Winter Solstice Solera Cask Whiskey. 2021
FINE PRINT: THERE IS A 2 BOTTLE PER PERSON LIMIT. ORDERS WITH EXTRA BOTTLES OF WHISKEY WILL BE CANCELED AND REFUNDED. THIS ITEM IS PICKUP ONLY. WE CANNOT SHIP. PICKUP WILL BEGIN MONDAY AT 1PM, BUT FEEL FREE TO PICK UP LATER IN THE WEEK!
Our solera cask whiskies are something very special to us. It is our only regular special release whiskey, and it is the one that we put the most thought into. The idea is loosely based on the solera method of aging spirits/wines wherein a barrel is never completely emptied, but rather only partially drawn from and topped off with new product. For our solera cask, we use an old sherry butt that previously held sherry for 40 years before coming to us. It holds nearly 3 standard barrels of whiskey perfectly (~200L is a standard barrel, and a sherry butt is a massive barrel that is ~600L). Each year, we bottle the equivalent of one barrel of whiskey from the sherry butt and top it off with a barrel from our aging stock. Last year, after bottling 200L of whiskey, we topped off the sherry butt with a very special cask. One of my favorites - a barrel of peated whiskey that had been aging in a port cask.
You see, the summer solstice and the winter solstice whiskies were so similar to me. I wanted more variation between the two, and decided that a very subtle background of smoke would be a nice touch for a winter whiskey that you might sip around a fire. So, we added a cask of peated whiskey that had been aging in a Port cask for a few years. The port cask aged whiskey reinforced the dark fruit notes of the original Winter Solstice release, but the addition of smoke warmed the whole thing up and made it wildly different than the summer release. Because only 1/3 of the whiskey in the blend is peated, it isn’t overwhelming smoky. It is still VERY approachable. A perfect whiskey for someone who would like a subtle introduction to a phenolic flavor profile. This whiskey is very akin to a less peaty Longrow (a wonderful Scottish single malt made not on Islay, but in Campbelltown); it has a full and round sweetness from the sherry and Port. The hue is just a touch tawny, and the nose is just a bit of smoke on sherry. Let it sit out for a bit and open up. Drink this one slowly, and enjoy the finish. Of all of the releases we’ve had, this is the most subtle. It is like a slightly smoked and more complex batch #4 (which has been the crowd favorite).
This is a whiskey that I can’t really recommend any other way than neat. I made a Manhattan, and this whiskey is just to esoteric/interesting for a mellow and easy to drink Manhattan. I tried an Old Fashioned, but it is already so inherently sweet, that it was a bit cloying. My recommendation: put some in a flask and have it by a bonfire.Take it camping or to a cabin. It embodies that perfectly. And save a little to compare to next year. Because we already have the barrel that will be going in picked out, and it is not peated. The thing we get so excited about with our solera releases is the evolution of the spirit, and the way we get to share its progression with all of you year to year. This release is bottled at 50% ABV, and the art is once again from the amazing Brett Stenson. We are so excited to share this year’s solstice release with all of you, and of course, don’t forget to pair it with Devil’s Club Brewing Company’s Winter Solstice Barrel Aged Imperial Stout aged in one of our whiskey casks! Their sale goes live December 19th at 7pm!