The Duke Club - october 2021
Just A Taste Duke Club
f.e.w. “8 immortals”
rye whiskey
Distillery: F.E.W.
Distiller: Paul Hletko, founder & distiller
Region: Evanston, Illinois
Mash Bill: American Rye with small addition of corn
Aging: aged in American oak barrels
Dilution: brought to proof with cold extracted Oolong tea
Nose: dark cereal grains with dried fruits leads into lavender, peanut shell, and honey
Palate: lush without being too hot promoting nice spice on the attack
Finish: nice balance between grain, fruit and spice
Recommended serving: splash of water, as a highball or in a Scofflaw
“In recognition of his decades at the helm of St. George Spirits and his role in kickstarting the modern American craft spirits renaissance, Jörg has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Distilling Institute and is a five-time nominee for Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional by the James Beard Foundation. Though Jörg retired from St. George Spirits in 2010, his reverence for extraordinary raw materials and exacting technical standards continue to shape every spirit that bears the St. George name.”
about f.e.w. spirits
To learn more about FEW, check out Whiskey Wanderlust’s amazing blog: https://whiskiedwanderlust.com/touring-few-distillery/
about “8 immortals” rye whiskey
“Baller” Single Malt is a unique whiskey by St. George honoring the Japanese tradition of emulating Scotch whisky. However, St. George adds it’s own unique spin by finishing this 100% barley single malt in ex-umeshu casks. This plum liqueur, made from St. George’s own plum eau de vie, adds a prominent fruitiness to the nose and viscosity to the palate. The design of “Baller” was to make a whisky that would hold up to a classic Japanese HighBall, a combination of whiskey and soda. Due to the dilution, they aim to make this whiskey offer extreme depth of flavor to hold up after mixed. In my opinion, when mixed with regular club soda, the balance of the flavor profile skews too much towards smoke, but not in the same way a gently peaty scotch would. Ginger ale seems to be the better partner here, as the ginger heat plays nicely with the ripe lychee and maple notes this whiskey has to offer.