Not Just The Same Old Booze In New Bottles

More than once I’ve sighed at the number of gimmicky spirits that companies put out as marketing ploys, which have been around ever since they started putting booze into ceramic Elvis bottles. Slapping on a vintage date and some newly coined nomenclature like “fermented by elves in the Mountains of Mourne” and “filtered through diamonds found in Marilyn Monroe’s jewelry box,” they differ not at all from what the same producer had been making for decades.

Competition in the spirits market has, however, gotten fierce and there is a lot of novelty that has resulted in a really interesting array of spirits that don’t taste the same as ever. Here are several I’ve been enjoying this month.

The Irishman Single Malt Whiskey ($54.99)—This is part of a $500,000 “bespoke” rebranding investment by Walsh Whiskey. The bottle is tapered and embossed with Irish phrases. The whiskey is aged in a Caribbean Rum Cask Finish. Admirably, the labels are also in braille and nutritional information is provided. The Founder’s Reserve blend (70% Single Malt and 30% Pot Still) has been renamed The Harvest, crafted a mash of 100% Irish barley.

The Last Drop Distillers No. 28 Kentucky Straight Whiskey ($3,999)—The price tag may impress your friends, but there are only 1,458 bottles of the stuff, created Drew Mayville. It is a blend of vintage straight bourbon and rye whiskeys made after Mayville tasted 400 different vintage bourbon and rye whiskeys produced by Buffalo Trace. It is aged in American oak and emerges at 121.4 proof, and Mayville notes, “The spiciness is challenging the dark fruit, the chocolate notes, and the sweet vanilla.” The Last Drop Distillers was founded in 2008 by Tom Jago and James Espey and in 2016 acquired by the Sazerac Company.

Clonakilty’s Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($49.99)—Made with double- distilled single malt from the Scully family farm in southern Ireland, and finished over three years in cold-toasted red wine casks from Château La Cardonne, it is bottled at 92 proof. The distillery borders the Atlantic, so the spirit absorbs some of the saline brininess along with a leathery flavor and hint of grass.

Indri-Trini Single Malt Indian Whisky: The Three Wood ($55)—Yes, it’s made with Indian barley from Rajastan (46% proof), aged in ex-Bourbon, French red wine, and PX Sherry casks, then blended. (I thought the name might refer to a golf club.) The label is printed in Hindi, and the whiskey is produced by Piccadilly Group Indri, within the state of Haryana, which began operations in 2012.

Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrell Sour Mash Whiskey ($100)—Michter’s has developed a reputation for making limited edition whiskeys that have achieved cult status, and this sour mash is only the second time it’s been released. Distiller Dan McKee and Maturation Master Andrea McGee like a balance of sweetness, spice and smokiness, and the first release won Whiskey Exchange’s “Whiskey of the Year” in 2019, the first time a U.S. whiskey head ever achieved that honor.

Old Elk Straight Bourbon ($49.99) —Old Elk claims it uses four times more malted barley than conventional bourbon recipes (51% corn, 34% malted barley, 15% rye), with an 88 proof, which gives it a noticeable smoothness. According to master distiller Greg Metze, “All bourbon is taken out of the barrel at cask strength . . . then ‘proofed’ with water to bring it to bottle strength. Traditionally, this process takes 24-48 hours. However, we choose to do it for significantly longer at very small increments . . . by adding the same total amount of fresh Colorado mountain water over multiple weeks (instead of days) to keep the bourbon cool, allowing us to bottle every last drop of flavor.” This adds to the caramel flavors imparted by the casks, as well as nuttiness on the finish.

Kirk & Sweeney Reserva Dominican Rum ($39)—The name of this Dominican rum derives from a notorious rum runner schooner of the 1920s, seized with a massive amount of rum on board. The Reserva is made from sugarcane processed into Grade 3 black strap molasses at 80 proof, aged in American and French oak, with the blending spirits ranging from three to fourteen years of age. The pretty, squat bottle is in the tradition of old 18th century rum bottles.

Ron Barceló Organic Dominican Rum ($30)—Made from fresh sugar came juice from “one of our oldest and wildest fields,” the technique was based on the implementation of a Sustainability Code (on the label). At 80 proof, it’s got a nice peppery edge, not hot but more fragrant, and, although it has an amber color, it bolsters cocktails like the daiquiri and margarita.

Cream of Kentucky Estate Straight Rye Whiskey ($55)—Bottled in bond, meaning it is grown and distilled from 100% Rymin rye, and bottled in one place, Crestwood, Kentucky. Jim Rutledge is a Master Distiller and in the industry since 1966, launching his own J.W. Rutledge Distillery in 2015 to make this heritage brand in 2019 that was originally trademarked in 1891. This is his first 100% rye, 97 proof, and tastes like it, not like some evocation of bourbon and rye. Its production totals only 70 barrels.