Club Corner
American Whiskey Club Quarter 1 2024: Subtle Spirits Private Barrel Rye
This quarter we are pleased to feature a private barrel selection from former PlumpJack whiskey guru Joshua Thinnes’ brand Subtle Spirits. Joshua has been busy these last few years cultivating an independent bottling brand that focuses not just on the curation of spirits, but also on collaborating with artists to commission original artwork to adorn each label. When Joshua called us at the end of 2023 to say he had some pretty special older rye casks that were about to become available, we jumped at the opportunity to taste them. We tasted three different mash bills and ages and ultimately settled on an 11.5 year straight rye cask distilled at MGP. This reminds us of what the older generation ryes used to taste like. Think back to the Smooth Ambler Old Scout line of single barrel ryes, or some of the older Willett Family Estate (wax-dipped) ryes that were sourced from MGP. This clocks in at a devilish 66.6% abv! While it may have the markings of the beast, this whiskey drinks more angelic than you’d expect. The cask yielded only 132 bottles and is sold exclusively to American Whiskey Club members. We certainly hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Cheers! Sam Crocker Spirits Buyer Subtle Spirits Private Barrel Vol. 2, Single Barrel #57 Straight Rye Whiskey Location: San Francisco, CA Much like the alchemists that predated modern chemistry, independent bottlers preceded the rise of large distilling operations. Using their relationships with both distilleries and consumers, they bottled sourced whiskey under their own label. Subtle Spirits continues this tradition today with their crafted blends and single-cask selections, all produced in infinitesimally small quantities. Subtle Spirits has two different lines of products: the Original line which features both small batch blends and single casks selected and blended by founder Joshua Thinnes, and their Private Barrels which consumers or retailers can select. Both product lines feature commissioned original artwork to adorn each label. The private barrels are released in volumes. The number of barrels and types of mashbills in each volume varies. The cask we selected is the first to come out of Volume 2, which is comprised of a variety of different Rye casks. The original artwork for Volume 2 features Louisville artist Jason Lois. It is composed on 3 feet by 4 feet canvas and contains a variety of mediums: acrylic paint, drip pen, and oil pastel. Before the final text was layered on the work, it was photographed to create the base image for the label. Jason created the text digitally first before painting it on the canvas so that Subtle would have the digital layer to create the high-build varnish embellishment on the final label that you can touch and feel. Subtle Spirits is co-founded by Joshua’s partner and wife Kristen Conley who specializes in graphic and package design. All of their design is done in-house. Price: $124.99 ABV/proof: 66.6%/133.2 Mashbill: 95% Rye/5% Malted Barley Tasting Notes: Big, bold and boisterous. Shows high-toned notes of dark dried fruit in the nose. That paves the way for darker flavors of savory oak, cooked berries, and a hint of mint (Branca Menta?). The palate shows baking spices, savory oak, and amaro-like notes. Chewy and rich, it drinks way below its actual proof.
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Q3 American Whiskey Club 2022
Approximately 10 years ago I started this club while I was working for PlumpJack, and now I am honored to be guest writing for this quarter’s American Whiskey Club which features my own brand, Subtle Spirits. I am very grateful for the opportunities PlumpJack gave me and how they significantly impacted where I am today. Sometimes things really come back around Full Circle. I hope you enjoy this bottle as much as I loved creating it. Cheers, Joshua Thinnes, Founder of Subtle Spirits & Creator of the PlumpJack American Whiskey Club Subtle Spirits Full Circle | Only 888 Bottles Produced | 6 years aged | Bottled at 99 proof Produced & Bottled by: Subtle Spirits, California Distilled: MGP, Indiana Artwork by: Gianluca Franzese Full Circle is a 153-gallon blend containing 51.25% straight rye and 48.75% straight bourbon, labeled as a Blend of Straight Whiskies. When combined together it yields a cumulative mash bill of 58.93% rye, 36.56% corn, and 4.51% barley grains. 88 bottles were bottled on 08/08/22 at cask strength, and the remaining 800 bottles will be bottled on 09/01 at 99 proof. The complete story behind Full Circle, the whiskey, the cover art, and how it all came to be is too long to tell here. I encourage you to visit our website to see how magically this came together, but the short version is this. I moved to San Francisco on 08/08/08 and landed on 24th & Church in Noe Valley. About 5 months after arriving I saw the wine shop down the street was hiring. I got the job. My first shift was the following day, by myself. After 11 years, a few promotions, and more epic barrel picks than I can count, it was time for me to move on from the family that gave me a platform where it all started. I’ve been working on letting go and letting the story write itself. Life is cyclical, and now the next chapter begins. Subtle Spirits is a non-distilling producer sourcing casks and pairing each release with original label art. Every release has its own story, brought to life by artists we commission to produce a unique piece of art that is featured on the label. The brand started subtly as an email list only, selecting private barrels from other brands as a means to build a larger audience, and save the capital needed to obtain casks, bulk goods, artwork, and the licenses to sell them. In 2021 we collaborated with artist Gabe Weis and made the first limited edition bourbon release with a certificate of authenticity on the blockchain (NFT) and accompanied it with a print of the artwork. We began distributing our own product in CA this March with the creation of our first blend, a Straight Rye titled Quixotic. Full Circle marks the sixth Original release. Price: $99-110 per bottle Aroma: brown sugar, vanilla, charred oak, sassafras, kola nut, wild cherry Coke, nutmeg, and mild tobacco leaves. Taste: Starts off sweet, caramelly, and creamy then brings in a load of baking spices and slightly dried fruit notes. Finish: Powerful and viscous with a chewy mouthfeel that coats your palate leaving a nice spice profile. Read more about Subtle Spirits. Read the complete story behind Full Circle on my Blog.
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