Dear friend of fine spirits,
MILLARD FILLMORE. This delight is in response to many many requests for a Germain-Robin brandy to use in cocktails. Three years in development, it’s a blend of our precious potstill brandy with a very nice brandy distilled in the Central Valley of California on a continuous still. The Millard has a bit of extra oak so it can show up when mixed. (40% abv, $35). If you want a sipper, step up to the Craft Method.
THE EXCEPTIONAL BLEND. First release: It’s a blend of mature grain and malt whiskey casks selected with the help of Willie Phillips, formerly Managing Director of Macallan. The grains are from North British, Strathclyde, and Cameronbridge; the malts are from Glenfarclas, Ben Nevis, Balvenie, Kininvie, Glenfiddich, Alt-a’Bhainne, Auchroisk, Glenallachie, Westport, and Speyside, and include a 30-year-old Macallan. Incredible smoothness, depth & complexity. Finished in first-fill sherry casks, this is one of the finest whiskies on the market. BTW: the Exceptional Malt was recently included in Paul Pacult’s list of the 25 best whiskies he has ever tasted (43% abv, $120).
MEZCALS!!!
ALIPUS SAN BALTAZAR. For those of you who miss this soft and tasty mezcal, we have a few bottles from a pallet shipped by special order to our Texas distributor (47% abv $50).
MEZCAL ALIPUS ENSAMBLE. A batch of complex/very clean mezcal from Don Valente Angel at San Andres, 80% espadin, 20% local wild bicuishe. Gotta love bicuishe – great flavor/nice focus. Good buy at the price (47.3% abv, $65).
ALIPUS SAN MIGUEL. A small batch of espadín blended with 20% semi-wild arroqueño & distilled in clay by Leonardo Rojas of Potrero. Arroqueño intensity tamed by distillation in clay. Scarce: only 360 bottles in the shipment (47.6% abv, $65).
MEZCALERO NO. 16. Don Valente Angel at his best, working with local semi-wild madrecuishe (agave Karwinskii). Focused and extremely clean: a master distiller at work. (47.1% abv, $96).
MEZCALERO SPECIAL NO. 2. I tasted this last September during a discussion about whether good mezcal ages better in oak or in tank. Don Valente said, not in oak, and brought this out as an example: wild dobadaan (agave rhodacantha), taken from a nearby south-facing hillside, after three years in tank. Hector Vasquez and just looked at each other: ethereal. On the label it says, accurately, the best mezcal in bottle. There are 736 bottles (47.4% abv, $135).