Akashi Sommelier Series Pinot Noir Cask Single Malt Japanese

Akashi White Oak distillery has been in operation since 1888, initially as a sake brewery before converting to whiskey production. This limited release sommelier series single malt is finished California Pinot Noir barrels. It has a perfect balance of cereal, vanilla, caramel, fruit and whipped cream - perfectly rich a
Take a tour of your options with this NOT Branca flight of fernets. Fernet Francisco is repping the west coast with its sippable, chamomile laced take on the liqueur, while the east coast is bringing Faccia Brutto's Fernet Pianta with its assertive bitterness and peppermint signature. Challenging the street cred of both with an intimidating intensity and history is Fernet Vallet, a well spiced and nicely bitter take from Hidalgo, Mexico.

This is our third barrel pick with Kaiyō, and this time it is something very different. We're always happy to bring in more of their fantastic Mizunara oak aged whisky, especially at cask strength. This time though, they had some samples to show us from barrels made of Japanese Sakura, or Cherry Blossom wood. Known of course primarily for their beautiful pale pink blossoms that emerge for a brief but enchanting time in spring, they have long been of great cultural importance in Japan, and we've seen a few examples in recent years of whiskies being aged in casks made from their wood.

This barrel was aged completely in Sakura wood for 8 years, and was bottled at 54% abv. It has a wonderfully robust nose of pear, nougat, antique wood, hints of warm baking spice, and - though you wouldn't think the wood would actually impart it - ripe cherries. The palate shows juicy stone fruit, sweet vanilla icing, a light cherry note, and darker wood tones, almost bourbon-like. The finish picks up on these darker tones with earthy wood and cocoa powder.

New Riff, as the name implies, is a relative newcomer to the Kentucky Bourbon game, and even newer for us California based whiskeyphiles. They are located in Newport, Kentucky, just across the Ohio river from Cincinnati - well away from the heart of Bourbon Country. Founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis and Jay Erisman, New Riff grew out of a deep love for American whiskey that the two developed while working at the Party Source liquor store, which Ken owned and Jay curated the spirits for. That store now shares its property with the New Riff Distillery, which stands unassumingly in the store's parking lot, quietly churning out world class whiskey.

That whiskey is proudly in the Kentucky tradition - sour mash, open fermentation, distillation on all copper column stills, aging in full size new American white oak barrels - but without any of that tall tale tellin', folksy Kentucky hogwash that can be de rigueur in mainstream Bourbania. One of the keys to their early success was patience, at a time in craft distilling when few could afford it. They wait at least four years for all of their bourbon and rye to mature in 100% toasted oak barrels before bottling at 100 proof, in accordance with the Bottled-in-Bond standards that were set by the U.S. government in 1897 and remain a trusted marker of quality. They also release cask strength single barrels regularly, and as special private barrel selections, which is what we are dealing with here.

This barrel, #19005, was distilled in May 2019 and bottled in October 2023, aging for a total of about 4.5 years. It is made from their standard mashbill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. On the nose, there is a greeting party of fruit: strawberry jam and ripe banana, with sweet vanilla and a darker fruit/sherry/root beer element that hints of deeper things to come. On the palate, sweet-tart cherry pie, mocha, red apple skin, and a touch of pepper lead to a dark, rounded finish of chocolate covered espresso beans and lingering spice. Bottled at cask strength, 56.15% (112.3 Proof).

This barrel, #19431, was distilled in May 2019 and bottled in October 2023, aging for a total of about 4.5 years. It is made from their standard mashbill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. The nose is pure comfort zone bourbon - cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal, caramel apple, buttered popcorn, blueberry syrup, cardamom, and milk chocolate. The palate follows with vanilla buttercream frosting, maple, raspberry, and sweet corn. Things get a little sassier in the finish with tingly rye, mint, pepper, and licorice, but never forgetting that caramel richness. Bottled at cask strength, 58.4% (116.8 Proof).

This tequila aged in a single barrel that previously held W.L. Weller. The specific barrel imparted a beautiful color of deep straw. Equally supple and complex this sipper has appeal to both the whiskey drinker as well as any tequila aficionado. Soft aromas of roasted agave dance with juicy aromas of stone fruits. A hint of dried tobacco lingers in the background reminiscent of a cigar box. The combination of fruit and spice on the nose make for a cherry cola quality that continues across the palate. This tequila offers a rich and weighty texture like taking a bite of decadently rich honeycomb, very mouthfilling. A flash of intensity pushes the finish into lingering flavors of dark chocolate covered cherries with the earthy sweetness of honey.

Every bottle of Tequila Corazon is made from 100% Blue Agave harvested by hand in Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico. Applying 130 years of expertise, Corazon undergoes a second distillation and oxygen infusion to lift the delicate aromas and flavors from the agave plants.

Where to buy White Oak Distillery Akashi Sommelier Series Pinot

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The oldest US release from Eigashima Shuzo’s White Oak Distillery, this lightly peated single malt was aged entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels,