Weekly Catalog Update for 11/8

PLCB spirits catalog changes for the week of November 8th:

New in-store and online products:

• Alexander Grappa di Moscato Veneto 750 ML (#030588, Limit Dist, $28.99)
• Alexander Grappa Veneto 750 ML (#030589, Limit Dist, $29.99)
• Alexander Platinum Grappa Veneto 750 ML (#030585, Limit Dist, $44.99)
• Chartreuse Green Vep 5 Year Old Herbal Liqueur 1 L (#030938, Online, $149.99)
• Chartreuse Yellow Vep 5 Year Old Herbal Liqueur 1 L (#030937, Online, $149.99)
• Cinzano Rosso Vermouth Veneto Italy 1 L (#030940, Limit Dist, $8.99)
• Cinzano Vermouth Extra Dry Veneto Italy 1 L (#030941, Limit Dist, $8.99)
• Jim Beam White PET 1.75 L (#003863, One Time, $25.99)
• Pisa After Dinner Nut Liquore 750 ML (#030944, Limit Dist, $20.99)
• Plymouth Sloe Gin England 750 ML (#030586, Limit Dist, $27.99)
• Schladerer Kirschwasser Germany 750 ML (#030943, Limit Dist, $37.99)
• Schladerer Williams Birne Pear Brandy Germany 750 ML (#030942, Limit Dist, $37.99)

The PLCB filled out the Alexander Grappa vertical, adding the Moscato, Platinum, and "original flavor" to the Alexander Grappa di Cabernet that has been on the shelf for a while. Alexander puts out some affordable grappas that are fantastic for the price. If your first experience with grappa was with Julia or some other rot-gut, Alexander will show you what real grappa is like.

The Schladerer eaux-de-vie fill a similar niche. Eaux-de-vie are touchy spirits, very difficult to get right. Quality varies widely, and some producers opt to discard their entire production for a season if they're unable to meet the distiller's standards. As a result, eaux-de-vie can easily run into $100+ per bottle territory. Schladerer has been doing this long enough that they can make a consistent product at a reasonable price, without having to resort to additives like sugar and flavoring compounds. Their Kirsch and Pear Williams are welcome additions to specialty spirit stores, superseding the low-quality Koenig eaux-de-vie that were available previously.

In the same vein: Plymouth Sloe Gin. This is real sloe gin, made from real sloe berries using a traditional English recipe. It has a completely different flavor from the artificially-flavored garbage that big cordial producers put out. If you're making classic cocktails, this is the only sloe gin you should be using. Even better, at $27.99 PA has the best price I can find in the nation. It runs as high as $48 in New York!

Last, I should mention the Chartreuse VEP that showed up online. As if regular Chartreuse weren't delicious enough, the monastery makes an oak-aged version of both the green and yellow that they label VEP. The aging, as you'd expect, mellows the harsher flavors of the spirit and adds richness to the aroma. VEP is spendy at $149.99 but anybody who enjoys Chartreuse should try the VEP at least once in their lives. I suggest getting some friends together to split up the one-liter bottle.

Codes moved from Close-out to Limit Dist:

• Aalborg Akvavit 750 ML (#006534, Limit Dist, $17.99)

For logistical convenience, the PLCB took the old Aalborg code off of close-out since Aalborg will be placed in specialty spirits stores. That means there are two Aalborg codes, one for in-store product and one for online product.

In-store products moved to closeout:

• Tommy Bahama Light Rum 1.75 L (#003083, One Time, $19.99)
• Tommy Bahama White Sand Light Rum 750 ML (#009059, Regular, $17.99)

I'm a bit sad to see this go, but the product was kind of destined for failure. Tommy Bahama is one of those "image brands" whose name is the sole justification for charging high prices for their mediocre-quality products. Except in this case, the product is actually quite good. Tommy Bahama rums are made by the Foursquare Distillery whose rums are of consistently high quality. Read Rumdood's review if you don't believe me.

So why did it fail in this market? My guess is that their target demographic, being image-focused as they are, continues to cling to Bacardi as their rum of choice due to its entirely undeserved status as being "the" rum to drink. Other consumers perceive Tommy Bahama Rum to be a marketing gimmick and assume it is overpriced. A sad end to an underappreciated product.

Delisted SLO products:

• Lazzaroni Amaretto 750 ML (#050573, SLO, $14.59)
• Midleton Rare Irish Whiskey 750 ML (#062866, SLO, $144.29)
• Whipped Lighting Amaretto Whipahol 375 ML (#506050, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lighting German Chocolate Whipahol 375 ML (#506054, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lighting Hazelnut Espresso Whipahol 375 ML (#506056, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lighting White Chocolate Raspberry Whipahol 375 ML (#506052, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lightning Caramel Pecan Whipahol 375 ML (#506053, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lightning Spiced Vanilla Whipahol 375 ML (#506051, SLO, $9.89)
• Whipped Lightning Strawberry Colada Whipahol 375 ML (#506055, SLO, $9.89)

Lazzaroni Amaretto, which is the only amaretto that you should buy, moved from Majestic to Laird. You should order a bottle from Laird immediately. It is delicious.

The Whipped Lightning products, although they were just listed a few weeks ago, can't be sold at the moment while the federal government revisits its approvals for the stuff. Hopefully it won't be held up too long--it's a clever product that people have a lot of fun with.

New SLO products:

• Van Gogh Wild Appel Vodka 750 ML (#507219, SLO, $21.99)
• Westford Hill Distillers Fraise 200 ML (#507296, SLO, $26.09)
• Westford Hill Distillers Framboise 200 ML (#507295, SLO, $26.09)
• Westford Hill Distillers Kirsch 200 ML (#507294, SLO, $16.79)
• Westford Hill Distillers Pear William Eau de Vie Pear Brandy 200 ML (#507293, SLO, $18.29)

Westford Hill is a new craft distillery in Connecticut who has taken on the weighty task of creating an eau-de-vie line. I wish them luck with that; hopefully they'll do better than other craft distillers have.