Weekly Catalog Update for 3/7

PLCB spirits catalog changes for the week of March 7th:

New in-store and online products:

• Camarena Silver Tequila 750 ML (#003581, Regular, $21.99)
• El Zarco Gold Tequila 750 ML (#003608, Regular, $16.99)
• Elijah Craig Kentucky Bourbon 12 Year 750 ML (#003455, Regular, $21.99)
• U'Luvka Vodka Poland 750 ML (#030519, Online, $44.99)
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed Brbn 750 ML (#005423, Regular, $35.99)

Wild Turkey Rare Breed and Elijah Craig 12yr are nearly the last bourbons to arrive from last fall's listing period. The Elijah Craig was formerly available only in 1.75 L bottles, for some reason, but the PLCB closed those out and replaced them with the standard 750 ML package. Hopefully this move will encourage more people to give this excellent bourbon a try.

New-to-store items (previously online-only):

• Castello Banfi Grappa Tower Bottle 750 ML (#009704, Limit Dist, $42.99)
• CM Nero D'Avola Grappa Sicily 750 ML (#010928, Limit Dist, $34.99)
• Nonino Amaro Bitter Aperitivo Italy 750 ML (#010426, Limit Dist, $44.99)
• The Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky Japan 750 ML (#030981, Limit Dist, $44.99)

Banfi Grappa, from the vintner well-known to wine drinkers, is a less-aggressive, easy-going spirit that I consider a great introduction for people who have never tried grappa before. It's about as unoffensive as grappa can get without losing its self-respect.

Amaro Nonino lives up to its name--"Quintessentia"--as, perhaps, the archetypal Italian digestif. Its production method is a bit unusual for an amaro, having grappa as its base and aging five years after being infused, but I consider it to be the standard that all other amari should be compared to. It is complex and herbal without being overpowering, and sweet without being syrupy. If you're going to have one amaro in your liquor cabinet, this should be it.

Our first Japanese whisky, Yamazaki 12-year, landed on store shelves this week. While I prefer Suntory's Hibiki expression, their standard 12-year is a fine whisky and worth trying at least once.

Delisted SLO products:

• Aberlour Single Malt Scotch 12 Year 750 ML (#502468, SLO, $83.49)
• Bakon Vodka 750 ML (#502544, SLO, $31.49)
• Bird Dog Blackberry Whiskey 750 ML (#506501, SLO, $20.79)
• Bowmore 25yr Single Malt Scotch 750 ML (#055581, SLO, $186.59)
• Canadian Club 150th Anniversary 750 ML (#058973, SLO, $175.29)
• Chartreuse Yellow 750 ML (#067770, SLO, $53.99)
• Constantino Brandy 1 L (#059701, SLO, $8.19)
• Courvoisier L Esprit Cognac 750 ML (#064328, SLO, $3414.69)
• DeKuyper Creme de Menthe White 1 L (#051917, SLO, $13.69)
• Frangolino Blueberry 750 ML (#051989, SLO, $28.29)
• Jacquin's Five Star Brandy 750 ML (#507842, SLO, $12.49)
• Kru 82 Vodka 750 ML (#508997, SLO, $18.69)
• Landy Cognac XO 750 ML (#505823, SLO, $64.39)
• Leroux Creme de Cacao White 1 L (#503021, SLO, $19.29)
• Level Vodka 50 ML (#069939, SLO, $3.49)
• Massenez Creme de Mure 750 ML (#041497, SLO, $27.49)
• Nonino Grappa Vigneti Chardonnay 750 ML (#067090, SLO, $50.29)
• Old Granddad Spec Sel Bourbon 750 ML (#063169, SLO, $29.09)
• Pisco Barsol Quebranta 750 ML (#503570, SLO, $19.09)
• Roth Vodka 750 ML (#053585, SLO, $35.89)
• Strozzi Acquavite Grappa Nv 750 ML (#057424, SLO, $34.39)
• Tres Rios Reposado Tequila 750 ML (#066770, SLO, $38.49)
• Virginia Lightning Corn Wky 750 ML (#054090, SLO, $17.09)
• Zapata Triple Sec 1 L (#050113, SLO, $4.29)

A few of these are already on store shelves or, in Barsol Pisco's case, on their way soon. [Update 5/8: Barsol Pisco is not planned for in-store placement; see Don Cesar Puro Pisco instead.] I'm sad to see the Massenez Crème de Mûre disappearing, as it was the only crème de mûre available in PA at all.

New SLO products:

• Absolut Wild Tea Flavored Vodka 80pf 1 L (#510644, SLO, $30.69)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers Berkshire Bourbon Whiskey 750 ML (#510608, SLO, $49.99)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin 750 ML (#510604, SLO, $39.99)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers Greylock Gin 750 ML (#510605, SLO, $35.99)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ice Glen Vodka 750 ML (#510607, SLO, $35.99)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers New England Corn Whiskey 750 ML (#510610, SLO, $49.99)
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum 750 ML (#510606, SLO, $35.99)
• Blue Ice Organic Vodka 750 ML (#510732, SLO, $25.79)
• Blue Ice Vodka 750 ML (#510730, SLO, $19.59)
• Bulleit Bourbon 1 L (#510724, SLO, $27.99)
• Ch D'Orignac Pineau des Charentes 750 ML (#510713, SLO, $31.39)
• Domaine Charbay Blood Orange Vodka 750 ML (#510524, SLO, $40.89)
• Don Roberto Tequila Anejo 80pf 750 ML (#510537, SLO, $72.69)
• Don Roberto Tequila Reposado 80pf 750 ML (#510536, SLO, $62.49)
• Don Roberto Tequila Silver 80pf 750 ML (#510535, SLO, $57.69)
• Double Cross Vodka 80pf 750 ML (#510643, SLO, $41.69)
• El Olvido Tequila 750 ML (#510731, SLO, $19.59)
• Glenmorangie Finealta 750 ML (#510460, SLO, $79.99)
• High West Whiskey Bourye 750 ML (#510611, SLO, $73.99)
• High West Whiskey Double Rye 750 ML (#510612, SLO, $39.99)
• High West Whiskey Rendezvous Rye 750 ML (#510614, SLO, $59.99)
• High West Whiskey Rocky Mt Rye 21year Old 750 ML (#510615, SLO, $137.99)
• High West Whiskey Western Oat 750 ML (#510616, SLO, $39.99)
• Highland Mist Scotch Whiskey 1 L (#510544, SLO, $12.29)
• Mr Boston Light Rum 1 L (#510541, SLO, $9.69)
• Mr Boston Riva Gin 1 L (#510542, SLO, $8.09)
• Mr Boston Triple Sec 1 L (#510543, SLO, $4.89)
• Mr Boston Vodka 1 L (#510540, SLO, $7.49)
• Nectar Aguardiente 58pf 750 ML (#510580, SLO, $15.69)
• Nectar Aguardiente Club 48pf 750 ML (#510581, SLO, $15.69)
• Paramount Blackberry Brandy 65pf 750 ML (#510538, SLO, $10.89)
• Smirnoff Espresso Vodka 1 L (#510727, SLO, $14.99)
• Smirnoff Peach Vodka 1 L (#510725, SLO, $14.99)
• Smirnoff Twist of Citrus Vodka 1 L (#510729, SLO, $14.99)
• Smirnoff Twist of Melon Vodka 1 L (#510726, SLO, $14.99)
• Smirnoff Twist of Pineapple Vodka 1 L (#510728, SLO, $14.99)
• Svedka Blue Series Vodka 80pf 1 L (#510681, SLO, $13.39)
• Ten High Bourbon 1 L (#510545, SLO, $9.59)
• Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey Crock 750 ML (#510567, SLO, $37.59)
• Ultimat Vodka 80pf 375 ML (#510539, SLO, $22.59)

Two craft distillers were pulled into the SLO catalog this week. Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield, Massachusetts makes the usual complement of white and lightly-aged spirits, which have received decent reviews. Their Ethereal Gin is produced in limited runs with some fairly uncommon ingredients--batch 1 included spearmint and rose hips. I assume batch 2 is what's available to order here, but I haven't confirmed that with the distributor.

HIgh West styles themselves as "Utah's first distillery since the 1870's, and the only ski-in gastro-distillery in the world." Although distilling operations only started a couple years ago, master distiller David Perkins bought aged bulk whiskey and blended it himself, creating the widely praised Rendezvous Rye and Bourye Whiskey (a blend of rye and bourbon). Silver Oat is their first in-house whiskey, unaged of course, which I'm looking forward to trying. Oh, and apparently their food is pretty good, too, judging by their Yelp reviews.