What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 We put together a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/holiday-wine-gift-guide">gift guide for the wine drinkers</a> in your life, ranging from gadgets to glasses to books to some magnum bottles to bring to a holiday dinner.
🥃 Whiskey drinkers, we got you covered as well&mdash;check out our <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/whiskey-gift-guide">gift guide for every type of whiskey fan</a>, from newbies to seasoned collectors, those looking to splurge and those on a budget, and fans of whiskey categories from around the world.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Angel&rsquo;s Envy 10 Cask Strength
Louisville distillery Angel&rsquo;s Envy released its first ever age-statement, cask-strength bourbon this fall. The cask-strength expression is always a popular release, and this year was truly something special. The whiskey was distilled in 2014 and 2015 and aged in new charred oak barrels before getting a three-year finish in port casks. 122.6 proof; SRP $250
Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Distillery Series #16
The latest in Jack Daniel&rsquo;s distillery-exclusive series was conceived of by barrel maturation manager and master taster Byron Copeland. This is a rye whiskey made from a mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley that was initially aged in new charred oak and then finished for a full three years in barrels previously used to age table syrup. That might sound like an overly sweet whiskey, but the rye spice complements the effects of the secondary maturation, resulting in something unique and very tasty. 111.4 proof; SRP $45&nbsp;
Tennessee Collective
Twelve distilleries that are part of the Tennessee Whiskey Trail came together for this special release, each contributing a barrel that were ultimately blended together at Sugarlands Distilling Co. Participating distilleries include Jack Daniel&rsquo;s, Leiper&rsquo;s Fork, and Ole Smoky. Not all of the whiskey was legally defined Tennessee whiskey, however, so this release is categorized as American whiskey. 119.6 proof; SRP $80 
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Stranahan&rsquo;s Snowflake
Every year, Denver distillery Stranahan&rsquo;s releases its Snowflake expression, a special whiskey that changes with every iteration but always has one consistent component. The base of this whiskey is American single malt made at the Colorado distillery, which has been around for over 20 years. Devoted fans line up a few days before the release (which was last weekend), camping out in the parking lot and having a sort of tailgating party the night before that usually lasts till the early hours of the morning. Then the doors open and people can finally snag a bottle or two, and Snowflake usually sells out within a few hours.&nbsp;
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/aa94f60f-d6ac-4142-812d-5108c9bb2b7d.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Stranahan's Snowflake Windom Peak Horizontal">
This year&rsquo;s release, Batch 28, is called Windom Peak, and it was put together by head blender Justin Aden (it&rsquo;s his third time at the helm). Aden started with a base of Stranahan&rsquo;s American single malt aged between six and nine years that was finished in a variety of casks resulting in a blend of whiskey aged between eight and 13 years&mdash;extra a&ntilde;ejo tequila, peach brandy, applejack, white port, orange wine, and in a first for Stranahan&rsquo;s, rhum agricole (meaning rum made in a few specific countries from sugarcane juice instead of molasses). The majority of the blend was finished in the tequila casks, which came from one of parent company Proximo&rsquo;s family of brands (Cuervo, 1800, etc.), and it was bottled at 94 proof.
The new Snowflake is a really fantastic American single malt, although some might argue that the amount of cask finishes employed overpowers the original character of the whiskey. There&rsquo;s a case to be made there, but the fact is that this whiskey is just really delicious, with a nice balance of fruit, spice, and sweet notes. Layers of flavor unfold as you sip&mdash;despite the large amount of tequila cask-finished whiskey in the mix, this is not some earthy agave bomb. The palate is delicate and complex, and the core vanilla, oak, and dark chocolate notes are augmented rather than obscured.
So will you be able to try this year&rsquo;s Snowflake for yourself? If you didn&rsquo;t make the event, your best bet is to find a bottle a bottle on the secondary market or at <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/auction/242ddcf7-641d-498d-9476-a47e7f71da0e/lot/1328867c-8834-4836-b44b-220e41c9f5fe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">auction. A</a>nd even though you might have to pay a bit more than the SRP of $120, you won&rsquo;t be disappointed.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 12

<h3 dir="ltr">For the Whiskey Newbie - Eagle Rare</h3>
If someone is new to whiskey, first of all&mdash;welcome, we hope this is a lifetime membership. But when it comes to a holiday gift, you don&rsquo;t want to overwhelm them with a high-proof bottle that is inundated with intense flavors. Instead, give them something that is a bit more accessible and approachable&mdash;and that doesn&rsquo;t have to mean some weak sauce, 80-proof, basic bourbon. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Eagle+Rare&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eagle Rare</a> fits the bill here, a Buffalo Trace release that is about as classic as you can get in terms of flavor, with rich notes of vanilla, butterscotch, maple, and brown sugar leading the palate. It&rsquo;s bottled at 90 proof, which means more flavor (less dilution), but is nowhere near barrel-proof. Buffalo Trace also recently released a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Eagle+Rare+12+year&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12-year-old version</a> of Eagle Rare, but that one is perhaps better left to collectors and more seasoned whiskey fans.
<h3 dir="ltr">For the Seasoned Collector - King of Kentucky</h3>
Whiskey collectors are well acquainted with all of the usual allocated suspects, from BTAC to Birthday Bourbon. One that is sometimes overlooked, but definitely deserves a spotlight, is <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=King+of+Kentucky&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">King of Kentucky</a>. Once a subpar blended whiskey, Brown-Forman revived this brand in 2018 after a few decades of dormancy, and what a return it was. King of Kentucky is now an annual release, made from the same mashbill as Old Forester 1924 and bottled as a barrel-proof, single barrel expression. The latest was a batch of 63 barrels selected by master distiller emeritus Chris Morris that were aged for 17 years and bottled between 124 and 135 proof. Each bottle will vary depending on which barrel it comes from, but overall this is a bourbon that will make any serious collector very happy.
<h3 dir="ltr">For the Home Mixologist - Penelope Bourbon</h3>
When Penelope was founded in 2018, it was another new whiskey brand that sourced from MGP. But it proved to be such a success that a few years ago it was actually acquired by that Indiana distillery. This is a great option for home bartenders, with a solid and affordable <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">core lineup</a> that can be used in any number of cocktails. The flagship expression is the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Bourbon+Four+Grain&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four Grain</a>, made from a mashbill of corn, rye, wheat, and barley, and bottled at the minimum 80 proof. That and the higher-proof Wheated bourbon play well with other ingredients in a drink, but some of the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Bourbon+cask+finish&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cask finishes</a> and limited releases are fun to play around with as well&mdash;try the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Toasted+Rye&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toasted Rye</a> in a Manhattan, or give the 105-proof <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Penelope+Tokaji+Cask+Finish" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tokaji Cask Finish</a> a spin in an Old Fashioned. And, of course, encourage any aspiring mixologist to sip these whiskeys neat as well.
<h3 dir="ltr">For the Adventurous - Bardstown Bourbon Company</h3>
It&rsquo;s easy to get into a familiar pattern as a whiskey drinker, always turning to comfortable old standbys to whet your thirst. There&rsquo;s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it&rsquo;s also fun to try something new and unusual, because you might just stumble upon something exciting that really wakes up your palate. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Bourbon+Company&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bardstown Bourbon Company</a> is the perfect distillery to consider for gifts for the adventurous drinker, those who are open to interesting cask finishes and blends. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Discovery+Series&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The </a><a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Discovery+Series&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Discovery Series</a> consists of purposeful blends of well-aged bourbon sourced from different distilleries that are compiled with exacting precision. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bardstown+Collaborative+Series&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Collaborative Series</a>, on the other hand, gives these sourced blends unique cask finishes, like a rye whiskey finished in Indian single malt barrels, a blend of bourbon and rye finished in Amaro Nonino casks, as well as some of the best wine finishes in the industry.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Holiday Gift - High West A Midwinter Night&rsquo;s Dram</h3>
Utah&rsquo;s High West sources whiskey from MGP and other distilleries, and it also produces its own whiskey in its distillery just outside of Park City. High West is known for a few special annual releases, including one that is perfect for the holiday season&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=High+West+A+Midwinter+Night%E2%80%99s+Dram&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Midwinter Night&rsquo;s Dram</a>. The latest edition is Act 13, and it&rsquo;s a fantastic new release that is built for sipping, as the name suggests, on a cold winter night. It&rsquo;s a blend of 95/5 rye from MGP and 80 percent rye/20 percent malted rye made at High West that is finished in ruby and tawny port barrels. That secondary maturation balances spicy rye notes with dried fruit and juicy tannic flavors, making this a great bottle to share by the fire.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Under $100 - Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Single Barrel</h3>
If you haven&rsquo;t been paying attention, Jack Daniel&rsquo;s has been releasing some truly excellent whiskey over the past few years. We&rsquo;re talking whiskey that goes well beyond Old No. 7, including new age statements, American single malt, innovative cask finishes, and some of the best and most affordable single barrel expressions you can find. For less than $100 per bottle, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s+Single+Barrel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jack Daniel's Single Barrel</a> makes a great gift, offering a chance to explore how unique each barrel aging in the distillery&rsquo;s warehouses is, and just how good this Tennessee whiskey can be when bottled at a higher proof. There are several different&nbsp; Single Barrel iterations to choose from, including <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s+barrel+proof&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barrel-proof</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s+rye+whiskey&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rye whiskey</a>, and the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Jack+Daniel%E2%80%99s+Heritage+Barrel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heritage Barrel release</a> that is aged in heavily toasted and flash-charred barrels.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Splurge - Willett</h3>
Willett just launched a very affordable new whiskey, the new <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=willett+Family+Estate+Small+Batch+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon</a>. But this beloved distillery and producer has a range of releases that are really designed for whiskey fans who are willing to splurge on a bottle (or two), with prices often ranging into the thousands of dollars. So is it worth it? That depends on your devotion to the whiskey and how deep your pockets are. But if you&rsquo;re looking for a splurge-worthy gift for that special whiskey lover this year, check out the distillery&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=willett+single+barrel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">single barrel expressions</a> aged up to 18 years, and the many different <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=willett+private+barrel&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">private barrel picks</a> that are available on the secondary market or at auction.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Bourbon - Wild Turkey</h3>
It&rsquo;s hard to argue against Wild Turkey being one of the very best bourbons on the market. The distillery has a wide range of products, from the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Wild+Turkey+8+Year+%27101%27+Bourbon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">classic 101</a>, to the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Russell%E2%80%99s+Reserve&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">smaller batch Russell&rsquo;s Reserve lineup</a>, to the highly collectible <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+Master%E2%80%99s+Keep&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Master&rsquo;s Keep series</a>. The final entry in that series was a true standout&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=wild+turkey+Beacon&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beacon</a> is a blend of two bourbons selected by Bruce and Eddie Russell, a 10-year-old and a 16-year-old, bottled at 118 proof and packed with flavor. If you&rsquo;re not looking to spend quite that much on a gift, consider the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Russell%E2%80%99s+Reserve&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russell&rsquo;s Reserve lineup</a> which includes single barrel and age statement bourbons that are some of the best value in American whiskey today.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Rye - Sazerac Full Proof</h3>
Buffalo Trace gave its flagship Sazerac Rye a few significant upgrades over the past few months, a development that many did not see coming. First, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Sazerac+Rye+90+proof&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the classic 90-proof whiskey</a> was released as a <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Sazerac+%27100+Proof%27+Rye&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100-proof version</a>, and while it was not bottled-in-bond this change put it in direct competition with brands like Old Overholt and Rittenhouse, which offer rye whiskey at that strength for a similar price. Then most recently <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Sazerac+Full+Proof&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sazerac Full Proof</a> arrived, a 125-proof whiskey that&rsquo;s bottled at the strength it goes into the barrel (not at cask-strength, it should be noted). This is a bold and brash new whiskey, and one that would make a great gift for fans of Buffalo Trace who are also partial to rye whiskey.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Japanese - Hibiki</h3>
The Japanese whisky craze may have calmed down a bit compared to the heights it reached a few years ago. But this category is still in demand, particularly when it comes to age statement expressions from major distilleries like Suntory. Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki are the best known names in Japanese whisky, and while the former two single malts are, of course, fantastic, Hibiki should not be ignored. If you are willing to drop a few hundred bucks, the <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Hibiki+21+year&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21-year-old version</a> of this spectacular blended whisky, which combines malt and grain from Suntory&rsquo;s three distilleries, would make a great gift. But no pressure&mdash;if your budget isn&rsquo;t quite that high, the non-age statement <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Hibiki+Harmony&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hibiki Harmony</a> would do quite nicely as well.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Barrel-Proof - WhistlePig The Boss Hog</h3>
WhistlePig&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=WhistlePig+The+Boss+Hog&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual Boss Hog release</a> has become a highly collectible American whiskey, with each bottle varying in significant ways. The core identity of this release is as follows: it's rye whiskey that is usually cask finished in some pretty unusual types of barrels, and bottled as a single barrel release at cask strength (thankfully never entering into hazmat territory). The most recent Boss Hog release, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=WhistlePig+Feather+%26+Flame&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Feather &amp; Flame</a>, received a Mexican-inspired secondary maturation in barrels seasoned with chocolate and spice-flavored pulque. Consider this edition, or any of the previous 11, for your friends and family who enjoy their whiskey at barrel proof&mdash;and are open to trying something a bit unusual.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Whiskey Collection - BTAC</h3>
Every fall, the annual, allocated whiskey releases start to roll in&mdash;we&rsquo;re talking Pappy, Birthday Bourbon, and the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, among a few others. That last set has become one of the most popular and difficult to get over the years, but don&rsquo;t let that stop you&mdash;after all, the hunt is part of the fun, right? The 2025 edition included the five core expressions&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=George+T.+Stagg+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George T. Stagg</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=William+Larue+Weller+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Larue Weller</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Thomas+H.+Handy+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thomas H. Handy</a>, <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Eagle+Rare+17+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eagle Rare 17</a>, and <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Sazerac+18+Year+Rye+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sazerac Rye 18</a>. All of these change from year to year as far as exact age and proof, but generally speaking are either older or much stronger versions of what the distillery usually bottles. This year, a new member was added to the BTAC lineup&mdash;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=E.H.+Taylor+BTAC&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bottled in Bond</a>, a 15-year-old BIB bourbon made from the same mashbill as regular Taylor. That makes this year&rsquo;s BTAC a great gift idea, whether you want to get one bottle or shoot for the whole set.
<h3 dir="ltr">Best Single Malt Scotch - Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask</h3>
If you&rsquo;re looking for a gift for someone who loves sherry bomb single malts and isn't afraid of a little smoke, look no further than the new <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bowmore+15+Year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask</a>. The Islay distillery launched <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/search?term=Bowmore+single+malt&amp;state=LIVE%26UPCOMING&amp;sortBy=number_asc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this new range</a> just a few weeks ago, with age statements ranging between 12 and 21 years as a new version of Bowmore that is more intensely sherried (12 and 15 are available now, the 18 and 21 come out in early 2026). That means that this 15-year-old whisky, which is finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez barrels, has a higher sherry cask component than the core range. That doesn&rsquo;t obscure Bowmore&rsquo;s signature light peatiness, however, it complements and highlights it, making this a great option for the scotch whisky drinker on your list.

The Unicorn Review Holiday Whiskey Gift Guide

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🍷 Oregon has come into its own as a sparkling wine region. These are <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/oregon-sparkling-wine">some of the best producers to check out</a>.
🥃 Redemption and Proof and Wood founder Dave Schmier has a lot of thoughts about how people have looked at sourcing whiskey over the years. <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/dave-schmier-interview-whiskey">We spoke to him to find out more</a>.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Smokehead 15
Ian Macleod Distillers launched this new single malt earlier this fall. It&rsquo;s an Islay whisky distilled at an undisclosed facility that was aged for 15 years before bottling, the oldest to date from the brand. The whisky is bottled at 43 percent ABV and has notes of vanilla, citrus, botanicals, and of course a healthy dose of peat smoke on the palate. 86 proof; SRP $70
Johnnie Walker 52
This is the oldest whisky to date from Johnnie Walker (and one of the most expensive), and it just became available here in the U.S. a few months ago in a run of only 30 bottles. Aged for more than half a century, this blend includes malt and grain components from some of Diageo&rsquo;s ghost distilleries that closed long ago. 82.4 proof; SRP $25,000
Whiskey Del Bac Normandie
This Arizona single malt is an annual limited release. The whiskey is initially aged in new charred oak barrels and then finished in casks that were previously used to mature Calvados, a French apple brandy. There&rsquo;s a subtle dose of smoke in each sip, the result of the barley having been smoked with mesquite wood to give it a thoroughly Southwest flavor that goes wonderfully with the apple and citrus notes on the palate. 97 proof; SRP $90
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Woodinville 100% Rye Aged 8 Years
There is a lot of good whiskey being made in all corners of the country, but some of the best has been quietly coming out of the town of Woodinville, a small suburb of Seattle. Woodinville Whiskey released its first bourbon almost a decade ago, and since then has been steadily making bourbon and rye, along with some cask-finished expressions, that can stand with the best from Kentucky. The distillery was acquired by Moet Hennessy in 2017, so technically it&rsquo;s not a craft distillery anymore, but it continues to make whiskey on a pretty small scale compared to the big operations in Kentucky and Tennessee.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/07b94f5b-9b1f-42fd-8798-2844608881fc.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Woodinville"> 
This new whiskey is the oldest rye release to date from the distillery, an eight-year-old expression made from a mashbill of 100 percent rye grain. While whiskey production takes place in Woodinville, from milling to mashing to distilling, it&rsquo;s aged in the town of Quincy which is located in Central Washington where the climate is more suitable for barrel maturation. The result is a really tasty but unique rye whiskey, and one that is very different from what you might expect if you&rsquo;ve mostly been drinking either Kentucky-style &ldquo;just legal&rdquo; rye or 95-percent rye produced at MGP in Indiana.
At 100 proof, there is some heat as you sip, but we&rsquo;re not talking barrel-proof here, so it&rsquo;s not going to cause any palate fatigue. This is a rich and complex rye whiskey that is not very sweet, which you&rsquo;d expect given that there is no corn at all in the mashbill. The rye spice is immediate, with notes of licorice, menthol, caramel, and molasses that pop up on the front and back ends of the palate. This is definitely a sipping whiskey, but it&rsquo;s also one that works quite well in a drink like a Manhattan&mdash;the fact that this rye is much drier than others means it works well with the sweet vermouth and bitters. If you&rsquo;re not a rye fan, this whiskey might be a bit perplexing, but if you&rsquo;re a diehard fan of the fruity, spicy joys of this American whiskey category, you&rsquo;re in for a treat. (SRP $130)
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Autumnal Chardonnays from Oregon
All of my friends have been talking about the weather in LA this week. The requisite haze (more fog than smog) has lifted, and the air is crisp leaving the mountains etched against piercing blue skies like diamonds in the lambent wintry light.
And it&rsquo;s cold&mdash;not the sort of cold other parts of the country are experiencing, but cold enough to see your breath at night, and to blast the furnace for an hour in the morning. The oven&rsquo;s fired up; I&rsquo;m back to roasting poultry and root vegetables, celery root and squashes and yam slices dusted with paprika. And I&rsquo;m opening autumnal whites. This week, the focus was on Oregon Chardonnay, and I have two wines to recommend.
The first is a debut called Atomique&sup3; from the Eola Hills, a collaboration between Felipe Ramirez, Pedro Parra, and Ian Lombard (Jean-Marc Roulot, of Domaine Roulot, consults). The team (Parra prefers the word &ldquo;cast&rdquo;) came together through the force of nature that was Mark Tarlov, founder of Rose and Arrow and Chapter 24 wineries in Oregon, who passed away in 2021.
I could and probably will write a long story on Tarlov one day soon&mdash;or perhaps a book. There was no one like him in the wine industry. One of the things he did best was draw together talent, and he was remarkably persuasive even to Burgundy legends like Roulot (he worked with Dominique Lafon and Louis-Michel Liger Belair as well). Ramirez too was working in Burgundy, as was Chilean terroir specialist Parra. Tarlov compelled all of them to come to Oregon.
Ken Pahlow of Walter Scott worked for Tarlov for a winery he founded called Evening Land, and was lucky enough to spend time at the shoulder of Dominique Lafon through that winery&rsquo;s early years. He took those early experiences to the brand he founded with his wife Erica Landon, Walter Scott. (I wrote about Walter Scott earlier this year. You can read the profile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/oregon-wine-collecting">here.</a>)
<a href="https://atomique3.com/">Atomique&sup3;</a> 2021 Le Basalt&nbsp;
<a href="https://atomique3.com/">Atomique&sup3;</a> 2021 Le Basalt is one such wine (it has a sold-out counterpart with a soil-inflected name as well called Le Sedimentaire). As the name implies, it comes from a vineyard with basalt dominant soils called Eola Springs. Ramirez, the boots-on-the-ground winemaker, has made a thrillingly savory wine, showing a nutty, leesy savor in advance of a lush attack. The finish is all French, remarkably firm and enveloping, lifted by a pure, adrenaline-like hit of acidity and a mineral tinge that lasts, rendering the wine agreeably ageable.
<a href="https://www.walterscottwines.com/">Walter Scott</a> 2022 Mt. Pisgah of Polk County, Willamette Valley, &ldquo;Lucille&rdquo; Chardonnay
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/30ce156e-77fb-464d-9284-5e2da6b177b2.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Lucille">
Ken Pahlow and Erica Landon draw from old plantings at Freedom Hill Vineyard, which lies just outside of the Eola Hills and is a venerated old vine site (it&rsquo;s named for their daughter Lucy). Pahlow and Landon are known for vivid, savory Chardonnays made in a bracing, reductive style. Vestiges of that are found here, overlaying scents of lemon blossom, terse apple, and appleskin flavors. It&rsquo;s all framed with a healthy rasher of new oak that feels integrated even as it assures a long cellar life for this wine.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 5

Dave Schmier is a serial brand founder. Perhaps his best-known endeavor was Redemption Whiskey, which he sold a decade ago in 2015. Not one to sit back and rest, he founded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.proofandwood.com/">Proof and Wood</a> that same year. Schmier&rsquo;s work in the world of sourced whiskeys often involves the former Seagram&rsquo;s distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana that is now known as Midwest Grain Products, or MGP. Today, MGP runs two different branded spirits operations&mdash;Lux Row, which it acquired in 2021, and Ross &amp; Squibb, under which it makes its in-house labels like George Remus Bourbon and Rossville Union Rye.
Schmier&rsquo;s Tumblin&rsquo; Dice brand, part of the Proof and wood portfolio, has won numerous World Whiskies Awards, including World&rsquo;s Best Single Cask Rye in 2024 and World&rsquo;s Best Single Cask Bourbon in 2023. We recently caught up with him to learn more about the journey that led him to this multiple award-winning spirits business, and how the perception of sourced whiskey has changed over the years.
The Unicorn Review: How did you first get into the spirits business?
Dave Schmier: I spent quite a bit of time working on the retail side, mainly on-premise, bars, restaurants, nightclubs on the marketing side. I thought, "I've seen a lot of on-premise promotions, I think I can do this better.&rdquo; So I founded a marketing agency to do just that.
Our first client was Absolut Vodka. We worked with Aliz&eacute;, Chivis Regal, Budweiser, and Fisher Brewery's, creating a lot of entertainment-based on-premise promotions for them. I learned a lot about the business and a lot about different spirits, which eventually led me to create my own vodka brand. But I was drinking a lot of whiskey, learning more about that as I was going along.&nbsp;
Why did you start with vodka?&nbsp;
That was the currency of the realm at the time, so it was more a business decision than anything else.&nbsp; My whiskey journey began while I was working with Absolut. They encouraged us to drink a lot of their products, so I started drinking Chivas and Bulleit and enjoying whiskey a lot more than vodka. I was fortunate enough to begin my lifelong association with rye while attending Gaz Reagan's Cocktails in the Country and having my first Manhattan with rye. That was kind of an epiphany, finding that extra dimension of flavor that came from rye. At that time, I think rye was maybe selling about 10,000 cases a year in the U.S.
What was the impetus to start a whiskey company? Did you notice a shift in the market where people were starting to look for something more flavorful than vodka?&nbsp;
In the early 2000s, people didn't care too much about whiskey. There was a lot of whiskey being sold, but it was mainly the bigger brands. There was a really small group of people who were collecting Hirsch and were excited about Pappy Van Winkle. But there was plenty of old American whiskey on the shelf. So it wasn't quite a thing yet.
A couple of things started happening. One was the resurgence of the craft cocktail&mdash;you had bartenders in Manhattan, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and LA bringing back the drinks that your grandparents drank that were kind of done away with in the '70s. And you had the growth of craft distilling. Distilleries were opening up all around the country. That helped introduce more people to the idea of drinking whiskey and understanding how it was made and where it came from.
[My friend Mike Kanbar and I] started drinking a lot of whiskey and looking around for cool barrels that we could bottle ourselves. That's when we stumbled on the old Seagram's distillery in Indiana and tasted some of their rye and said, "Wow, we should put this in a bottle." We thought we could sell a few hundred cases of this a year.
I think we bought three barrels from LDI at the time, which became MGP. I don't think we ever used the word &ldquo;sourcing.&rdquo; It wasn't a thing, but it had been done for hundreds of years just under different names. But most people didn't know how the back end of the business worked. The assumption was all the different brands that Jim Beam and Heaven Hill put out came from their own distilleries.
When did consumer knowledge about sourcing come about? And what was the initial reaction to that discovery?
When we launched Redemption, we were always straightforward with our customers about what we were doing. Most of them thought it was pretty cool that we were able to find barrels and put them in a bottle as our own brand. More importantly, people liked the whiskey we were giving them at the price we were giving it to them. But you had a fair amount of brands who might have put on the facade that they were distilling whiskey when they weren't. And some distillers were selling sourced whiskey but kind of implying that they were distilling it and charging prices as if they were distilling it in really small batches.
People found that to be deceptive. Everyone was painted with the brush of, "You're not distilling, there's something wrong with that." And then out of that came the term &ldquo;NDP&rdquo;&mdash;non-distilling producer&mdash;which I always hated. To me, you're putting something negative there, like if you're not distilling then you're lesser than somebody who is distilling. I prefer the term &ldquo;independent bottler&rdquo; or even the old term &ldquo;rectifier.&rdquo;
When did you come up with the slogan &ldquo;sourcing is not a crime&rdquo;? Why put that on a t-shirt? Is that a conversation starter?&nbsp;
Sure, it's a self-serving conversation starter. But I was getting ticked off when I would talk about what we do and I would hear, "Oh, you just source.&rdquo; A lot of the work in putting something in a bottle comes from the blending, from making sure you're maturing it right. Not everyone who sources is really doing the same thing.
And there's nothing wrong with that. But we do things that are pretty resource-intensive and we wanted to have a counterpoint to the, "You're just sourcing" [mentality]. Sourcing takes on a lot of forms. We're in this for the long haul, and I don't like being lumped in with people who started a whiskey brand because it's a hot thing and they heard they can make a lot of money doing it.
There's a couple of ways we go about it. One is buying new make distillate. In the past, I would buy standard mashbills like 95% rye, 75% corn, and 60% corn from our friends in Indiana. In the last five years or so, we also started creating custom mashbills with some of our distilling partners. When you're laying the whiskey down, you're also determining what kind of barrel you're using, so you have a little bit more of a hand in what the final product is rather than just accepting what they're making and blending it to your specs.
Some people will buy aged whiskey today and bottle it tomorrow, which is fine, but it's a different approach, less resource-intensive. And sometimes we'll buy aged whiskey and either age it longer, age it and finish it, or a combination of those things.
I have long stated that you put MGP on the map. What are your thoughts on that?&nbsp;
There were a handful of us that were doing the same thing around the same time. I think you can't have that conversation without at least tipping your hat to the folks at Templeton, High West, Smooth Ambler, and to some extent, WhistlePig when they weren't bottling Canadian whisky. But I think we were the first to really talk about it overtly.
But you were the first person who was like, "Hey, this distillery's actually making really good whiskey and nobody's really paying attention to that fact." Would you agree with that?
It was like the lost distillery. There were a handful of people when we started Redemption who were incredibly excited that we were bottling Seagram's rye whiskey. And when I say a handful, I could literally count them on a hand. And then there was everyone else, including ourselves, that didn't know that this distillery existed.
Then you had that hurdle of, "Oh, this stuff is from Indiana. Shouldn't it be from Kentucky?" And, of course, with rye whiskey, I'm like, "Well, if you want to get technical, it should probably be from Maryland or Pennsylvania, but this is where some great rye whiskey was being made." We were fortunate enough to find it when we did.&nbsp;
Proof and Wood is well known for some interesting blends and some single barrels. What's coming up next that you're excited about?&nbsp;
The most exciting thing right now is we just launched an eight-year-old rye, which is an Indiana rye that was aged for seven years in Kentucky in its original charred oak barrel, and then spent an additional year in barrels that we got from Laird&rsquo;s distillery that were used to age apple brandy.
Transparency is really what you have become known for, and that's the reason why the &ldquo;sourcing is not a crime&rdquo; slogan has been so popular. You're saying, &ldquo;I'm going to give you all the information that I can possibly give you about this.&rdquo;
Transparency almost sounds like I'm doing somebody else a favor. But as a brand, I think we're doing ourselves a favor because the stuff that we're doing is interesting to the people who buy the product. 95 percent of the drinking public don&rsquo;t care about what we're putting on the label and aren&rsquo;t buying our product anyway. But I think people are coming from a place where they felt like maybe people were misleading them. By talking about things, it's good for our brand and it's good for the business in general.
For folks who have never heard of Proof and Wood, what's your elevator pitch for why they should try it?&nbsp;
For the most part, we do American whiskey, and we live by the motto of &ldquo;good whiskey at a fair price.&rdquo; Whether we're selling a $25 bottle of everyday bourbon or a 22-year-old Canadian rye whisky, they always know they're going to get high quality and something interesting in that bottle.

“Sourcing Is Not A Crime”: Interview with Redemption Whiskey and Proof and Wood Founder Dave Schmier

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">This Week&rsquo;s Unicorn Review Stories</h3>
🥃 We&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/jim-gaffigan-interview-bourbon-set">spoke to Jim Gaffigan</a> about his new comedy special, The Bourbon Set, and his journey to becoming a true bourbon geek.
🍷 Interested in collecting wine as an investment? Expert Erik Segelbaum thinks you might be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/wine-realist-collecting">better off just enjoying drinking your bottles</a>.
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Bardstown Bourbon Company Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish
Bardstown Bourbon Company&rsquo;s latest cask-finished release is the final Distillery Reserve expression of the year. It&rsquo;s a blend of bourbons aged between 12 and 13 years that was finished in Calvados barrels for 28 months, adding soft apple notes to the bourbon&rsquo;s core character. 104.2 proof; SRP $100 (375-ml bottle)
Booker&rsquo;s Batch 4, Phantom Pipes
This is the last batch of the year from Booker&rsquo;s, the barrel-proof member of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection. This release was named after a series of pipes that Booker Noe installed in the distillery&rsquo;s ceiling that didn&rsquo;t actually lead anywhere. This new batch was aged for seven years, six months, and 15 days, and sits right in the mid range of Booker&rsquo;s bottling proof. 126.4 proof; SRP $100
Wheel Horse Barrel Master Select Rye
This is the first barrel-proof rye from Wheel Horse and the second release in the Barrel Master Select series. It was distilled in Owensboro, KY&nbsp; at Green River, and is a blend of nine rye barrels made from a mashbill of 95 percent rye/five percent malted barley that were aged between five and six years&mdash;first in Kentucky, then in Rhode Island. 120.4 proof; SRP $40
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Whiskey Pick of the Week</h3>
Thursday x Leopold Brothers Single Barrel Maryland Style Rye
There have been fashion and whiskey collabs before, so that type of partnership is certainly nothing new. But what makes this latest one stand out is the quality of the whiskey and the reputation of the craft distillery involved (the fashion brand half is pretty good too, it should be noted). Thursday Boots launched a new rye in partnership with PM Spirits that was made at Leopold Bros. in Colorado. This distillery is known for using a recreation of a historic three chamber still to make its rye whiskey, and the result is a spirit that is a favorite of critics and fans alike.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/6602cb5b-a4d8-40eb-a62d-46f38ba8563b.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Leopold Thursday">
This limited-edition whiskey is called Single Barrel Maryland Style Rye, a name that should clue you into what is going on here. It&rsquo;s made from a mashbill of 65% rye, 15%&nbsp;corn, and 20% in-house floor malt, a recipe that is close to what was typically used to make rye whiskey in the Old Line State, aged for an undisclosed amount of time in new charred oak barrels, and bottled as a single barrel expression at cask strength of 100 proof. That might seem a bit low for a barrel-proof whiskey, but it&rsquo;s a very tasty dram nonetheless. Look for notes of cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, menthol, licorice, vanilla, and maple on the palate, making this a great sipper that also works well in cocktails.
The reason for the collab between these two brands is, according to Thursday, because they both embody the same scrappy spirit and respect for craftsmanship. And, indeed, both of these brands have made names for themselves over the years by selling high-quality products that don&rsquo;t necessarily put a huge dent in your wallet. Even if you're totally out of the loop when it comes to boots, this whiskey is quite good and is an example of a welcome but unexpected partnership that is being done right. While you can&rsquo;t purchase this whiskey directly from Thursday, you can find it being poured at events at the brand&rsquo;s NYC stores, and you can also purchase a bottle directly from <a href="https://bottlerocket.com/">Bottlerocket</a> (SRP $74). 
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Wine Pick of the Week</h3>
Pax 2023 Sonoma Coast Alta Monte Gamay Noir
Sometimes you&rsquo;re walking around in an outdoor mall, killing time, minding your own business while your wife shops for scarves and wraps and woolen things. Except that sometimes you&rsquo;re doing this in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, so the outdoor mall in question includes not only clothing and food and kitchenware shops, but wineries as well. We&rsquo;re talking good wineries, legit wineries, making this the coolest outdoor mall this wine writer has ever encountered.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/7498b1b9-6a6a-491a-8427-7e2f5a383499.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Pax Wine">
That&rsquo;s how, somewhat aimlessly, I ended up at Pax Mahle&rsquo;s tasting room at the Barlow and was able to try the exceptional Gamay Noir he calls Alta Monte. Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais, and many American producers do their best to approximate the charms of wines from there. This wine comes closer than most.&nbsp;
Pax makes this wine from a handful of cool, mountainous vineyards in Sonoma County. The fruit comes in crunchy and high in natural acidity. Mahle induces fermentations using indigenous yeasts, and employs 100% whole cluster. This means that the grapes ferment undetached from their stems in a closed tank where, in an anaerobic state, the berries soften, the fruit is amplified, the clusters give off a tealike perfume, and the whole thing becomes irrepressibly charming. The process is called carbonic maceration and many wines these days, including Beaujolais, employ it. Pressed off, it&rsquo;s aged in neutral barrels then bottled, mostly untouched. The finished product is wholly itself, nothing in the way of the adornment.
It is a wild wine. Village wines from Beaujolais can smell like a walk in the hills through windswept brush. This wine is somehow wilder still, with the addition of seaspray, exotic florals, fruited peppercorn, maybe a hint of smoldering herbs. The fruit is almost plummy dark, succulent, and chewy. It feels like it has an electric pulse coursing through it. The net effect is autumnal, a holiday wine for sure, but really anytime you open it, it&rsquo;ll give you pleasure. Chill slightly before you pour. SRP $38

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 28

"I was like, 'Maybe I should just do a set on bourbon,'" Jim Gaffigan told the Unicorn Review. "My manager and agent were like, 'That's a horrible idea. Don't you want to make money?'" Turns out Jim Gaffigan was onto something&mdash;his new Bourbon Set on YouTube has gotten over a million views, and is a funny and nerdy (in the best way) look at the whiskey community. We spoke to him to find out more about his love of bourbon, comedy, and collecting.
The Unicorn Review: I watched the Bourbon Set yesterday, and it was really funny. Obviously, I'm a target audience for this type of humor. But I wanted to ask, have you ever done something like this where you're making such a specific, themed set before? Is that harder to do than a special that covers a lot of different topics?
Jim Gaffigan: It's been a progression, topic-wise. A long time ago when I started, I had a bunch of jokes about the manatee. Then I had a bunch of jokes about Hot Pockets. Then I did a bunch of jokes about bacon. You develop these skill sets that you hopefully can apply to anything. When my wife had a brain tumor, I did this special where I focused maybe ten minutes on that. Stand-up is very much self assignment, so focusing on bourbon and the American whiskey world was&hellip; I mean, obviously, no one asked for it. But it's much easier to write about something you love, right?
I'm a pandemic bourbon guy. The pandemic really opened me up to whiskey. Then I started collecting, and I started Fathertime with Stu [Pollard]. I decided to do a mini tour called the Bourbon and Whiskey Tour through Kentucky and Tennessee. I did a show in Lexington where we invited a bunch of people from the whiskey world. I had probably eight or ten minutes [of material] at that point. I was like, &ldquo;Maybe I should just do a set on bourbon.&rdquo; My manager and agent were like, &ldquo;That's a horrible idea. Don't you want to make money?&rdquo;
<h2>"A love letter to bourbon"</h2>
You really hit upon all the things that people in the bourbon world are constantly thinking about and obsessing over. While I was watching, I wondered if there were Brown-Forman executives standing on the sidelines who were nervous about some of the things that you were talking about, like the health effects of alcohol, alcoholics, and making fun of liquor store employees. Did you have free reign to do whatever you wanted?
Obviously, this is a love letter to bourbon. So when I decided to do it as a Bourbon Set, I knew it would be a YouTube thing. I knew that I wanted to get a partner to pay for production because I didn't want to lose money on this. I also knew that I wanted to do it in a distillery or in a rickhouse, but there's flammable stuff there. When I tour around doing stand-up, I have the opportunity to invite craft distilleries in the area to my shows. I get to hang out and talk to these inspiring, ambitious people, everyone from an NDP to someone like Highwire, where they resurrected red corn.&nbsp;
I knew I wanted it to be in Kentucky. Initially I thought I&rsquo;d go to a big brand or a mid-sized brand. I went to the big ones, the big six, and I laid out the idea. Some of them just have such a corporate bureaucracy, understandably. They would contemplate the idea, but they're like, &ldquo;You can't mention any other brand. You can't say this or that.&rdquo; But Brown-Forman and Old Forester got it. Campbell Brown came to the Lexington set, and most importantly, he gave me bottles of President's Choice and Jack Daniel's 14 Year Old. So I knew that I loved this guy.
<h2 dir="ltr">"The hatred towards people who love Blanton's is bizarre"</h2>
You have a history of donating special experiences to Unicorn to raise money for charity. I was looking at the single barrel picks that you did as part of that. What is that like for you, going to distilleries and doing single barrel picks? Does it ever get old for you or is it fun each time you're doing that?
For the Old Forester pick, I was sitting with Chris Morris and Campbell and Caleb [Trigo], who's now the assistant master distiller. People get excited to meet Brad Pitt, I get excited to meet Chris Morris. It was Stu Pollard's idea, where we could put these up for different auctions. So we did the Blackhawk one [for Unicorn]. There is such a level of generosity that exists in the whiskey world that is displayed in the fundraising auctions. It&rsquo;s like how brands stepped up to help Heaven Hill [after the fire] that was just like&hellip; you wouldn't see that in any other American business.
What are the most annoying and most endearing things about nerdy bourbon collectors?
I think the best thing is that you can talk to a fellow bourbon geek for an hour and never discuss your career, your socioeconomic situation, or anything that could divide people. It's this incredible, unifying thing that people can be enthusiastic and opinionated about. People can be like, &ldquo;I'm a Wild Turkey guy,&rdquo; and someone else is like, &ldquo;I like Dickel and I don't care what you say.&rdquo;
There is something about the collecting thing, where collecting and not consuming is frowned upon. It&rsquo;s a little bit of a lightning rod. I totally appreciate [that whiskey is] meant to be consumed and you're not creating a museum. But the collector spirit, there's something fun about it that is independent of the juice.
I'm always looking for two bottles&mdash;one to drink and one to keep. I've never been the type that would show off what I've got anyway. There are comedians that show pictures of them getting on a private jet, but I would never do that. Some of these collections are truly beautiful and the curation of them is artistic. I'm not saying I have that. I don't have any super expensive bottles. But I don't think it's bad that some people treat it as an investment.
I think the hatred towards people who love Blanton's is bizarre. I wanted to make that a joke, just because it's like, whatever gets someone into the [whiskey] passion is good. We all know that it's tater bait, and of course I'd rather have Straight from the Barrel than some 96 or 84 proof Blanton's. But I don't care. Whenever I've offered bourbon to someone in my house, they always want Blanton&rsquo;s, and I'm not going to make them feel like shit about that.
<h2 dir="ltr">"Hazmats are fun, but I would like to be able to read the next day"</h2>
You touch on celebrity-backed spirits in the Bourbon Set, but you actually appear to be someone who knows his shit and and collects and is interested and goes to distilleries and meets people. In the world of celebrity-backed spirits, does it actually matter if you have knowledge and interest, or ultimately does it not matter to the public?
I think authenticity is what's so great about the bourbon world. Some of it's authenticity, some of it&rsquo;s science, some of it's storytelling, some of it's just bullshit. But I think the perception of celebrity spirits being a money grab is well founded. We've all tried plenty of celebrity spirits where you're like, &ldquo;I can't believe how bad this is. You're one of the best athletes or actors, how could it be this bad?&rdquo; With Fathertime, Stu and I are aware that the stigma does exist, and authenticity has to be earned.
I'm just following my passion. But have to balance your passion with not going so far as to give it up. These master distillers, the last thing that can happen is for them to have to go to AA, right? It's kind of like a torn ACL in the NBA. You're just done.
How do you feel about hazmat whiskey?&nbsp;
I'm a proof whore, so I am seduced by the hazmat thing. But I know it's a craze. I went to an amazing whiskey bar in Houston called Reserve 101. The owner was there, and we were drinking some hazmat Garrison Brothers. It was 151 proof. Look, it wasn't as smooth as King of Kentucky, but it's an experience. Hazmats are fun, but I would like to be able to read the next day.
By the second release of Fathertime, I was already on my high-proof run, which we call Empty Nester Strength. I like to drink two cask-strength bourbons a night. But if I'm in a situation where I get a third one, it's messing me up the next day. It's fun to drink hazmat bourbon, but then you try something like a Birthday Bourbon, and you're like, &ldquo;Oh my God, this is so much better.&rdquo;
<h2 dir="ltr">"George Remus was a terrible person"</h2>
In the Bourbon Set, you talk about how comedy is similar to bourbon in that the stories behind each don't have to be true. Are there any bourbon stories in particular that stand out as BS to you?
Part of me is like, don't hate the player, hate the game. I think that the Jefferson&rsquo;s Ocean thing is a great example of that. Jefferson's is obviously a great brand, and I think that Jefferson&rsquo;s Ocean was a cool story. But now it's kind of run its course. In other words, the integrity behind the story is not sustainable. I don&rsquo;t blame it, though, it's a good story.
I love the good and the bad. Like George Remus, he was a terrible person. But there probably was a moment where people were like, &ldquo;George Remus, fuck yeah!&rdquo; The stories behind whiskey, similar to the entertainment industry, there's going to be an arc to them. Some of them have an aftertaste. In comedy, we all have friends that are really funny, but they're bitchy and mean. And so you laugh, but then you feel bad. You're like, &ldquo;I wish I didn't laugh at that.&rdquo;  And that's the same with some of these bourbon stories.
People are drinking less for various reasons. Are you seeing a dip in how people are consuming and getting interested in whiskey? Or do you think that within the bourbon community, the interest is still just as high?&nbsp;
I'm certainly not an expert, but maybe I'm an optimist. I understand that consumption is down, and it probably has to be down compared to my parents' generation or grandparents&rsquo;, the way they consumed alcohol. But I do think there's something social about alcohol, and specifically whiskey. I was a beer guy, and you can throw back five or six beers and still kind of be coherent. I think that quality whiskey is always going to have an appeal because once people get to try a quality whiskey, it's just like, &ldquo;Oh, I didn't know it tastes like this. I was used to Rumple Minze.&rdquo;
Pot is great if you want to just disappear, but if you're going to hang out with friends, alcohol can lubricate a social setting. That's my optimistic take. But it's not great for you. I don't really smoke cigars, but I think the way someone consumes a cigar, like they're with their buddies after they play a round of golf, I don't think that's going to kill them. It probably lowers their blood pressure to have this ritual of sharing a cigar with a friend.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">"I like bourbon flavored bourbon"</h2>
I have a question for you. What are your favorite bourbons of the year?&nbsp;
I really like Redemption 18. It's getting up there in age for bourbon, but I thought they just just did a fantastic job. I liked Knob Creek 21. I kind of liked it better than the 18, but not as much as the 15. And I'm not a chaser of high age statements at all.
I'm just worried because Knob Creek 21 is only 100 proof, right? I always think if you're going to do the age, give me the proof.
What about you? Do you have any favorites of the year so far?&nbsp;
I'm still having my &ldquo;a-ha&rdquo; moments. The Al Young [Four Roses] was amazing. I like Michter&rsquo;s 20, I get the enthusiasm for it. I don't want to say anything negative about a specific brand, but sometimes I kind of expect more. And then there's ones where I'll try it with the distiller, and I'll be like, &ldquo;That's great.&rdquo; And then I'll try it later on and I'll be like, &ldquo;Maybe I was in a really good mood because it's just okay.&rdquo;
I did this veterans event, and there was an Old Line sherry cask single malt. I've never been a single malt guy, but it was great. I'm also getting into dusty stuff, which is a whole other kind of endeavor. A Willett Purple Top is just next level of shit for me, too. I'm always blown away by a Peerless or a New Riff. I'm wondering when the bourbon hype is going to explode these brands. I look at New Riff and Peerless and I'm like, I can't believe that the hype train hasn't propelled this to another level.&nbsp;
I'm not a rye guy. I keep waiting for that step in maturity to occur. But I also think that Bardstown Bourbon Company is always consistently good.  There was I think a sherry cask finish that was just unbelievable that Dan had given me.&nbsp;
During the Bourbon Set, there were jokes that I could really only do in Kentucky, right? I've never been a huge barrel finish guy. I had this joke and I did it during, I think, two of the Bourbon Sets (there were four shows). I'm sure there's a good version of it, but I've never had an amburana cask finish that I&rsquo;ve liked. I'm like, &ldquo;Are we that bored?&rdquo; The whole finishing thing is tricky. Sometimes it's repairing the juice and sometimes you want to experiment. But I like bourbon flavored bourbon.

Jim Gaffigan Likes Bourbon Flavored Bourbon—A Conversation About His New "Bourbon Set" and Whiskey Geekdom

What&rsquo;s happening in wine and whiskey this week:
<h3 dir="ltr">News of the Week</h3>
🦃 Try pairing these <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/thanksgiving-wines">fantastic wines with your Thanksgiving meal</a> this year.
🍗 Don&rsquo;t know what to drink this Thanksgiving? <a href="https://www.unicornauctions.com/unicorn-review/thanksgiving-spirits-cocktails">These experts have some cocktail and whiskey recommendations</a>.
🌵 New Mexico is a wine region that is <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/american-wine-new-mexico-11852636">about to have a moment</a>.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Diageo is&nbsp;<a href="https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/diageo-pausing-production-maltings-site-1237366579/">closing down one of its malting facilities</a> until June 2926.
🏨 What does it take to have a <a href="https://www.insidehook.com/cocktails/side-hustle-bar-leo-robitschek">successful hotel bar</a>?
<h3 dir="ltr">New Bottle Releases</h3>
Little Book The Infinite: Edition II
Eighth-generation Beam distiller Freddie Noe created his Little Book series of blended whiskeys back in 2017, and each release since has varied in terms of the component whiskeys involved. Last year he launched the first Infinite version of this whiskey, sort of a riff on an infinity barrel concept. Edition II arrived this year, a blend of bourbon aged from 7 to 22 years and bottled at cask strength. 120.8 proof; SRP $200
New Riff Sherry Finish Malted Rye
Who says sherry cask maturation is just for scotch whisky? Kentucky distillery New Riff just released a barrel-strength rye made from a mashbill of 100 percent malted rye that was finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and bottled without chill filtration. This is the latest edition of this whiskey, which was first released in 2022. 111.9 proof; SRP $70
The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Jamaica Edition
This is a U.S. exclusive from Speyside distillery the Glenlivet, one of the world&rsquo;s best-selling single malt scotch whisky brands. It&rsquo;s a 12-year-old whisky that was finished in Jamaican rum barrels to give it notes of tropical fruit, brown sugar, and molasses, amplifying the classic Speyside character of the whisky. 80 proof; SRP $55
<h3 dir="ltr">Unicorn Pick of the Week</h3>
The Macallan - A Night on Earth: The First Light
Generally speaking, the Macallan is a distillery known for doing one thing very well&mdash;making single malt scotch whisky that is matured in sherry-seasoned oak casks. And that is, in fact, mostly what it does, sourcing European and American oak barrels from bodegas in Spain that were previously used to mature sherry and then having them shipped to Scotland to infuse the whisky with rich flavors as it ages. But the distillery also has many bourbon barrels in its aging arsenal as well, which might not be discussed as much but sometimes play an important role.
<img src="https://directus-11-4sui.onrender.com/assets/cddd6cfa-ca11-4218-8e12-36d7e7dcf1c7.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="Mac 2025 Anoe Bottle Inside Box 16x9 Jpeg 300dpi"> 
Actually, another thing the Macallan is known for is dropping a lot of special releases each year (and breaking records at auctions for its extremely old whiskies). The latest to fall into the special release category is a single malt that was aged in sherry and bourbon casks, and while the use of the latter type of barrel comprised only a small percentage of the entire maturation makeup, it still had a profound impact on the whisky.
The Night on Earth series kicked off in 2021 with A Night on Earth Scotland, and then traveled to Spain last year before landing in New Zealand for this release. The point of the series is to highlight New Year&rsquo;s traditions around the world, so the First Light edition is a reference to New Zealand being one of the first countries to enter the new year. The whisky is bottled with natural color, as are all of the Macallan&rsquo;s whiskies, and was aged in a small amount of bourbon barrels along with the usual sherry-seasoned oak. That has resulted in a fantastic single malt with a bright burst of vanilla and citrus, along with the expected flavors like dried fruit, baking spice, molasses, honey, and baked apple.
While not unheard of for the Macallan, this whisky does stand out for that slightly atypical maturation process&mdash;and it also stands out as just being a very good single malt. This is one that completist fans of the Macallan should look out for, as well as whisky aficionados looking to try something a little bit different from one of the best-known names in scotch whisky.

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 21 

Thanksgiving is a holiday meal that usually involves some clearly defined roles. If we&rsquo;re gathering with friends and family, someone is in charge of cooking the turkey, someone else might be responsible for the sweet potatoes, and more often than not the person who has some type of bar or cocktail experience gets tapped to create the drinks menu.
There are those who really enjoy this task, as it gives them a chance to share their profession (or hobby) with friends and family. But others are completely paralyzed by the complexity of the ask&mdash;don&rsquo;t people understand the painstaking preparation that takes place in a craft cocktail bar?
For me, Thanksgiving is a time to embrace simplicity when it comes to drinks. A cranberry ginger ale or cranberry lemon-lime soda mixes amazingly well with whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, and tequila&mdash;remember, the humble highball is your friend! There are also many options for ready-to-drink cocktails out there, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.2centsinc.com/audacitea">Audacitea</a> (tea-lemonade with vodka), <a href="https://www.skrewballwhiskey.com/en/">Skrewball</a>&rsquo;s Peanut Butter Whiskey Eggnog, <a href="https://lexingtonbrewingco.com/other-beverages/bourbonola">Town Branch</a>&rsquo;s Bourbonola (cherry cola with bourbon), <a href="https://www.otrcocktails.com/">On The Rocks</a> variety of cocktails, and others.
On the other hand, whiskey geeks often view special occasions as the perfect time to bring out rare and hard-to-find spirits to share with their loved ones. No matter your Thanksgiving style or the beverage you prefer, Thanksgiving is a great time to enjoy your best drinks. I asked several beverage experts how they like to handle spirits for Thanksgiving, and their answers might surprise you.
<h3 dir="ltr">Holiday Cocktails</h3>
<a href="https://michters.com/">Michter&rsquo;s</a> <a href="https://resy.com/cities/louisville-ky/venues/michters-the-bar-at-fort-nelson?seats=2&amp;date=2025-11-13">The Bar at Fort Nelson</a> bartender Dallas White likes to stick to spirits at Thanksgiving, but has some suggestions for making holiday cocktails. &ldquo;Most people stick to baking spices and pumpkin and things like that,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Irish coffee type drinks with a little bit of extra baking spices in them is a good way to go. I've [seen] people doing marshmallow fluff toppings on drinks instead of whipped cream, and they may even toast it. One that I liked from previous years was like a sour, something that was shaken and light and refreshing, with a little bit of an aperitif in it and a spice syrup. It has a bit of bitterness, some spices, and bright flavors, but it doesn't really land too heavy or rich.&rdquo;
That being said, bartenders usually aren&rsquo;t the ones you want to tap to make the drinks for the family holiday function. After all, this is their time off and they deserve a break. &ldquo;I work for a wonderful spirit producer,&rdquo; White says. &ldquo;But usually, I don't share cocktails with friends and family unless it's in that setting, mostly because I take it too seriously. It's like taking my work home with me.&rdquo;
The reality is that most families prefer something simple that they can enjoy together rather than an array of complex cocktails. &ldquo;I think that it really comes down to what inspires you or what your family enjoys,&rdquo; White says. &ldquo;At my family gatherings, we typically just stick to spirits. We like to bring fun stuff we collected over the year and share it with everybody. I just always enjoy a spirit a lot more when I get to share it with other people who appreciate it.&rdquo;
Pairing specific spirits, cocktails, or wine with Thanksgiving dishes can be a fun way to enhance holiday dining. &ldquo;My favorite pairing isn&rsquo;t a specific bourbon&mdash;it&rsquo;s a cocktail I love to sip with pie,&rdquo; says <a href="https://www.cocktailcontessa.com/">Heather Wibbels</a>, author of Bourbon is my Comfort Food. &ldquo;I only eat pumpkin pie once a year at Thanksgiving, and I like it with a maple old fashioned that&rsquo;s high proof, light on maple, and heavy on bitters. Last year, I mixed two ounces of <a href="https://heavenhilldistillery.com/pikesville-straight-rye.php">Pikesville Rye</a>, &frac14; ounce maple syrup, two dashes Angostura, and three dashes <a href="https://hellacocktail.co/">Hella</a> Ginger Bitters. The rye cranked up the pie&rsquo;s spice, and the bitters deepened its baking-spice backbone. It was glorious!&rdquo; She also recommends whiskeys like Old Forester 1920, Michter&rsquo;s Single Barrel Rye, and <a href="https://www.buzzardsroostwhiskey.com/">Buzzard&rsquo;s Roost</a> Single Barrel to enjoy with your Thanksgiving meal.
<h3 dir="ltr">Bring Out the Bottles</h3>
If cocktails are too complicated for your low-key Thanksgiving holiday, there are some other great whiskeys to pair with traditional holiday dishes. &ldquo;My favorite Thanksgiving food pairings would have to feature some of the more toasty and decadent whiskeys, given the food my family makes on the holiday,&rdquo; says bartender and Council of Whisky Masters Master of Bourbon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bourbon_beth/">Bethne Stewart</a>. &ldquo;<a href="https://widowjane.com/">Widow Jane</a>&rsquo;s Decadence with some pumpkin pie, <a href="https://www.angelsenvy.com/us/en/">Angel&rsquo;s Envy</a> Rye with my grandma&rsquo;s ginger cookies, or my personal favorite, <a href="https://www.oldforester.com/">Old Forester</a> 1924, neat with ham and sweet potatoes.&rdquo;
Happy Thanksgiving from The Unicorn Review!
<h3 dir="ltr">Cocktail Recipes</h3>
Ruinite Negroni
This cocktail is easy to make&mdash;it has only three ingredients and balances sweet and sour flavors with a nice fall citrus note. Plus, the Lambrusco alone is one of my favorite things to pair with Thanksgiving turkey.
2 oz of <a href="https://www.riunite.com/">Riunite Lambrusco</a> 1 oz Campari 1 oz of sweet vermouth Garnish: orange slice
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with an orange slice.
Sagamore Spirit Hot Toddy
If make-ahead ingredients are your jam, whip up this honey simple syrup and simmer some water with a cinnamon stick in it. Your house will smell amazing for the holidays!
1.5 oz <a href="https://sagamorespirit.com/">Sagamore Spirit</a> Small Batch Rye Whiskey 3 oz boiling water .5 oz lemon juice .75 oz honey simple syrup* 1 cinnamon stick Garnish: lemon wedge
Boil the water with the cinnamon stick in it. Pour boiling water, rye whiskey, lemon juice and honey syrup into a mug. Mix and garnish with lemon wedge.
*Honey Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a small pot. Cook over low heat until honey dissolves. Chill overnight and strain.
Chicken Cock Thanksgiving: Skip the Turkey
Who doesn&rsquo;t love bubbles and cranberries for Thanksgiving?
2 oz <a href="https://chickencockwhiskey.com/">Chicken Cock</a> Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1 oz orange juice .75 oz Demerara syrup .5 oz cranberry juice sparkling wine Garnish: fresh cranberry and rosemary sprig
Stir all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice. Pour into chilled stemmed glassware. Top with sparkling wine, a cranberry pick, and sprig of rosemary.&nbsp;

Bourbon

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 12

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The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 12

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“Sourcing Is Not A Crime”: Interview with Redemption Whiskey and Proof and Wood Founder Dave Schmier

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Jim Gaffigan Likes Bourbon Flavored Bourbon—A Conversation About His New "Bourbon Set" and Whiskey Geekdom

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How to Pair Cocktails and Spirits With Your Thanksgiving Meal

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How to Pair Cocktails and Spirits With Your Thanksgiving Meal

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The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 12

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The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 12

Gift Guide

The Unicorn Review Holiday Whiskey Gift Guide

Gift Guide

The Unicorn Review Holiday Whiskey Gift Guide

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 5

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: December 5

Interview

“Sourcing Is Not A Crime”: Interview with Redemption Whiskey and Proof and Wood Founder Dave Schmier

Interview

“Sourcing Is Not A Crime”: Interview with Redemption Whiskey and Proof and Wood Founder Dave Schmier

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 28

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 28

Great Reads

Jim Gaffigan Likes Bourbon Flavored Bourbon—A Conversation About His New "Bourbon Set" and Whiskey Geekdom

Great Reads

Jim Gaffigan Likes Bourbon Flavored Bourbon—A Conversation About His New "Bourbon Set" and Whiskey Geekdom

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 21

Week in Wine & Whiskey

The Week in Wine and Whiskey: November 21

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How to Pair Cocktails and Spirits With Your Thanksgiving Meal

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How to Pair Cocktails and Spirits With Your Thanksgiving Meal

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