Lost in the Shuffle

For those of you who shop online and don't ever make it to our Redwood City store, this is the liquor aisle. The long, and eclectic shelf that houses most of our spirits selection. If you live nearby, this is where you spend most of your time browsing.

I, on the other hand, spend most of my time back in this room; this long, packed, overflowing warehouse of liquor that requires constant attention and maneuvering. It's a lot like Tetris back here. With all of this booze flowing through, it's easy to lose track of what comes in and out. We do our best to keep you up to speed via the blog and email list, but we do forget things from time to time.

I was walking around the store this morning with my camera when I saw this Longrow 10 year that David OG worked out an amazing price for. The 100 proof is such a great whisky and it's been a while since we had it for sub-$100. At $65 it's a great bottle. We probably should have sent an email about that when it came in weeks ago. 

Then there are all these new Japanese things we've got trickling in, like new Shochus made from brown sugar and sweet potatoes. For $25 they're super fun, but I've been struggling to find the necessary time to write about them.

Of course, with the current fascination for sherry-aged whisky, I've been working out some deals for fantastic sherry-matured Spanish brandies. Gonzalez Byass Lepanto's Gran Reserva for $45 brings layers of rich sherry, opulent sweetness, and decadent Oloroso flavor. I hope I can write it up at some point.

The best new deal in rum is the English Harbour Antigua for $26.99. It's very similar to the Cadenhead's Green Label we just had for $40, but at $13 less per bottle. Pot still molasses funkiness with just enough richness. Sip it, or mix it. You're good either way. At some point, I'll give you a longer description, but at the moment I'm swamped! 

And I'm really loving the new A.D. Rattray packaging. The Stronachie 18 (which is really just Benrinnes 18) looks much more elegant in the new blue box. Our Benrinnes 17 cask now being sold out, this is the next best thing. I really love that little distillery. Then there's the new Cask Islay black box package that is 100x better than the cardboard tube they used in the past. Plus, it's now labeled as single malt whisky, so maybe it's 100% Laphroaig now? I'll have to do some research.  

The new A.D. Rattray blend package is also vastly improved. I'm kind of obsessed with blended malts that offer precise ingredients. 1989 Tamdhu, 1991 Strathmill, 1991 Cragganmore, and 1992 Mortlach. That's fun.

Speaking of transparent blended malts, where the hell did this come from? Did I even order this? I can't remember anymore. I just went into the back room and there it was; appearing like magic from under a box of stuff. Chapter III is here complete with a list of exactly which casks were used in the Punch Bowl.

It's easy to get lost in the shuffle at this time of year. Considering we're expecting our new drop of Signatory casks next week, it's going to get even tougher to keep our heads above water. A photo might be the best we can do!

-David Driscoll