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Outlier Predictions for 2021 Meet the Superforecasters Award-Winning Whiskeys
BY 1893 INSPIRED
F E W H A S T H E S P I C E . H A N D - M A D E I N S M A L L B ATC H E S, U S I N G A M A S H-B I L L INSPIRED BY WHISKEY ’S PRE-PROHIBITION GOLDEN ERA. F E W COMBINES A HIGH RYE CONTENT & PEPPERY YE A ST TO MAKE A UNIQUELY SPIC Y BOURBON.
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White Noise
The spirits business is basically brown or white. And lately, white spirits—such as gin, vodka, tequila and mezcal—have been on a roll. Sales of white spirits grew by 8% last year, while brown declined 12%, according to premium distilled spirits supplier MGP Ingredients (MGPI). Luckbox looks at some of the white spirits making noise. By Jeff Joseph Fourteen botanicals contribute to the distinctive flavor profile of Roku, an exceptional Japanese gin. It includes notes of cherry blossom, green and earl grey teas, citrus, and smoke—with a delicate wormwood finish. Best enjoyed neat. $22, suntory.com. Sure, it comes in a beautiful bottle, but Michael Jordan’s Cincoro Tequila, the latest celebrity-driven ego trip to the spirits world, tastes like tequila candy. Eventually, the cake-batter sweetness gives way to a medicine-like finish. Style over substance. $69, cincoro.com. Potocki ranks among Luckbox’s all-time favorite vodkas. Distilled twice and not charcoal-filtered, this Polish artisanal rye vodka has a lot of flavors—caramel, nutty and buttery. Substance over style. $39, potockivodka.com.
PHOTOGRAPH BY GARRETT ROODBERGEN
Mezcal, the smokier, hotter cousin of tequila, is distilled from more than 30 types of agave and cooked in a covered underground pit. Prolijo Mezcal Artisanal Blanco is hand made in Oaxaca, Mexico. A high-proof spirit that deserves to be savored. $45, prolijomezcal.com. Neft vodka has earned Double Gold medals two years in a row in the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. An ultrapremium vodka crafted in Austria, it incorporates four types of non-GMO rye, and it’s made using pristine Alpine spring water. Killer packaging and, yes, neft means “oil” in Russian. $39, neftvodka.com.
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Glass Act
PHOTOGRAPH: (GLASSWARE) GARRETT ROODBERGEN
Whiskey is in a golden era. The brown-booze bull market is propelled by trends that show little sign of abating. Unique barrel finishes are flourishing, High-Ryes are happening and wheated bourbons are bigger than ever. Nearly every month a distiller releases something worthy of your whiskey radar. But with glassware, nothing noteworthy had happened since the tapered mouth of the now ubiquitous Glencairn Crystal was introduced in 2001. That was until a 2015 Kickstarter campaign launched the Norlan Glass. More than 11,000 backers raised $800,000—well over the $75,000—and whiskey drinkers took notice. The glassware is scientifically designed to enhance the nose of fine whiskeys—and, they are stunning. The Norlan Whisky double-walled glass is designed for neat (no ice) pours, and the Rauk Heavy crystal tumbler for chilled spirits. You want these. norlanglass.com Rauk Heavy Tumbler
Norlan Whiskey Glass Valid
RACE OUT TO FIND THIS RYE
Norlan Whiskey Glass
For whiskey explorers, discovery is the easy part. There is always something that you haven’t tried, but the results are often disappointing. Happening upon Pinhook Rye (Lot 001) was a great find. Inexplicably labelled “Bourbon N Rye” this 93.5 proof, two-year-old has a 95% rye, and 5% malted barley mash bill. Its sweetness pleasantly offsets its youthful verve. At two years, the color is not surprisingly light and translucent. The nose is soft citrus and toasted oak, and the flavors follow those aromas. The finish lingers in solid cherry with the light spice of a maduro cigar. The Pinhook name is derived from the rural regional term “pinhooker”— a small time trader in farm products. A more contemporary use of “pinhook” refers to a speculator on racing horses—a special meaning for grain traders and racing fans. Be prepared to speculate on price, too. A bottle ranges from $29 in a downtown Memphis liquor store to $48 in Chicago big box stores. But lately, the biggest challenge is finding lot #001. If you do, we recommend that you pony up for it.
— Jeff Joseph
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Pairing Dark Rums By Jeff Joseph
PHOTOGRPAH: GARRETT ROODBERGEN
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ark rums are taking their rightful place alongside whiskey in the brown spirits craze. Both rum and whiskey require fermentation, distillation and aging, but the ingredients differ. Rum is made from byproducts of molasses, honey and sugarcane, whereas whiskey is fermented from barley, rye and wheat. Just as whiskey drinkers have learned to appreciate the unique experience of each barrel finish, rum aficionados are finding they can identify the containers used in the aging process. Finer dark rums may be aged (mostly) in old bourbon barrels or sherry, port or other wine casks, for anywhere from two to 30 or more years. The aging gives them a distinct, full-bodied rich and spicy flavor, and it adds to the whiskey-like color. But, for the most part, the deep hues of dark rums are achieved through copious use of caramel coloring and unfermented molasses. The result invariably yields a rich and exotic drinking experience. The initiated detect notes of toffee, coffee, leather and smoke. Instead of diluting the finest rum in cocktails or watering it down with ice, fanciers sip
the liquor neat and pair it with premium cigars or single-origin dark chocolates with cacao levels of 65% to 73%. That’s why Luckbox asked Valerie Beck, a favorite chocolate expert and CEO of Chicago-based Chocolate Uplift, to provide an assortment of artisanal dark chocolates. Beck specializes in soy-free, additive-free, small-batch global varieties of single origin. Each of the chocolates that passed the magazine’s pairing test were of Caribbean origin. Beck says that the Caribbean islands became a major part of the cacao industry in the 1500s, relying predominantly on slave labor. Today, 2.1 million children still work cacao farms, sometimes in hazardous conditions not far removed from slavery. Chocolate Uplift sources sustainable chocolate from cruelty-free companies, she notes. For cigar pairings the magazine called upon Plasencia, the world’s largest tobacco grower. Plasencia produces more than 40 million cigars each year from plantations in Honduras and Nicaragua. The company’s extraordinary full-flavored cigars are the perfect dark rum companion.
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Luckbox is always in good spirits, and this darknet issue is a time to share some amazing rums. These are our picks for the best dark rum values (under $50)—along with our recommended cigar and dark chocolate pairings. RUM LEFT TO RIGHT
Papa’s Pilar Marquesas In a special release finished in #4 Kentucky bourbon whiskey barrels, the nose hints coffee beans, honey and toasted almonds. The taste is rich—cocoa notes with oak and vanilla—finishing with a strong but smooth sweetness. $40 Plantation XO Reserve 20th Anniversary This rum is initially aged in Barbados using ex-bourbon casks for 12-20 years, then transported to France to finish another year in French oak casks. The palate is sweet—hints of banana, marzipan, caramel, toasted coconut and cigar tobacco. The oak and bittersweet finish pairs best with Plasencia’s Alma Fuerte. $50 Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Honey, fruits and brown sugar at the start of the taste are followed by tropical notes of coconut and banana. Vanilla oakiness and dark chocolate bitterness counterbalance the chocolate and cigar pairings. $45 Havana Club Anejo Classico This younger (1-3 year) Bacardi rum made this list for its value. It’s lighter-bodied, with vanilla, brown sugar, chai notes, barrel char and some fruitness. Perfect for mixing. $22
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CHOCOLATES LEFT TO RIGHT
9th & Larkin Dominican Republic Oko-Caribe 72%— bright notes with a subtle lingering flavor that does not compete with the rum’s sweet molasses finish. Crow & Moss Zorzal Dominican 70%—fruity and fudgey. Very rich and complex. Sirene Lachua Guatemala 73%—fruit notes open to herbal spice and caramel. Very sophisticated. chocolateuplift.com
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CIGARS TOP TO BOTTOM
Plasencia Cosecha 146 It’s an exclusive blend from the Plasencia family’s 146th harvest of the inagural 1895 crop. The leaves are Honduran and Nicaraguan, producing a mediumbodied, full-flavored complex taste with sweet dark chocoalate notes.
Plasencia Alma Fuerte This blend of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos features bold, vibrant and intense flavors. Laced with hints of dark chocolate, plum, and cinnamon, the taste is rounded out with finishing notes of oak and molasses. Exceptional.
PHOTOGRPAH: GARRETT ROODBERGEN
plasenciacigars.com
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Down on the Baijiu
What you should know about the world’s most popular liquor—and what to try
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hinese spirits have a clear, colorless appearance and a biting, fragrant aroma. Though they’re typically distilled from sorghum, they can also be made from rice, wheat, corn and all sorts of starchy substances. The average strength of baijiu (pronounced “bye-joe”) is around 52% alcohol by volume, but it can be purchased in eye-watering excess of 140 proof. It’s as ubiquitous as it is potent. Today, baijiu is the world’s best-selling spirits category, and each year a greater volume of baijiu—almost 2.9 billion gallons—is sold than that of vodka and whiskey combined. Almost all of it is consumed in China: Roughly 99% of liquor sold there is baijiu. It’s served in every Chinese restaurant and banquette hall, and no traditional festival or holiday would be complete without it. Yet most of the world’s drinkers have never heard of it. —Drunk in China, Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture
A JOURNEY OF 300 SHOTS Drunk in China, Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture Sandhaus, D. (2019) After 70 shots of baijiu, the author develops a taste for the distinctively potent spirit.
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Jin Liu Fu, $28 One of the largest baijiu brands in China, so we were excited to try it. Unfortunately, yes, 1.4 billion Chinese can be wrong. Barnyard booze. Avoid.
Gu Zhong Er Guo Tou (Red Star) $25 Floral, aromatic and creamy— wonderful! The reason to buy baijiu, and it won’t require 70 shots to enjoy it.
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Ming River Sichuan Baijiu, $45 The author of Drunk in China co-founded Ming River to introduce the spirit to American palates. Nice packaging, but the liquid misses the mark.
“That first shot of sorghum sauce is a rubber-meetsthe-road movement. When the lips purse and the eyes narrow and the head recoils like a slingshot, one gets a rare glimpse of what it really looks like to know about the band before it was cool. This is real-time culture shock turned up to a hundred thousand volts. This is where open minds slam shut.” —Drunk in China, Baijiu and the World’s Oldest Drinking Culture
Beijing Er Guo Tou (Red Star) $6 Our very first taste of baijiu was from this highly potent, but very portable potable. We picked up an oddly appealing mix of licorice, anise and olive brine. Ganbei!
BAIJIU ETIQUETTE Never fill your own glass Consider your comrades first. Fill their glass to the brim. It is hospitable to overflow. Any less is considered stingy. Don’t clink glasses at the same level when you toast Keep the rim of your drink lower when toasting to demonstrates respect. Expect to be undercut in a race to the bottom. Drink up If someone shouts “ganbei!” (dry the glass) consume all in one shot. It’s impolite not to drink up your pour. Give thanks After someone pours you a refill, tap the table with one finger to say a silent thank you.
PHOTOGRAPHS: GARRETT ROODBERGEN
Don’t drink alone In China it’s impolite to drink by yourself. Enjoy In China there is no social stigma attached to indulging at the drinking table. The host’s job is to allow you to indulge. Your job is to enjoy yourself.
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The cult of celebrity spirits By Jeff Joseph
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luckbox | july 2020
Eli Manning and Peyton Manning
PHOTOGRAPHS: (SWEETENS COVE) COURTESY OF SWEETENS COVE; (BOTTLES) GARRETT ROODBERGEN
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e value our liquid assets and the master distillers who make them special, so we’re not the least bit impressed when a celebrity attaches his name to a brand—as should be evident from our (May 2019) review of Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey. We were similarly unmoved by Justin Timberlake’s Sauza 901, George Clooney’s Casamigos, Michael Jordan’s Cincoro Tequila, Drake’s Black American Whiskey, Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Rye Whiskey, Conor McGregor’s Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, Dan Aykroyd’s Crystal Head Vodka and Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin. We’ve tried them all. With much more compelling offerings in each category, there’s simply nothing special—move on. So, we were skeptical when the news came that sports celebrities Peyton Manning, Andy Roddick and Jim Nantz—co-owners of Sweetens Cove, a Tennessee golf course with a cult-like following—were “collaborating” on the launch of a new, eponymously named premium bourbon whiskey. Intrigued by the course tradition of welcoming newcomers with a celebratory “shot” of whiskey at the first tee, we found the story became even more interesting when they hired Marianne Eaves, former Brown-Forman blender and Castle & Key distiller, to blend the first 100 barrels of their 13-year-old, $200-per-bottle Tennessee bourbon. With the initial 14,000 bottles to be sold only to Tennessee residents, finding Sweetens Cove is a challenge. When we were able to secure a tasting bottle before the June commercial release, we invited our favorite whiskey connoisseur and collector, David Sweet, to put Sweetens Cove to the test against other coveted whiskeys with more mature age statements. Sweet brought some age-stated Jack Daniels and Knob Creek whiskeys to our tasting, as well as a selection from his own award-winning label, Barrel and Bottle.
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FOUR WINNING WHISKEYS Knob Creek 12 Small Batch Bourbon First up, this age-stated Knob Creek was originally positioned as a limited edition bourbon when it was released in late 2019. Proof: 100 Age: 12 Years Color: Bronze Price: $60 Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% Rye, 12% malted barley Nose: Brown sugar and maple with sweet oak Taste: Long rich flavors: brown sugar, light vanilla with burnt caramel and oak Finish: Luxurious black pepper, oak and peanut Mature, sophisticated, serious bourbon. The age is prevalent. We preferred it neat.
4 out of 5
Kudos to the blender and Sweetens Cove team! A unique flavor of mature wood and huge spice without the typical big vanilla that comes through in mature bourbons. Complex with a big finish. —David Sweet, Barrel and Bottle
Jack Daniels #27 Gold Maple Wood Finish Initially, JD’s #27 Gold was intended to have limited distribution. The bottle became available at the Lynchburg distillery shop in 2018 and is now available in select markets throughout the United States Proof: 80 Age: Not stated Color: Gold
Price: $100 Mashbill: JD’s flagship bill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley and 8% rye Nose: Light, sweet maple syrup Taste: Approachable creamy caramel and molasses Finish: Smooth, very easy to drink The whiskey finishes in maple barrels from six months to a year. If there were such a thing as a “session” whiskey, this would be it.
3.5 out of 5
Barrel and Bottle’s Oloroso Sherry Barrel Dave Sweet, our expert guest, has launched Barrel and Bottle, a new spirits label made in collaboration with the special releases of storied distilleries. This past June 1, the label introduced a new skew featuring Town Branch Single Malt aged entirely in an Oloroso Sherry casks for over 10 years. To keep it real, Sweet sat out of this tasting. Proof: 120.5 Age: 10 years and 4 months Color: Dark red and brown Price: $100 Mashbill: Malted Barley Nose: Dark cherries, chocolate, dark molasses and baked plums Taste: Rich molasses, dark cocoa, baked fruits, and raisins that spring from Oloroso sherry barrel aging Finish: Oak, cocoa, burnt fruits and slight pepper;
water brings out milk chocolate and sweeter fruits One of the oldest American single malts available is a recent winner of Double Gold at the 2020 San Francisco Spirits Awards. It’s a standout. Opulent and distinctive.
4 out of 5
barrelnbottle.com
Sweetens Cove Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey Last up, Sweet comes back to the tasting table for Sweetens Cove Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey. We’re big fans of Manning’s gridiron exploits, but expected to feel indifferent to yet another celebrity collaboration. Proof: 101.4 (cask strength) Age: 13 years Color: Dark caramel Price: $200 Mashbill: 84% corn, 8% Rye, 8% malted barley Nose: Peanut, oak and banana Taste: Berries, pecan and a full range of black pepper and spices at the outset Finish: A big finish of dark cherry, dark chocolate and oak explodes, then lingers Wood from the age penetrates through the spice. Water opens up an orange finish. Unusual. Awesome. Touchdown!
4.5 out of 5
sweetenscovespirits.com
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These Spirits Are in Your Future The recently launched Whiskey and Barrel Consumer Choice Awards are based on how people actually buy spirits: price The Price of Perfection There’s almost nothing Luckbox loves more than game-changing outliers and great whiskey, and the firstever Whiskey and Barrel Consumer Choice Awards was the perfect marriage of the two. The debut of this competition was special because the judges chose winners based on how consumers buy spirits: Entries in the blind tasting were categorized and judged in price brackets instead of age statements, regions or finishes. What’s more, vetted consumers outnumbered industry professionals on the judging panel three to one. Some Luckbox editors have spirits industry backgrounds and were invited to participate as industry judges. Only one consumer choice award was presented for each category, and of the 27 chosen, these were the seven Luckbox favorites. To see the full list of winners, visit wabcca.com. Photographed by Garrett Roodbergen at DMK Burger Bar in Chicago’s Lincoln Park
Tamdhu 12
GOLD Scotch Single Malt Non-Peated Under $80 The two extra years of maturation after the previous 10-year release was well worth the wait. A combination of American and European oloroso sherry casks creates a smooth, buttery palate with balance and a depth of complexity seldom seen in a 12-year single malt at this price. 43% ABV, $70
Kaiyo 7
GOLD Japanese Whisky Under $70 Aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in coveted Japanese mizunara oak casks, Kaiyo 7-year has a more complex flavor than its seven years would suggest. Sweet and floral on the nose, with multiple layers emerging from a combination of very different oaks in the maturation. 48% ABV, $49
Teeling Small Batch
GOLD Irish Whiskey Under $50 Blending flavors from former bourbon barrels and former Central American rum barrels produces a big flavor profile of Irish whiskey combined with deep, rich dried fruit. A bit of spice lingers on the palate as a pleasant surprise and blends well with the fruit, bringing a long, enjoyable finish. 46% ABV, $39
Murray Hill Club
GOLD Bourbon $50-$100 A bourbon blended in the preprohibition style, Murray Hill Club marries 18-year, 11-year and 9-yearold whiskies to create a rich oak and butterscotch flavor with a wonderful underlying spice that carries through to the long finish. This entry impressed most—it’s the Luckbox Editors’ Choice. 51.5% ABV, $99
Old Forester 100 Proof
GOLD Bourbon Under $50 A higher proof than the standard releases and batched from select barrels, Old Forester 100 Proof is a rich, surprisingly complex bourbon with a bit of peppery, sweet spice. The high ABV helps bring out the flavor and character of this long-established and often under-rated brand. 50% ABV, $22
Speyburn 18
GOLD Scotch Single Malt Non-Peated $80-$150 Matured in both American oak and Spanish oak casks, this is a sophisticated single malt that blends the very light and subtle oak of a mature scotch with the rich, smooth and sweet fruit and honey palate that appeals to a whisky drinker. 46% ABV, $145
Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
GOLD Rye Whiskey American Under $50 Made from 100% local Virginia rye aged in new Minnesota oak barrels, Catoctin Creek Rye’s tight grain adds to its spice and rich flavor. Caramel on the nose follows to the palate. At only two years old, its warm weather maturation creates a whiskey that performs far above its age. 40% ABV, $39
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Whitley Neill distills extraordinary handcrafted botanical gins. Luckbox favorites? The Quince and the Rhubarb & Ginger.
Bourbon Barreled Kentucky Wild Gin is a double gold winner in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The oak finish sets this gin apart.
Whitley Neill Gin, ~$30, whitleyneill.com
New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin, ~$35, newriffdistilling.com
Aberlour’s A’Bunadh Alba offers cask-strength scotch whiskey aged in white oak bourbon casks. This new classic is a master distiller’s triumph. Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba, ~$90, aberlour.com
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Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye Whisky earned the Chairman’s Award in the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Competition. Vanilla and cinnamon notes for the perfect Hot Teddy Toddy. Rough Rider Bull Moose Rye Whisky, ~$40, lispirits.com
Pine Barrens crafts the award-winning Cherrywood Smoked Single Malt Whisky and the oak-finished Barrel Reserve Botanical Dry Gin. Long Island has spirits!
Clyde May’s is steeped in 70 years of tradition. May’s Straight Rye and Alabama Style Whisky are two great ways to catch up on that history.
Pine Barrens, $40-$55, lispirits.com
Clyde May’s Whiskey, $30-$45, clydemays.com
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Outer Spirits A stellar space race for potables is underway By Jeff Joseph
PHOTOGRAPH BY GARRETT ROODBERGEN
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hile the billionaire bosses of Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and SpaceX battle for space tourism bragging rights (see p. 10), other astral entrepreneurs are exploring marketing and maturation opportunities by marrying the moon with moonshine. In 2015, Japanese distiller Suntory sent whisky to mature in the International Space Station to see if microgravity would result in a mellower finish. The results proved less than stellar, with one reviewer characterizing the aftertaste as “pungent, intense and long, with hints of wood, antiseptic lozenges and rubbery smoke.” Undaunted, experimenters are continuing their work in space. This past January, SpaceX brought back 12 bottles of red wine that had been aging for a year on the ISS. The reviews are still pending. Jim Denoon, creator and co-owner of Outer Space Vodka, conceived of his product while working for a glass manufacturer that made bottles for spirits brands. Denoon “learned what not to do” from the mistakes his customers made, and he found the inspiration to create his own brand. “I saw massive margins made by the creators behind Crystal Head Vodka and thought of building a bottle and brand around a cultural icon that was radically different and without fear of IP infringement,” he said. With a distinctive style in place, Denoon moved on to putting some substance behind the brand by buying a couple hundred grams of “mongrel everyday meteorites” from a “meteorite broker.” He uses the 4-billion-year-old space stones to filter his French vodka. To date, he’s sold more than a million bottles globally, with his biggest U.S. sales volume in Texas and Florida. Luckbox was skeptical, but Outer Space Vodka did pass the taste test. Beyond the appeal of the packaging, the product’s nose and palate exude a distinctive mineral presence that provided a welcome departure from a traditionally “tasteless” spirit—a visionary vodka.
Outer Space Vodka outerspacevodka.com, $29
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