PLCB spirits catalog changes for the weeks of September 19th and 26th:
New in-store and online products:
- Admiral Nelson Spiced Cherry Rum 1.75 L (#003916, Regular, $20.99)
- Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas' Own Decanter Bitters 200ML (#030521, Online, $15.99)
- Calypso Spiced Rum 1.75 L (#003986, Regular, $21.99)
- Cupcake Devil's Food Vodka 750 ML (#004016, Regular, $17.99)
- Cupcake Vodka 750 ML (#004023, Regular, $17.99)
- Destileria Morales 1921 Tequila Cream 750ML (#030421, Online, $30.99)
- E H Taylor Jr Single Barrel Straight Bourbon 750ML (#030611, Online, $59.99)
- Eagle Rare Straight Bourbon Whiskey 17 Years Old 750ML (#006803, Online, $59.99)
- Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur 750 ML (#004201, Holiday, $9.99)
- George T Stagg Straight Bourbon Whiskey 750ML (#006804, Online, $59.99)
- Hiram Walker Caramel Apple 750 ML (#004271, Holiday, $8.99)
- Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice Liqueur 750 ML (#006319, One Time, $8.99)
- Infusion 200 Ml Two Bottle Gift Set with One Bottle Each of Cranberry Vodka and Mango Rum 400 ML (#003849, Holiday, $19.99)
- Malibu Winter Edition Caribbean Rum 750 ML (#004332, Holiday, $14.99)
- Revel Stoke Spiced Canadian Whisky 750 ML (#004000, Regular, $16.99)
- Sazerac Rye Straight Bourbon 18 Years Old 750ML (#006816, Online, $59.99)
- Smirnoff Flavors Sampler 50ml Sampler Pack 250 ML (#004195, Holiday, $4.99)
- Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow 750 ML (#004367, Regular, $12.99)
- Southern Comfort Pepper 750 ML (#003767, Regular, $16.99)
- The Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters 200ML (#030428, Online, $15.99)
- Thomas Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey 750ML (#009458, Online, $59.99)
- UV Cake Flavored Vodka 750 ML (#004008, Regular, $9.99)
- William Larue Weller Bourbon 750ML (#005480, Online, $59.99)
It's that time of year again! The 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection has been released, and this year our allocation was increased substantially. To improve availability, everything the state received was placed in the online store. Now, instead of desperately checking the PLCB inventory system every morning and calling stores to see if the bottles you want have been "claimed" yet, you can simply click through the product codes above and order however much you want. (It looks like the William Larue Weller Bourbon has sold out already, though. If you follow
my twitter feed, you would have known to place your order the moment it was posted in the online store.)
Also from Buffalo Trace, the second limited-edition whiskey in the Col. E.H. Taylor line is online. This one is a bottled-in-bond single barrel bourbon aged just shy of 12 years. (Note that the FWGS site still says this is the first "sour mash" release--this is incorrect.)
The Bitter Truth range of cocktail bitters, although relatively easy to find when it was first released, quickly became scarce after Domaine Select acquired the import rights in late 2009. Although the partnership was necessary to expand Bitter Truth's portfolio into spirits, it meant that their cocktail bitters were imported and distributed in the US as distilled spirits rather than as lightly-regulated "non-potable bitters", and consequently could only be purchased through spirits retailers. The PLCB is attempting to address this by pulling some of the Bitter Truth bitters into the online store, and this week the Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters and Old Time Aromatic Bitters were added to the FWGS site. If those sell well, other Bitter Truth bitters are sure to follow.
I feel like such a sell-out lately--here I go again promoting a cream liqueur. 1921 Tequila Cream claims to be the only tequila cream liqueur blended and bottled in Mexico, and whether that's true or not, the results are delicious. Aromas and flavors of coffee, chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon make this a stand-out cream liqueur worth the $31 price tag.
While we're on sweets, yet more dessert-flavored vodkas rolled in this week, including Cupcake Devil's Food Vodka and Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka. Take note: Cupcake "Original" Vodka, while it sounds like it should be flavored, is not. But it's a decent vodka at a decent price.
Southern Comfort released a new flavor, Fiery Pepper, made in partnership with and co-branded with Tabasco. It is substantially better than Southern Comfort's previous flavor attempt, SoCo Lime. If you like Southern Comfort and you like spicy drinks, you'll probably love this.
Products back in stock online:
- Rothman and Winters Creme de Violette Liqueur 750ML (#030567, Online, $25.99)
- Shine White Whiskey 750ML (#030640, Online, $24.99)
In-store products moved to closeout:
- Bacardi Coco P. R. Rum 750 ML (#005294, Regular, $16.99)
- Dr McGillicuddy's Black Licorice Schnapps 750 ML (#003213, Regular, $15.99)
- Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch 1 L (#008262, One Time, $43.99)
- Jacques Cardin Cognac VSOP 50 ML (#004102, One Time, $2.99)
- Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Operations Homefront 1 L (#005471, One Time, $15.99)
- Sobieski Imported Polish Vodka 750 ML (#003093, One Time, $8.99)
- Sobieski Vodka 1 L (#005161, One Time, $8.99)
- UV Vodka 50 ML (#008253, One Time, $0.99)
Bacardi Coco was delisted as the manufacturer is refocusing their coconut-driven marketing on their new
Rock Coconut flavor, which was released late last year.
Delisted SLO products:
- Avion Anejo Tequila 750 ML (#507205, SLO, $54.89)
- Avion Reposado Tequila 750 ML (#507203, SLO, $51.89)
- Bols Triple Sec 750 ML (#503050, SLO, $8.19)
- Boyd and Blair Potato Vodka 375 ML (#072222, SLO, $20.39)
- Deaths Door Vodka 750 ML (#510195, SLO, $38.99)
- El Dorado Rum Cream Liqueur 750 ML (#051148, SLO, $20.79)
- Finlandia Vodka Wildberries 1 L (#510938, SLO, $20.79)
- Mr Boston Creme de Cacao White 1 L (#053064, SLO, $8.79)
- Parker's Heritage 27 Year 750 ML (#507751, SLO, $219.99)
- Parker's Heritage Collection Golden Anniversary 750 ML (#507760, SLO, $159.99)
- Parkers Heritage Bourbon 750 ML (#066289, SLO, $220.39)
- Rhum Clement Rhum Vieux VSOP Aged 750 ML (#051730, SLO, $38.59)
- Three Olives Grape Vodka 1 L (#042133, SLO, $19.99)
Avión moved from Capital to Southern as a result of Pernod-Ricard acquiring the global distribution rights to
Avión in August. New Southern codes are below.
Similarly, Death's Door moved from Majestic to Southern after the distillery entered into a national distribution agreement with Destilería Serrallés, makers of DonQ rum. Again, new codes are below.
Reactivated SLO products:
- Appleton 21 Year Rum 750 ML (#503144, SLO, $124.49)
New SLO products:
- Ardbeg Alligator Single Malt Scotch 750 ML (#516235, SLO, $94.99)
- Avion Tequila Anejo 750 ML (#515780, SLO, $54.09)
- Avion Tequila Reposado 750 ML (#515779, SLO, $48.79)
- Becherovka Liqueur 750 ML (#515781, SLO, $19.49)
- Boyd and Blair Potato Vodka Professional 151 Proof 750 ML (#516098, SLO, $49.69)
- Courvoisier Cognac VS 1 L (#516176, SLO, $31.29)
- Cruzan Number 9 Spiced Rum 1 L (#515773, SLO, $13.49)
- Cuca Fresca Aged Brazilian Rum 750 ML (#515959, SLO, $27.49)
- Cuca Fresca Brazilian Rum 750 ML (#515958, SLO, $21.89)
- Deaths Door Gin 750 ML (#516228, SLO, $37.69)
- Deaths Door Vodka 750 ML (#516229, SLO, $37.69)
- Deaths Door White Whisky 750 ML (#516230, SLO, $38.69)
- Glenglassaugh Blushes Spirit 200 ML (#515820, SLO, $29.19)
- Glenglassaugh Clearac Spirit 200 ML (#515818, SLO, $29.19)
- Glenglassaugh Fledgling Xb Spirit 200 ML (#515821, SLO, $29.19)
- Glenglassaugh Peated Spirit 200 ML (#515819, SLO, $29.19)
- Kah Anejo Tequila 750 ML (#515760, SLO, $66.89)
- Kah Tequila Anejo 50 ML (#515764, SLO, $11.69)
- Kah Tequila Blanco 50 ML (#515762, SLO, $9.19)
- Kah Tequila Blanco 750 ML (#515758, SLO, $51.59)
- Kah Tequila Extra Anejo 50 ML (#515765, SLO, $30.09)
- Kah Tequila Extreme Anejo 1.5 L (#515761, SLO, $194.79)
- Kah Tequila Reposado 50 ML (#515763, SLO, $10.49)
- Kah Tequila Reposado 750 ML (#515759, SLO, $59.89)
- Mazza Chautauqua Cellars Pear In A Bottle 750 ML (#515881, SLO, $79.99)
- Ocean Organic Vodka 750 ML (#516087, SLO, $37.89)
- Pearl Vodka Wedding Cake 750 ML (#515800, SLO, $12.29)
- Right Gin 750 ML (#515774, SLO, $31.29)
- Schoenauer Apfel Liqueur 750 ML (#516410, SLO, $19.49)
- Seven Fathoms Rum 750 ML (#515976, SLO, $66.49)
- Sobieski Vodka Espresso 1 L (#515799, SLO, $12.69)
- Zodiac Black Cherry Vodka 750 ML (#515957, SLO, $32.29)
- Zodiac Potato Vodka 750 ML (#515956, SLO, $32.29)
I know lots of cocktail folks have been anxiously awaiting the return of Karlsbader Becherovka since Pernod-Ricard pulled the brand in-house to re-launch it. While Pennsylvania wasn't a target market for the re-launch, after repeated requests, Pernod has finally made Becherovka available for purchase by SLO. Happily, the price is a few dollars lower than it used to be, and there's no minimum quantity for ordering.
Boyd & Blair, Pittsburgh's local vodka distillery, has taken heed of the calls from craft bartenders for a high quality, high proof grain neutral spirit for making infusions and bitters, and Boyd & Blair "Professional" 151-proof Vodka is now available by SLO. While the $50 price tag is a little startling, remember, you're basically buying two bottles of regular vodka condensed into one, with the resultant doubling of both production costs and Federal excise tax. If you're still not convinced, water down some Everclear to 80 proof and make a martini with it. Then try to tell me Boyd & Blair isn't worth the money.
The distinctive, hand-painted Kah Tequila has had a tumultuous life. After spending 2010 embroiled in a trademark infringement lawsuit with Globefill, the owners of Crystal Head Vodka, Kah was launched last winter with great fanfare, only to see demand far outstrip their production capabilities. When the PLCB tried to place Kah on store shelves in the spring, very little inventory ever arrived and they were forced to discontinue the listing some months later. Finally, the production issues have been sorted out, and Kah is available for SLO from Southern.
Right Gin is a sexy little Swedish-made gin that was introduced to the US back in 2007, then seemed to fizzle out. It's a great gin, styled to be more subtle as was the trend five years ago, and I'm happy to see it finally listed here.
