Weekly Catalog Update for 9/12

PLCB spirits catalog changes for the week of September 12th:

New in-store and online products:

• Bastille Hand Crafted 1789 French Whiskey 750 ML (#003961, Regular, $29.99)
• Forty Creek Canadian Whiskey 750 ML (#003948, Regular, $23.99)
• The Black Grouse Scotch 750 ML (#003979, Regular, $28.99)

Yes, you read that right: French Whisky. (Judging by the bottle, France has decided to spell it without the "e".) Google finds very little information about this brand, but the website provides a few hints: "After the initial maturation, BASTILLE is finished in different styles of wooden cask which provide my whisky its delicate, harmonious and unique flavors." Added to the fact that the bottle calls it a "blended whisky", it sounds like this is bulk juice purchased from elsewhere (likely outside of France) then aged a bit longer at Bastille's facility before bottling.

There's no shame in this, of course, although it would be nicer if they were more up-front about the provenance of their whisky. It clearly doesn't hurt the end result, as BTI called it "a remarkably fruity, exotic and enigmatic whisky" and assigned it 94 points. Worth a try, no?

Forty Creek has made the jump from online-only to a regular listing, and deservedly so. It was long considered the only Canadian whisky worth drinking (before upstarts like Caribou Crossing came along) and unlike the whiskies from the big distillers, it includes an appreciable amount of rye in its mashbill. It's a refreshing departure from the usual bland, flavorless offerings from our neighbor to the north.

Black Grouse is a relatively new blend from Famous Grouse, which takes a peatier tack than the original. It's intended to go head-to-head with the smokier blended scotches like Johnnie Walker but at a lower price point. Interestingly, the flavor doesn't even vaguely resemble Famous Grouse--it seems to be an entirely different blend. If you're on a budget but looking for a smoky dram, give it a try.

Delisted SLO products:

• Schoenauer Apfelschnapps 1 L (#073436, SLO, $19.29)
• Torres 20yr Hors D Age Brandy 750 ML (#501283, SLO, $62.79)

Reactivated SLO products:

• Bols Pumpkin Smash Liqueur 750 ML (#071292, SLO, $13.49)
• Macallan 21year Fine Oak Scotch 750 ML (#506139, SLO, $267.09)

Must be that time of year again...Pumpkin SMASH!!

New SLO products:

• Abraham Bowman Rye 750 ML (#515648, SLO, $69.99)
• Bowman Brothers Bourbon 750 ML (#515649, SLO, $29.99)
• Cruzan Number 9 Spiced Rum 1.75 L (#515675, SLO, $27.99)
• DeKuyper Thrilla Vanilla 750 ML (#515677, SLO, $11.89)
• John J Bowman Bourbon 750 ML (#515650, SLO, $49.99)
• Molly's Irish Cream 1 L (#515733, SLO, $15.59)

Buffalo Trace has been working to revamp and expand the whiskeys coming out of the A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Virginia, which they bought back in 2003. Google them up before buying--they've received mixed reviews.