Despite the entreaties of public relations professionals from across the country and the promise to fill my office with “review samples” of everything from exfoliating brushes to vegan snacks, I don’t really participate in many holiday gift guides or suggestions. However, when it’s a topic that I know well, like cast iron or whiskey, I’m willing to make exceptions.
If you have a whiskey lover on your holiday list, I’ve discovered a trio of new high-end options that are worthy of your consideration. (An aside: I’ve heard from several local collectors that the shipments of Van Winkle and Weller products have been delivered to local retailers, and some of them have begun to distribute them, though usually not by placing them on their shelves. Now’s the time to call in any favors you might have in your back pocket.)
The first interesting new whiskey I’ve discovered has recently entered the market. The Beverly Reserve is a limited-release barrel-strength bourbon created by Beverly Spirits founder Andrew Borenzweig and Cedar Ridge Distillery’s head distiller Murphy Quint at Quint’s Iowa-based distillery. (Quint also serves as Beverly's master blender.) Made using a high-rye mash bill of 60 percent corn and 40 percent rye, the spicy bourbon is bottled at 116 proof as part of a very small batch.
The traditional rye notes of nutty winter spices and creamy mascarpone are accented by the vanilla leached from the oak barrel thanks to the high proof level. It exhibits a nice, long buttery finish that has impressed judges at national competitions, earning the whiskey gold medals from panels in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Tennessee is one of only a few states with access to this whiskey, which retails around $80. If you find one on local shelves, it will be a rare treat for whomever you share it with, or you can source it directly from the distillery’s website.
The second offering is another treasure from the vaults of elderly whiskey at George Dickel. On the heels of the release of their first George Dickel Bourbon, a Tennessee whiskey that exhibits traditional bourbon characteristics that led distiller Nicole Austin to label it under the broader category, Dickel has now discovered some really old barrels in the rickhouses that drink like ancient bourbons.
The result is Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years, a luxury whiskey that retails in a special commemorative case that includes a fold-out vista of the hills around Tullahoma. On the shelves, if you can find it, in the $510 per bottle range, this is definitely a white-whale whiskey. Very few American spirits can survive almost two decades in barrel, much less benefit from the extra aging, but these magic barrels made the long trip and emerged spectacular.
The extended time in the barrel contributed a dark amber color to the spirit, but the nose still manages to offer grain elements instead of the expected oak dominance. In fact, the aroma was so complex that I had trouble identifying what was happening in the glass. There is definitely lots of toasty oak, but also dark jammy fruits and hints of spice. Beautiful in the glass, Dickel 18 is surprisingly balanced, exhibiting flashes of dark chocolate and coffee beans among all the layers of wood dancing on the tongue. Cedar, oak and pecan all come to mind. The finish does fade to woodiness pretty quickly, as expected.Â
Considering the high price, you’ll probably have to hunt for this one, and look to the top shelves or behind the counter. It’s certainly aimed at collectors who would be happy to add this to the whiskey library.
My final recommendation from recent discoveries is the latest edition of Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series. The twelfth release of these limited offerings is subtitled “a straight Tennessee Whiskey finished in oloroso sherry casks,” and it retails at around $42 for a 375-milliliter bottle at select liquor stores and at the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn.
The base of this Tennessee whiskey is made with Jack Daniel’s traditional mash bill of 80 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley and 8 percent rye and is bottled at 90 proof. The distillery’s proprietary yeast strain is well-known for contributing elements of ripe banana and crème brĂ»lĂ©e to their whiskeys, and those notes are certainly present in this release. But the extra time spent in larger casks that previously aged oloroso sherry has created what I’d call a dessert whiskey.Â
The leftover sherry in the barrels added a faint tinge of purple to the liquid in the bottle, and the combination of the vanilla, caramel and baking spices already present in Jack’s flagship play extremely well with the red fruit notes of the sherry to create a final product that should be enjoyed at the end of a meal in a snifter, like a fine port. While I usually enjoy my whiskey over a single cube, this calls for just a couple of drops of water so as not to chill the spirit in the glass. As it warms and opens up, the essence of sherry gains prominence to delightful effect.
If you’re looking for some last minute gifts, happy hunting!
