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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Q4 American Whiskey Club: Laws Whiskey House
For our final American Whiskey Club selection of 2022, we are excited to share our single barrel selection from Laws Whiskey House in Denver, Colorado. Laws takes a terroir-driven approach to their whiskey, as showcased in their Four Grain Straight Bourbon, comprised of all Colorado-grown grain. Our single barrel selection highlights the character of this unique whiskey at cask strength. Here’s wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season! Cheers! Sam Crocker Spirits Buyer Laws Whiskey House Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey PlumpJack Barrel Select Location: Denver, CO Laws Whiskey House is a grain-to-glass distillery based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 2011 by Al and Marianne Laws, they have been distilling everything in-house since day one. To make their whiskey, they use only heirloom varietals of grain that come from small family farms in Colorado. They work directly with the farmers to make a whiskey that is bold, balanced, and a true representation of place. Laws is focused on terroir, showcasing the grains and unique climate that is found in Colorado, which affects the aging process of the whiskey. The high altitude in Denver makes for a high level of “Angel’s Share” (evaporation) and relatively quick barrel interaction due to the low humidity and high barometric pressure. Now a team of 42 employees, Laws Whiskey House is continuing to grow while staying true to their founding philosophy. The wall of the distillery is painted with a simple phrase: “there are no shortcuts.” Laws’ mantra is, after all: Craft over commodity. Quality over quantity. Whiskey above all. PlumpJack’s Barrel Select is a 3.5-year-old barrel of Laws signature Four Grain Bourbon. Aged in full-sized (53-gallon) barrels, the mash bill is 60% corn, 20% wheat, 10% rye, and 10% malted barley. The corn comes from a family farm in eastern Colorado called The Whiskey Sisters. The Cody Family supplies everything else, growing their heirloom grains high up in the mountains of Southern Colorado. The Cody family also malts on-site, leading them to be known as a sort of one-stop-shop for high-quality, low-yield heirloom grains. We at PlumpJack are excited to feature Laws Whiskey House, a distillery that is at the forefront of making high-quality, grain-focused whiskey in the American West. Price: $85/btl ABV/proof: 58.1%/116.2 Tasting Notes: Appearance: pale gold Nose: honey sweetness, hay, cinnamon candy, candied lemon Palate: custard, baking spice, fresh grain Finish: tongue-coating caramel and warming spice
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