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Single Cask Nation

presented by Joshua Hatton

Thursday. May 7, 2020

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Southern California Whiskey Club was happy to have Joshua Hatton present Retail Release #6 from Single Cask Nation via an online tasting. This release features an older sherried Speyside whisky, a younger peated Highland whisky, an older grain whisky in first fill American oak, a release from Israel, and a couple more treats to explore in the comfort of your own home.

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event pour list:

1. Cameronbridge 26yo, refill Sherry Butt

    From Single Cask Nation Retail Release #5

 

2. Aultmore 30 year, 1st fill Sherry Butt

    Cask #2459 yielded 465 bottles.

 

3. Aultmore 8 year, 1st fill Bourbon Barrel

    Cask #800233 yielded 227 bottles.

 

4. Ben Nevis 23 year, 2nd fill Bourbon Hogshead

    Cask #1839 yielded 209 bottles.

 

5. Ruadh Mhor 10 year, 2nd fill Bourbon Hogshead

    Cask #57 yielded 238 bottles.

 

6. Milk & Honey 2 year, 1st fill Bourbon Barrel

    Cask #0118 yielded 256 bottles.
 

Fukano and Ohishi Japanese Whisky

presented by Elijah Ammon & Chris Uhde

Saturday, May 9, 2020

6:30pm - 8:00pm

location: Online Tasting 

The GlenAllachie Distillery

presented by David Keir, Sales and Marketing Director

date: Saturday, July 11, 2020

time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm [PDT, Pacific Daylight Time]

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

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Southern California Whiskey Club is having a special afternoon event with GlenAllachie Sales Director, David Keir joining us all the way from Scotland. The GlenAllachie Distillery, located in the Speyside region of Scotland, is a younger whisky distillery that is emerging as an award-winning single malt. For this global virtual tasting, we are exploring the complete core range from the 10 to the 25, a special 1989 vintage, and finishing with their newly released peated single malt blend.

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event pour list:

1. GlenAllachie 10 year cask strength 57.1%ABV

2. GlenAllachie 12 year 46%ABV

3. GlenAllachie 15 year 46%ABV

4. GlenAllachie 18 year 46%ABV

5. GlenAllachie 25 year 48%ABV

6. GlenAllachie 1989 29 year Sherry Single Cask 55.1%ABV

7. MacNair’s Lum Reek 46%ABV

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recognition + awards:

Scottish Whisky Awards [link]

• Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year 2019

 

San Francisco World Spirits Competition [link]

• 3 double golds and a gold medal for GlenAllachie 12, 15 and 25 

• Gold medal for our MacNair’s Lum Reek 12 Year Old

 

2020 Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Awards [link]

• Billy Walker awarded Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year 

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A big thanks to Elijah Ammon for making this happen!

Turning a Blind Rye

a special 2 part event of twenty expressions

date: Thursday, August 13 + Thursday, August 20, 2020 

time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm [PDT, Pacific Daylight Time]

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

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It's been a while since we did a comprehensive blind tasting, to make up for that, we're going all out. 20 1oz. rye samples will be sent out to do a blind tasting over the span of two Zoom meetings. The only hint we'll give you is that the proof goes up over the course of the tasting and the details will not be revealed until the end of each meeting. Some of these ryes are easy to find around $40, others are far more elusive and run $200+.

 

We suggest that you explore these a few at a time and make tasting notes at your own pace. Also, save some to re-visit during the Zoom meetings as a reference to see if we can find a group consensus. 

 

We're going to send out all of the ryes at the same time (you will receive a box of 20 samples) and they'll be labeled into round 1 and 2. A scorecard and other details will be included in the package. This is going to be an intensely educational tasting and a chance to try some hard-to-find rye along with some standard expressions. This will be a small meeting of only 20 members. 

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A big thanks to Josh Peters for making this happen!

Turn a Blind Rye Part I

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Turn a Blind Rye Part II

Points

79

72

68

67

64

64

62

59 

47 

35

Letter

I

G

A

H

D

E

F

B

J

C

Name

Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Rye

Elijah Craig Rye

Michter's SiB Rye

Clyde May's Rye

Woodinville 100% Rye

Woodford Reserve Rye

High West Double Rye (2015)

Corsair Dark Rye

A.D. Laws Secale Rye

Leopold's Maryland-Style Rye

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Points

74

72

72

69

69

68

60

60

59

57

Letter

S

R

Q

V

O

M

T

P

N

W

Name

Kentucky Owl

New Riff SiB

Rarebreed Rye

Knob Creek Barrel Proof

Old Overholt Bonded

Piggyback Rye

James E. Pepper 1776 Rye Barrel Proof

Wilderness Trail Rye

James E. Pepper 1776 Rye

Old Portrero SiB

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20 Blind Bourbons

a special 2 part event of twenty expressions

Tuesday, September 8 + Tuesday, September 15, 2020

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In September we'll continue the blind tasting theme with another set of 20 1oz. samples we'll send out and taste over the span of two Zoom meetings. The only hint we'll give you is the proof goes up over the course of the tasting; details will not be revealed until the end of each round. 

 

Like with the rye, we'll send out all 20 of the samples at the same time and they'll be labeled with round 1 and 2. A scorecard and other details will also be included. We suggest tasting the whiskeys before each round but don't drink all 10 of the samples beforehand. Make notes, get your initial ratings done and try to save about 1/2 for the live event.

 

Like the 20 Blind Ryes, the whiskeys in this massive tasting were ordered by proof. We did this to keep a cask strength whiskey from overpowering and killing the subtleties of lower proofed whiskey in the lineup. Outside of that knowledge, and that the whiskey was all going to be bourbon, the members had no other clues about what they were drinking. Also like with the 20 Blind Ryes event we had a full house for voting in round 1, but 3 members couldn’t make it for round 2 so I had to normalize the scores for the final-final results which I’ll include at the bottom. But first, let’s go round by round to see how the members ranked the different sets of 10.

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The Whiskey Jug Article [link]

A big thanks to Josh Peters for making this happen!

20 Blind Bourbons Part I

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20 Blind Bourbons Part II

Points

46

47

53

52

48

63

74

73

79

75

Letter

A

B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

Name

Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon

High West American Prairie

Clyde May’s Bourbon

Balcones Pot Still Bourbon

A.D. Laws Four Grain

Daviess County Bourbon

Daviess County French Oak Finish

Daviess County Cab Sauv Finish

Kentucky Owl Confiscated

Still Austin The Musician

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Points

59

55

50

49

54

71

61

50

56

65

Letter

M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
V
W

Name

Bardstown Fusion 2

Old Tub Bonded

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep BiB 17 Years

Wilderness Wheated

New Riff Single Barrel

Wilderness Trail High Rye

Barrell Batch 24

Willett 4 yo

Archives Heaven Hill 10 Years

Booker’s "Noe Secret"

And now for my favorite part, seeing how everything looks once we normalize the votes and account for the 3 missing. These are the official rankings by the Southern California Whiskey Club members:

20    40    Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon
19    41    High West American Prairie
18    42    A.D. Laws Four Grain
17    46    Balcones Pot Still Bourbon
16    47    Clyde May’s Bourbon
15    49    Wilderness Trail Wheated
14    50    Wild Turkey Master’s Keep BiB 17 Years
13    50    Willett 4 yo
12    54    Daviess County Bourbon
11    54    New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon
10    55    Old Tub Bonded
09    56    Archives Heaven Hill 10 Years
08    59    Bardstown Fusion 2
07    61    Barrell Batch 24
06    64    Daviess County Bourbon Cab Sauv Finish
05    65    Daviess County Bourbon French Oak Finish
04    65    Booker’s Noe Secret
03    66    Still Austin The Musician
02    67    Kentucky Owl Confiscated
01    71    Wilderness Trail High Rye

Ohishi Whisky Madeira Single Cask Release

Presented by Elijah Ammon + Chris Uhde

date: Sunday, September 20, 2020

time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm [PDT, Pacific Daylight Time]

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

Ohishi Whisky

Madeira Single Cask

$57.99 pre-sale (750ml)

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To celebrate our first cask release we are doing a bottle opening event as a group via Zoom.

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We are excited to announce Southern California Whiskey Club’s first foray into an exclusive single cask bottling for the club. We used our close connections with Ohishi Distillery to bring the first, and only, Madeira cask directly from Japan to Los Angeles. It was a cherry-pick that Chris Uhde made possible from all of his visits to the distillery that he earmarked for SCWC. A few months ago we tried a few samples and this is the one we were enamored with. As soon as it arrived in Long Beach we had a taste from the first case that was opened — it was even better than we remembered it. We are very happy with the selection and how well JVS has been taking care of the club to offer this super rare bottling. We are doing this in conjunction with Gabrielle Dion @ The Mixing Glass so we can sell this release of only 180 bottles. 

 

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Southern California Whiskey Club Ohishi Madeira Single Cask specs:

1st Madeira cask ever bottled by the distillery

7 Year  Distilled February 2013

• 5 years in a wet first fill Oloroso Sherry barrel 

• 2 years 2 months in a wet first fill Madeira barrel 

bottled @ cask strength @ 41.2% ABV

only 180 bottles available 

 

limited number of "Ohishi packs" available:

1. Ohishi Brandy 42.2% 

2. Ohishi Mizunara 11yr 42.4% 

3. Ohishi Sherry 11yr 2020 Special Release 41% 

4. Ohishi Islay 42.7% 

5. Ohishi Port 42.4% 

Germain-Robin Brandy

w/ Master Sommelier Eric Entrikin, Brand Ambassador for Germain-Robin

date: Thursday, October 8, 2020

time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm [PDT, Pacific Daylight Time]

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

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This is SCWC's first foray into the magical world of brandy. Brandy’s storied history, provenance, and complex flavors makes it a fantastic alternative for whiskey fans. It has many characteristics reminiscent of whiskey thanks to oak barrel aging and the use of distillation. If you are looking to expand your palate, we are recommending brandy; there’s something even the most ardent whiskey lover can appreciate. Distilled exclusively using craft methods on an antique cognac Pruhlo Charentais pot stills in Mendocino County, Germain-Robin is aged in Limousin oak barrels to highlight the flavors that make this California Brandy one of the most sought-after aged spirits.

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line-up [1oz samples]:

1. Germain-Robin California Alambic Brandy

    aged 7 years in French Limousin oak barrels, 40%ABV

 

2. Germain-Robin XO Brandy

    select barrel, aged 11 years in small Limousin oak barrels, 40%ABV

 

3. Germain-Robin Old Havana

    blend of 20 different brandies, featuring 9 different varieties, 40% ABV  

    rare and discontinued, crafted to pair with Cuban-leaf cigars

    originally blended in 1997 | contains brandies more than 25 years old

 

4. Germain-Robin Single Barrel v127

    distilled 1992  |  bottled in 2010

    release 2011.19.sb/01  |  100% pinot noir 

    41.6% ABV  |  aged 17 years

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Each package will have 2 tins included — one with almonds/walnuts and one with chocolate for pairing with the brandy. This event features a very rare bottle of single cask brandy that was distilled in 1992, with a yield of only 681 bottles, and bottled back in 2010. And the discontinued Old Havana brandy that was named the “Best Spirit in the World” by 3 different publications.

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“No cognac is as good as Germain-Robin brandy” - LA Times 

“Germain-Robin is the best grape spirit on the planet.” - Spirits & Cocktails Magazine

 

A big thanks to Liz Tomanchek, Senior Portfolio Consultant with the Èlevage Collection, for making this happen!

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cocktail recipe that won the Spirits Shaker competition

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Cocktail name: After the Fire

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Content:

1 oz. Argonaut Fat Thumb CA Brandy

1 oz. Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro

1 oz. fresh blood orange juice

½ teaspoon Mezcal

2-3 dashes of aromatic bitters (Fee Brothers, but Angostura or Peychaud’s work)

Absinthe for rinse

Blood orange twist for garnish

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Preparation:

Chill serving glass.

Char twist over an open flame for a minute or two, till it starts to spark.

Pour a small amount of Absinthe in chilled glass and coat inside. Discard Absinthe

Shake all ingredients except the Absinthe and twist in a cocktail shaker.

Pour in chilled glass and top with twist

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Enjoy!

Eric Entrikin, Master Sommelier

Germain-Robin Brandy Ambassador

GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh

Presented by Rory Glasgow, Brown Forman Whisky Ambassador

date: Sunday, October 18, 2020

time: 6:300pm - 8:00pm [Pacific Time]

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

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Southern California Whiskey Club is having a special Sunday afternoon event with brand ambassador Rory Glasgow joining us all the way from San Francisco to guide us through the history and production of 3 classic Highland distilleries. This event is for everyone interested in Scotch Whiskey, from veteran connoisseurs to beginners, and will include a Scotch 101 portion to provide an introduction to the category of Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

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line-up [1oz samples]:

1. BenRiach 10 years old

2. BenRiach 17 years old Septendecim Peated Malt

3. GlenDronach 12 years old Original

4. GlenDronach 18 years old Allardice

5. Glenglassaugh Revival 

6. Glenglassaugh Torfa Richly Peated

#SecretStash 

7. Benriach 14 years old, Hi-Time Cellars Exclusive Rum Cask, cask 7552

note:

Our friend Rachel Barrie is the Master Blender for The Glendronach, The Benriach, and Glenglassaugh Single Malt Scotch Distilleries. One of only a handful of female Master Blenders in the world, she has developed award-winning whiskies for some of the biggest names in the business. In 2017, she joined the Brown-Forman family to create portfolios at the distilleries we will be tasting.

 

The BenRiach Distillery [link]

The GlenDronach Distillery [link]

The Glenglassaugh Distillery [link]

 

A big thanks to Rory, for making this happen!

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Dalmore Whisky + Gonzalez Byass Sherry

presented by Claire Henderson and Craig Bridger

 

date: Thursday, October 22, 2020

time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm PT

location: Virtual Tasting via Zoom [in the safety of your home]

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Southern California Whiskey Club is excited to welcome Craig Bridger, Head of Education for The Dalmore Single Malt Scotch and Claire Henderson, Senior Brand Manager for Gonzales Byass Sherry. This will be an in-depth exploration of two historic liquids in a partnership spanning over a century. In this event we will explore the sherries of Gonzalez Byass and the whisky of The Dalmore. Craig and Claire will discuss the unique relationship between these two noble houses and the synergy they create. This event is for everyone interested in sherry and scotch and will include a Sherry 101 portion.

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line-up [1oz samples]:

the sherry:

1. Tio Pepe (González Byass), Classic Fino, 15% ABV

2. Alfonso González Byass, Classic Oloroso, 18% ABV

3. Apóstoles González Byass, Aged 30 Years, 20% ABV

4. Matusalem González Byass, Aged 30 Years, 20.5% ABV

the whisky:

1. The Dalmore 12 Year, 40% ABV

2. The Dalmore 15 Year, 40% ABV

3. The Dalmore 18 Year, 43% ABV

4. The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve, 46.5% ABV

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The Dalmore Distillery [link]

González Byass Sherry [link]

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A big thanks to Liz Tomanchek and Craig Bridger for making this happen!

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Southern California Whiskey Club is happy to have Chris Uhde present these two fine lines of Japanese Whisky via a guided online tasting from the safety of your own home.

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event pour list:

1. Fukano Vault 1 

    new and refill American oak barrels and sherry cask, 40.5% 

 

2. Fukano 10 year 

    new and refill American oak barrels, 41% 

 

3. Fukano 12 year 

    2nd fill American oak, single cask #2847, 415 bottles produced, 40.5%

 

4. Ohishi 8 year 

    sherry cask, 43.3% 

 

5. Ohishi 10 year 

    brandy cask, 42.2%

 

6. Ohishi 7 year Sakura Cask

    Hi-Time Wine Cellars exclusive, single cask No. 1480, 43.5% 

    1 of 2 of Ohishi Sakura single cask in the world

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© 2013 Southern California Whiskey Club

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