Nine years of 100% malted rye, and the distiller drove it out to us himself.
I have been incredibly excited to get this barrel into the Shoppe. It’s a 100% malted rye from Anchor Distilling that Brucato was fortunate enough to get its hands on, and we were even more fortunate that they allowed us to purchase it.
Adam Hall, who spent 10 years as Master Distiller at Anchor Distilling and is now at Brucato, was so excited that we bought the barrel that he loaded the cases and the barrel into the back of his little truck and drove them out to us himself.
We were like two kids at Christmas unloading that truck, practically tearing into the packaging to get our first look at the barrel. The excitement was justified. The liquid does not disappoint. Nine years old, a beautiful amber color, layers of spice and cocoa, and a respectable 133 proof. This is a special rye, and I couldn’t be happier to have it in the Shoppe.
Our third Maple Brûlée barrel. I keep saying I won’t chase a good one.
This is our third barrel of NULU Maple Brûlée, and I’m guessing it won’t be our last.
I have a personal rule about not chasing a previous successful barrel. Every barrel is different, and part of the fun is discovering something new rather than trying to recreate the last great one. But when it comes to Maple Brûlée, apparently that rule is meant to be broken.
The name pretty much gives away the experience. Rich maple and brûléed sweetness make this one incredibly inviting, but don’t mistake it for a dessert whiskey. At 129 proof, this is still a serious bourbon with plenty of muscle behind all that indulgence.
Yes, a gin. Juniper and bitterness, then mango and grapefruit, over sugar kelp.
Yes, a gin!
I was reminded just how good this gin is when it finally came back into stock this week. Isle of Harris is a small-batch Scottish maritime gin that incorporates hand-harvested local sugar kelp into its botanical recipe.
I’m not sure if it’s the kelp, but there’s something really special going on here. You get that familiar juniper character and bitterness you’d expect from a good gin, but there’s also a wonderful combination of mango and grapefruit that makes it incredibly refreshing.
It’s fantastic in a gin and tonic, and equally impressive in a martini. Sometimes it’s nice to step outside the whiskey aisle, and this is a pretty compelling reason to do it.
