NIGHTCAP: January
Welcome everyone to Nightcap January. I hope you’ve all had a kick ass month. A lot has happened- The Bills lost, 3 is alive, Ukraine is still free, I went to Kentucky for a few days, brought some pals, made some pals, met some pals we knew from the innernets, visited a few places and drank quite a bit. Buckle up, we got a long one for ya this month.
The bar at Willett makes a phenomenal Manhattan with a glass chilled with liquid Nitrogen. A nightcap to remember.
It should never be assumed that one will find highly sought after bottles while visiting a distillery. Kentucky has just as many obsessed Bourbon fans as anywhere else, so it would stand to reason, there won’t be much if anything at all on gift shop shelves when you get there. In my first trip to KY in early 2019, Blade and Bow 22yr. was available in the gift shop for $600, but that was it, all the other tours, nothing extraordinary. This trip, the Willett 8yr. wheat was available at Willett, as was Evan Williams red label (you have to take the tour or you can’t buy it) at the Evan Williams Experience. If you go into the tours/visits expecting something allocated, be prepared to be disappointed, but don’t blame the distillery, allocated whiskey is allocated whiskey. They can’t produce enough as it is, let alone try to stock the gift shop with every hard to find bottle you and everyone else that visits, is desperately looking for.
One thing I find utterly inexcusable- Buffalo Trace can’t seem to stock their gift shop with their namesake Bourbon. On this visit, there was Wheatley Vodka, Bourbon Cream, and Sazerac Rye. Imagine being a huge fan of this distillery, making the visit, and then having the opportunity to buy Wheatley. I said in the bit above, don’t blame the distillery, but with this I frankly believe one should blame the distillery. No one comes to Kentucky to buy Wheatley which is available everywhere because stores are forced to carry it so they can get the three bottles of Eagle Rare… I get it, BT standard Bourbon is allocated, but COME ON ALREADY. You’ve got to have your namesake Bourbon in the gift shop, at all times, even if that means less product going out to the markets. PEOPLE CAME TO VISIT YOU! This reminds me of the “my parents went to Cozumel and all I got was this lousy T-shirt” souvenir, and isn’t far removed from visiting Buffalo Trace and only getting Bourbon Cream.
Speaking of stupid money expenditures- SPACE WHISKEY. No, it’s not the odd ball Romulan Ale Rye (what a dumb thing really it was ALE, not ALE RYE), it’s actual 3-year-old wheated Bourbon aged an additional year in space. Good lord, don’t we have better things to do up there? When it gets back down to earth you can buy one for $75,000 or 250 Elmers. We should all just price things according to Elmer now. That $30 bottle of Bourbon you bought, it was 1/10 an Elmer, or an OG Elmer. I dunno, it’s just funny that people pay $300 for that dumb bottle or will pay $75k for Space whiskey, which of course will include a 50ml so the daddy or mommy warbucks can actually taste their space investment.
Why do we drink anything but Bookers? Hmmm… seems like a good topic for a short or feature no?
I aspire to write an article this meaningful one day, so check it out here. It’s a piece on transparency in general, but has a deep focus on the Uncle Nearest Rye release, which I too found troubling and wrote about it in my October Nightcap. The original marketing release was uncut unfiltered gobbledygook. I’m glad they made some changes, but it’s still junk marketing for a very overpriced Rye release that has no real ties to Nearest.
Justins’ House of Bourbon, that boutique secondary museum liquor store that sells vintage spirits was recently raided at two of their locations where numerous bottles were seized for improper purchases and sales. There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo to dissect if you’re inclined to go over it, but I’ll just whisper that this reeks of Sazerac, who really wants you to buy that Wheatley.
In celebrity whiskey news (yawn), the 1978 University of Kentucky legends are releasing the very cleverly named “78 Legends” Bourbon. “Jack Givens, Rick Robey, and Kyle Macy are the “legends” that are putting out a 50-year-old bourbon blended with a five-year-old bourbon for a unique taste.” The bottles will be dipped in blue wax, naturally, and signed by the “legends” I’ve never heard of. There are only 1,978 bottles, and they’ll retail for the marketing genius price of $1,978. Get it? 1978, it’s a sly nod to the 1978 team that won something before a lot of people were born. Also, I’m curious about what the “unique” taste is. Does it taste like a 1978 college sports locker room? Now that would be unique.
I swear I’m going to rename this site “The Celebrity Bourbon and Rye Club.” It seems like every month there’s MOAR damn celebu-whiskey. Guess who now? CeeLo Green. The Sprite commercial guy with a potty mouth. Here’s the gobbledygook- “My enthusiasm in partnering with the Victor George Spirits brands is immeasurable,” said Green in a statement. “It is literally an extension of my own good taste. We shall shift the attention, and unbottle exceptionality, excellence and ownership with a clarity in which one can see their own reflection.” Excuse me, waiter, yes, can I have some extra dressing for that word salad I just got?
The bottle your own Knob Creek isn’t quite as hands on as Michter’s, but you literally put your fingerprint on the wax. So most “fingers-on” experience in Kentucky?
Sazerac is suing RNDC for failing to pay their bills, and for “bad mouthing.” Well hell, I bad mouth Buffalo Trace fairly often and I pay my bills sometimes a little late (not-recommended). I don’t do it because it’s bad whiskey, but because it’s doing fuck all for their fans. Can’t get red label? Here’s a white label you also can’t get. Happy? No. Ok, here’s a blue label you can see online but not IRL. Happy now? Still no. Oh, we have just the thing for you then, we call it Quadruple Beagle Scarce. Happy? No. So, we have this new orange label for you, oh never mind you won’t find that either so here, here’s a super majestic pretentious premium Wheatley for $225, it’s like drinking velvet (seriously, CLIX was distilled 159 times). Get my drift here? BT does a masterful job of keeping excitement high for their brands, but leaves many of us feeling under appreciated. I don’t think this lawsuit is going to go well if they can’t agree to settle. All it takes is one email to emerge from the distillery pressuring the distributor to sell more Wheatley……
Another example of branding nonsense, here we go with Tommy Bahama Rye Whisky. Marketing gobbledygook starts now-
“A blend of award winning 95/5 Rye mash bill aged in #3 char American oak barrels; blended with 22% light and heavy Rum in #2 char ex-bourbon barrels with staves of new charred American Oak. Young and peppery, this Tommy Bahama Rye brings a spicy splash to any cocktail.”
Start the snark- The marketing lists it as Tommy Bahama Rye Whisky. The description tells a different story. The label, tells a different story. The story is bunk. This isn’t a Rye whisky. It’s a blend of spirits. Stop playing. With the new rules defining what Rye is, requires us the drinkers to look so god damned hard at the label to figure out what it is we are drinking. They can’t do this with Bourbon, because laws, Rye doesn’t have the same protections, and it should. I find it insulting to call something a Rye, when it’s blended with RUM! It’s not Rye. Period. Margaritaville Rye in 3, 2, 1….
Who is drinking all of the Jim Beam single-barrels? No one online ever mentions them, they never show up in a haul picture, and no one is gifting them. Same with Bakers. So who the hell is drinking all of them? For the record, they are exquisite. So I might have a hand in some of them vanishing.
Wonder why Campari purchased Wilderness Trail? Capacity. Wilderness Trail announced that they are upgrading their production line that currently processes 3k bottles per day. This year they expect to process 6.4k bottles per day. This is wild, we are about to be metaphorically flooded with more whiskey from all directions.
I mean, listicles suck anyway, but don’t you just love when they write something and include a picture of NOT the thing they are talking about?
I know that a lot of onliners are turning up the hype on American single-malt releases, and yes, Jack and Jim are going to bring a lot of attention (and marketing trucks full of scratch) to the emerging category, but I just cannot get there. Wheaters fail to impress me mostly, because I prefer the spiciness of Rye, so single-malts really have little to offer me. I’ll just have to sit on the sideline and hope that the category explodes taking attention away from my preferred spirits.
In a refreshing turn on celebrity whiskey news, celebrity chef Michael Symon has eschewed having his own “brand” and has fully embraced his love of Knob Creek. I know if I was a celebrity, I’d love Knob Creek too. Wait, I already love Knob Creek, does that make me a celebrity? Keep your snarky comments to yourself, or the comments section.
In non-refreshing celebrity whiskey news, The Brothers Osbourne has collabed with WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series. God that was a mouthful. This is the second in the series yeah I’m gonna do it…. the first being Big Papi Barrel which was released in 2022, a collab with David Big Papi Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox. I swear I’m not making this up, but it was finished with a toasted baseball bat. Fuck me, when will this nonsense end? What about the Brothers Osbourne? Oh don’t worry, we didn’t forget. Here’s the gobbledygook for ya-
“WhistlePig’s Head Blender, Meghan Ireland said, “We had a blast collaborating with Brothers Osborne to bring something new to PiggyBack 100% Rye that represents their unique sound and style,” adding, “High toast barrel heads bring sweet, spice and smoke notes to our bold high Rye profile, and nod to what’s been called the band’s instrumental slash-and-burn style. Like WhistlePig, John and TJ are true originals, and the Brothers Osborne Barrel release invites our collective families to join in and celebrate that individuality.”
It hurts my head frankly. High toast barrel heads. Sweet baby Jesus on a popsicle stick. How about this for a celebrity whiskey idea? How about a Portishead Rye whiskey finished in Port and DogfishHead barrels? How about a Kid Rock n’ Rye? Tone Loc Rye whiskey with a funky cold Madeira finish? I’m here all week, and any brand that makes these things happen owes me at least a credit, or a spicy chicken sandich. Make it two sandiches..
Visiting Kentucky is fun on your own or with your partner, but bringing the gang elevates it…. trust us.
While I currently don't see a personal need for a zero-proof cocktail, the trend is taking off, and I continue to advocate for bars and restaurants to offer a thoughtful alcohol-free cocktail list. There are many reasons why, but let’s start with two obvious ones- First, the population of drinkers continues to decline, with many folks looking for healthier options that still offer the opportunity to socialize. The bar, or restaurant is still a terrific gathering place, less so if you don’t drink. Rather than having to opt for the outdated Shirley Temple, the Roy Rogers, or bitters and soda water, people want and are willing to pay for, a thoughtful booze free cocktail that they can sip on and be a part of the social aspect of the evening. Secondly- if you’re in the industry and enjoy the ritual of a cocktail but don’t want to drink after or on the job, but want to hang, see first reason really. I don’t see this trend declining anytime soon, and the opportunity for canned premade is huge.
I think that bars should have two cocktail menus. The first should feature all of their well spirits, you know, the Wheatley junk to keep the allocations flowing, and a secondary plussed cocktail menu. The second menu should truly be the craftier side of the bar, instead of the Manhattan made with Overholt, the Manhattan featuring Sagamore Double Oak with premium bitters, and a better Vermouth. Of course the second menu would cost more, but think about this, more and more people are paying more and more for whiskey because of the assumed quality based on that price. Some people want that $5 old fashioned at happy hour, they don’t care if it has Sazerac Rye or Still Austin the Artist in it, they want the five-buck-fuck-up. Many folks do care, and will pay that premium based on the perceived quality on that special night out. It’s an opportunity to showcase the mixologists skills to create something artful, and give a chance for a smaller spirit company to break into the market. Every smaller brand wants their spirit to be on the menu, but good luck competing with the bigger players in the current state of affairs. You craft a killer $35 bottle of whiskey, you send your reps out, the bar loves it, they want to use it, but the economics just don’t work…. Firstly it can’t beat $20 Rittenhouse, or $16 Overholt, or $16 Sazerac. Secondly, it’s not just replacing those with a higher priced whiskey, which either cuts your profit margin, or increases prices, but it also lowers volume that counts towards allocations. This is an impossible scenario for any bar that wants to have higher end bottles on the shelf. It’s a huge ask, no matter how good a salesperson your rep is.. The plus menu allows the joint to do this, without breaking the game.
Traverse City Whiskey Company is building a new 35-acre distillery in Michigan. It will be a complete facility, from mash to still to barrel. They expect to produce 24,000 barrels a year at this new facility, which is about 65 barrels a day give or take. Willett is currently producing about 60 a day, so TCWC will still be quite small enough to keep its micro or craft status. Can you hear the scratch money trucks engines starting? If I was one of the bigs, I’d buy them simply for their cocktail cherries….
James B. Beam distillery has the best tasting tour there is. Yeah, I’m biased, so what? They featured Bakers/Bookers/Knob 18. Hard lineup to compete with.
Quick Hits-
Will Owl Park ever truly be built and will any of us actually care like we once did?
Great podcast episode this month from Film & Whiskey featuring Andre Mack and Rye & Sons. Worth a listen.
Raj Bhakta is back with Armagnac and a new spirits label that will include Bourbon and Rye. Why should you care? He founded WhistlePig, that’s why you should care, d0n’t get cute.
Sazerac has new distribution partners. YAWN. This will do nothing for the consuming public but will continue to keep BT in the news.
James B. Beam Distillery has a 100% malted rye cooking…. I have photographic evidence.
Barrell Craft Spirits just shelled out nearly $2.5 million on a large rick house at Shively. Why? Capacity. They presumably need places for their barrels of 14-year-old Canadian to age…. I expect the grey and gold labels of their lineups will grow in popularity, so they need spots to age that stuff, now they have it.
I always forget that Michter’s is privately owned. I can’t believe the money trucks haven’t overrun their operation.
I am enjoying the on-liners “educating” their following that the mini-bottles of Fireball aren’t actually Fireball, but malt liquor (as if they drank them anyway). I will wager that Sazerac settles this suit, because I mean, apparently even the inlu-tainers thought it was whisky.
There is an awful lot of 8 year Willett Bourbon out there in the market under other labels, and I’m not talking about Kiamichi. So gas up the Mystery Machine, round up the gang and get sleuthing, you can’t expect me to give up all the secrets. Unless you have a Barrell Canadian Rye single-barrel named “Eva’s Ghost” to bribe me with, don’t even ask me.
Michter’s just announced their Celebration release for 2023. $6,000, or 20 Elmers.
I’ve long been interested in this Andean black corn Bourbon. I might have to finally pull the trigger on it. Why? The corn is grown at 10k feet…. As we get more into terroir, releases like this will need to be considered and discussed.
Listicles suck. I hate them. They are valueless click-bait. I present to you this “article” on the 14 best distilleries to visit on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and in this piece, they tell you the generic history of the “brands” and not one reason why these are the distilleries to visit. I read these things, so you don’t have to. You owe me a chicken sandwich.
If you’re not watching the Last of Us on HBO gawd do you even know how to watch quality TV? I never played the video game, so I’ve missed out on nothing. This show features terrific writing and acting, and HOLY SHIT if Ep 3 doesn't win an Emmy there will be outrage!
Keep an eye on the Old Grand Dad lineup….
I was dismayed that there wasn’t one piece of clothing to purchase in the gift shop featuring this branding, a rare swing and miss by Beam.
Interesting secondary things I’ve noticed-
Last month Kentucky Owl Batch 1 Rye finally broke the $400 barrier on Unicorn Auctions and the asking price on Wine Searcher is now averaging $700 per. It took awhile to get here, but now that the $400 barrier has been broken, I expect to see $1000 by the end of next year as more people start to pay attention now that this price has been achieved. That being said, a bunch of people saw that and listed theirs for sale, and some were sold for $285. So still some “bargains” out there if you look hard, but don’t wait anymore if you needed another as I think people have finally noticed.
Some completely crazy person paid $870 for a Japanese export only Fighting Cock 15-year-old. I wonder what nut job did that. ahem.
Taylor single-barrels (the standards, not the special editions) are now closing in on the Elmer pricing, starting to see them go for $250 routinely. Where will it end? It must really suck to be a Buffalo Trace fan right now, hey they can at least get Wheatley.
Knob Creek 18 had a few listings end at $250, factor in the buyers premium of about 10% and you’re looking at $300 right now, but KC18 is the hot new kid of the moment, it’ll be very interesting to see if it has staying power as the new offerings from Turkey hit the markets.
Speaking of Knob Creek, the woefully under-appreciated Cask Strength Rye continues to get no respect. Batch 1 continues to languish at $70 closings…. I wonder if the collecting public will ever understand the greatness of this bottle the way I do. This price is less than what a few remaining online stores carry them for.
Old Overholt 11-year broke $300. That’s some lovely respect right there, but interesting that it’s so close to Owl 1.
There were no less than six listings for Willett Wheat, and all of them averaged $285 per sale. So clearly there is a demand, regardless what the reviewers said.
Not sure why we posed with the low wine exposed and blocked the high wine, but whatever.
Local New Orleans bits that might only be of interest to me-
Kingfish on Chartres Street has a killer Happy Hour from 2-5pm that features a $7 Sazerac that uses Jim Beam Rye instead of Saz. I find it refreshing when a bar will use something other than the standard especially in a Sazerac owned town like NOLA. I wish more bars and restaurants would do this.
The Tots Peauxtine at Avenue Pub is peppery and delicious, recommend sharing, and eating them quickly, that savory gumbo gravy can soggy those tots if you don’t get to work.
Mister Mao is a restaurant that could only exist here. It’s got an eclectic menu that is designed to be shared with your gang at the table. They’re doing a series of “takeover” nights by some pop-up chefs that make some of the most incredible food in the city. I know that every town has pop-ups, but they ain’t got MatchBook Kitchen.
The perfect pre-game is the free tour at Sazerac House. You get four mini-drinks to start you off. Make a reservation just in case.
Tava street Indian food is farging amazing and doesn’t wreck your wallet. It’s near Willa Jean and worth the visit.
Addis Ethiopian food has a new and expanded location, and my girl fell in love with their espresso martinis. I know, I know, but they are tasty. It’s vegan friendly, but beware, this is one of those legendary places that will ruin your appreciation for your favorite Ethiopian joint back home.
A count me as utterly not interested story about a “bourbon aficionados” joint/restaurant opening in Metairie. Just another old monied white guy place to pay a membership fee for the right to pay more for Blanton’s. BORING.
In February, I am going to get out to a few new spots as part of a larger plan to have a drink at every single bar in the French Quarter. I’ll be starting on Decatur and making my way through until completion. No timeline on when this will be done, but it’s my goal to have this complete by Christmas. I will not be doing any repeats, so no Molly’s, or Lattitude 29, which you should definitely do anyway.
The New Orleans Bourbon Festival isn’t far off now. March 22-25 is creeping up. Get your tickets and hotel room, and get down here for the premier whiskey festival in the country. Better than Kentucky? Yes. It’s more intimate, and the food is lightyears beyond anything anywhere. Remember folks- Popeye’s > KFC. Also, Pelican State Provisions is back, and it’s rumored we might see some Blue Oak? I recommend you get in Monday at the latest, because a lot of fun things happen prior to the actual festival. Plus, the fest goes gangbusters so if you want to do non-fest things, you need to make time. Also, I highly recommend dinner reservations if there are must do eateries you wish to hit. I’ll be doing a piece shortly about the fest with tips and tricks.
As always, thank you for visiting and taking the time to hang out with me and my musings. Feel free to leave a comment, insult, or joke below. We have some more pieces for you in February, look out for “Is Wild Turkey Overrated?” and “Rye is Not a Holiday, it’s a Lifestyle” soon.
- Mickey Pinstripe