down time, however: “At home I kick back with our Evan Williams single barrel.”

In regards to joining forces with Parker to make Parker’s Heritage Cognac Barrel-finished Bourbon, Alain states: “When I tasted Parker’s bourbon, it reminded me of Borderies.” Known for their floral richness, Cognacs from Cognac’s Borderies region are often elegant beauties with heart, just like Parker’s Cognac Bourbon.

Parker talked about the process of deciding what this year’s special release would be (each of his annual releases are rare, limited editions): “We had some older products [older than his 27yr bourbon] that wasn’t up to snuff. I didn’t like it, anyway… To make Cognac bourbon we went gung ho, as we knew the bourbon was gonna be good… and we trusted Alain’s selection of barrels”.

Next to the final product, we sampled Heaven Hill‘s Bourbon Rye Mashbill (10yr bourbon, 100 proof) from new charred white oak barrels. Even in its raw form, the rye exhibits fullness and spice, coconut and vanilla. We also savored Alain’s Chateau de Fontpinot XO Cognac, aged an average of 18-20 years and produced on one single estate from ugni blanc grapes. It’s seductive with apple and apricot, subtly earthy with hay and wood notes, a sophisticated Cognac.

At NEW MIDLETON DISTILLERY
County Cork, Ireland

Ireland is a green land of rolling hills, sheep and craggy coastline, to be sure. The people enchanted even more… a generous, welcoming, hilarious lot. One of my favorite people in recent Ireland travels was Liam O’Leary, distillery operations manager at New Midleton Distillery in County Cork, near the southern coast of Ireland.

The name New Midleton may not mean  a lot to some, but if you follow Irish whiskey, you know there are merely three distilleries producing publicly-sold spirits in all of Ireland and this one’s the Mother. It’s most famous as home to Jameson (founded in 1780 by John Jameson, originally produced in Dublin at the Old Jameson Distillery, which I also visited). New Midleton also produces numerous Irish whiskies including Midleton, Powers Gold Label, Tullamore Dew, Paddy, and smaller pot still brands like my longtime favorite Irish whiskey Redbreast and new love, Green Spot (oh, that it would become available in the States).

Liam hosted the Renaissance Man and I on a private tour of the grounds. Spending pleasurable hours  talking whiskey and of his 40 year history at Jameson (long before it was the huge company it is now),  we delved into a subject dear to my heart, and, it seems, to every local I spoke to: music. We watched mass distilling in action, and finished with a hearty Irish lunch in the distillery restaurant.

The New Midleton facility is to date the most colossal, high production I’ve yet seen: towering stills, control panels, endless storage buildings stacked with barrels, and the world’s largest pot still (able to hold up to 125,000 liters, or roughly 33,000 gallons), which is no longer in use but is viewable in the Old Midleton museum. Numerous copper pot stills operate simultaneously, holding a massive 75,000 liters each. The facility whirs and buzzes continuously, recalling Ireland’s past, creating its future.

Tasting Jameson

Exploring New Midleton, it’s only fitting we talk Jameson. Possibly the highlight of my trip to Ireland (and there were many), was tasting Jameson 20 year whiskey straight from bourbon barrels (of which the majority of Jameson is aged in), and alongside it, 10 year whiskey in sherry barrels, both of which are blended into higher-end final product.

Both were superb, the purest forms of Irish whiskey I’ve tasted, particularly the golden, 20 year in bourbon barrels. Its layers kept unfolding, warm, honeyed and bright, spicy, fresh with grain and fruit. Already perfection, this stuff should be bottled at cask strength on its own. The sherry cask whiskey adds round, dark notes, giving it fullness and sensual depth.

As I taste through the Jameson line at home, notes from those unforgettable barrels come back to me. I pick up various strains from the bourbon and sherry oak, all with that ever-present smoothness Irish whiskey is known for as it is generally triple-distilled. As the biggest selling Irish whiskey in the world, Jameson has done much to advance the category, while I crave pot still beauties like Redbreast and Green Spot. For further reading, Paul Clarke wrote an article in this month’s issue of Imbibe that illumines Irish whiskey’s growth, history and current status in cocktail culture.

Here are my tasting notes from sipping (multiple times) through the Jameson line:

Jameson Rarest Reserve, $279 – Rarest Reserve is the grandaddy of the line. Winning numerous awards (including this year’s Double Gold at the SF World Spirits Competition), it’s an expensive but truly special imbibement. After one explores the full-bodied aromas of ripe plum and spice, the taste impresses with toasted wood, dusty peach, dark chocolate, a hint of slate, leather and earth. Here I find encompassed the approachable yet elevated possibilities inherent in Irish whiskey.

Jameson 18yr Limited Reserve, $86.99 – The 18yr is another big award-winner, hitting my taste buds with an intense amount of peach. For me it evokes a golden summer freshness. Though I prefer it neat, it’s also lovely on the rocks. A couple drops of water allow other tastes to unfold, including orange marmalade, gentle spice, nuttiness, and biscuit. It’s soft yet bright, and could convert the non-whiskey drinker.

Jameson Gold Reserve, $60.99 – Gold Reserve is a richer whiskey than the 12yr or Jameson Irish Whiskey. I get creamy apple on the nose, a gentle honey texture and a peppery finish.

Jameson 12yr Special Reserve, $39.99 – The 12yr won Gold this year at the SF World Spirits Competition), sweet and spicy with sherry, wood notes. Oddly enough, I find its astringency is softened and rounded out with food.

Jameson Irish Whiskey, $24.99 – The original Jameson has never been my Irish whiskey go-to. I find it a bit hot and thin, despite sweet fruit, vanilla and nuts. But this is the great global seller in Irish whiskey, often the first introduction many have to the category.

 

I sample dozens of spirits, wines, beers in any given month. If there are tasting events (and there are), then multiply that a few times. Here are ones that rose above in recent weeks:

WHISK(E)Y

LAPHROAIG 2011 CAIRDEAS - Laphroaig’s master distiller John Campbell and Global Brand Ambassador Simon Brooking were in SF a couple weeks ago. I spent an afternoon with them sipping Laphroaig’s brand new 2011 Cairdeas, Ileach Edition. Limited release, only 350 cases have been made available to the US, of which SF alone has 75 (at Whiskey Shop on Sutter Street). On the heels of last year’s limited Cairdeas Master’s Edition, this winning version is non-chill filtered, hinting at that quintessential Islay peatiness but rounded out with an overall earthy, slate quality, and gentle sweet notes of candied orange.

Laphroaig is releasing a Triple-wood Quarter Cask scotch this Fall in the US (already a big seller in UK), which is basically their creamy, spicy Quarter Cask scotch finished in sherry casks. Though I have a bottle of their now extinct 15yr, and their 10yr is a peat-heavy Islay standard, my favorite remains their 18yr, a less peaty, more balanced beauty redolent of salt, vanilla, honey, with gentle spice and layered depth.

BALCONES BRIMSTONE - In my 7×7 corn whiskey article, I list Balcones corn whiskey, a 2010 Double Gold medal winner at SF World Spirits Competition. They just released a new whiskey, Brimstone, smoked with sun-baked Texas scrub oak.

My first reaction upon tasting it is to crave BBQ (not unlike with MB Roland’s delightful Black Dog, another smoked corn whiskey, although both have quite a different taste profile). Balcones Brimstone tastes, yes, of fresh corn, but with a bold, smoky, campfire essence, and more than a hint of sweet cumin. Distiller Chip Tate calls it, “Texas campfire in a glass.” That’s exactly it. An intriguing addition to the Balcones line.

I can’t help but be drawn more towards smoked corn whiskeys than to standard, clear corn whiskeys.

1512 SPIRITS - Salvatore Cimino is a Nob Hill barber by day (at 1512 Pine Street), and whiskey distiller by night. Cimino comes from a distilling lineage with a Prohibition-era bootlegger grandfather, whose 1923 photo (right) graces the bottle of 1512 Spirits‘ Barbershop Rye.

Distilled over direct fire in Rohnert Park (using one Portuguese copper alembic still and one 70-gallon finishing still), 1512 is truly small batch at 350 bottles per month. Made from 100% rye grain, his unaged rye ($32-35 a bottle) is surprisingly balanced and flavor-rich for a young whiskey.

I sampled the aged rye (not yet released), aged in 3-gallon new char, American oak barrels. At merely three months, it’s already showing robust color and body, the taste full with rich wood notes. Sal hopes to release a classic bourbon and a cherry-smoked bourbon in the future.

Sip these locally-made beauties at 15 Romolo, 83 Proof, Swig and Rye, or buy a bottle at Jug Shop, Healthy Spirits, Cask, Liquid Experience. Even LA’s Father’s Office is serving 1512 alongside their beloved burger.

GIN

NOLET SILVER DRY GIN - Nolet’s Silver Dry gin is among the most floral gins I’ve had. It gains this profile from Turkish rose, gently sweet with peach and raspberry. At $49.99 at K&L, it’s a pricier gin, showcasing gin’s new wave. Distilled in Schiedam, Holland (by the family that produced a little spirit called Ketel One vodka), it falls into the non-traditional category, its unique properties brought out by fruits such as the feijoa (a pineapple guava native to South America but grown in California), paired in their new Garden to Cocktail Program where produce is sent out monthly for Nolet cocktail experimentation. The pairing amps up the floral aspect, the feijoa’s gentle pear-like notes contrasting with an herbal finish. In a straightforward Martini or Gin & Tonic, Nolet‘s sweeter, fruitier notes come through.

I particularly appreciate what Michael Mina’s bar staff have been doing with Nolet recently – you can also sip it at bars like Rickhouse and Cantina. Nolet Reserve is getting buzz as one of the priciest, rarest gins, though at nearly $700 one expects fireworks. Seems to be the case for F. Paul Pacult, who calls it “one of the finest spirits I’ve ever tasted.”

LIQUEURS

pür•spirits – Recently released in SF (find them at D&M on Fillmore and online at K&L), pür•spirits is a German-distilled spirits’ line with a local connection: it was imported to the US by SF locals, Kiki and Harvey Braverman, from Kiki’s native Germany.

Though there are also two vodkas and a malted barley spirit, I sampled pür‘s three liqueurs:

- Blood Orange: Spiced and sweet, it is redolent of cinnamon and cloves.
- Elderflower: No, it does not taste identical to St. Germain, but is, rather, a little lighter, gently sweet and floral with hand-picked white elderflowers from around Lake Constance, which is situated between Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
- Pear: I’ve tasted a lot of pear liqueurs, from locally-made ones to those only found in Switzerland, Germany, etc… pür•likör williams is unusual not only in its almost lighter-than-air, delicate mouth feel, but in that it tastes just like fresh-pressed pears. It is my favorite of the three.