Spirits $1,000 - $2,999

2022 Edition

An ultra-rare expression from one of the most revered names in agave releases, this is the Day of the Dead collection from Clase Azul. Each vintage is released in custom, ceremonial bottles that change from year to year, with every release. 

Clase Azul's Day of the Dead Tequilas are a collection of premium tequilas crafted to honor and celebrate the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). These tequilas are meticulously made with the finest blue agave plants, carefully selected and distilled to achieve exceptional quality.

Each bottle in the Day of the Dead collection is adorned with exquisite artwork, inspired by the vibrant and colorful imagery associated with the holiday. The bottles are custom produced and decorated with intricate details, making them unique works of art that embody the spirit of Día de los Muertos.

*Note* We cannot guarantee specific letters or dump dates.  Please contact our concierge if you have a specific request.  Please see our FAQ and terms of service for further details about blanton's

Barrel - 73
98 proof

Crafted at Japan’s oldest distillery, Yamazaki is the pioneer of single malt Japanese whisky. A defining element of its character is Mizunara, the rare Japanese oak known for its complexity. Essential to Yamazaki’s core expressions, Mizunara casks shape the whisky’s multi-layered profile with notes of sandalwood, coconut and incense. Though difficult to work with, this mystical wood rewards patience and skill. After more than 18 years of maturation, the true essence of Mizunara is revealed in a whisky that is rich, deep and unmistakably Yamazaki.

In 1999, Beam first tested the aging stratosphere with the 18-year-old, a collaboration between Booker Noe, the grandson of Jim Beam and creator of Booker's True Barrel, and Alain Royer, the renegade Cognac maker and cigar aficionado from the Fussigny house.

2011 release - laser code

PRODUCER'S NOTES: "Van Winkle Special Reserve is the perfect combination of age and proof. This sweet, full bodied whiskey has been described by some as 'nectar.' We agree! The 12 years of aging and medium proof of 90.4 seem to be just right in creating a very pleasant drink of whiskey. This fine bourbon can compete with any excellent cognac as an after-dinner drink. The overall impression is rich and deep."

2014 vintage release - laser code

PRODUCER'S NOTES: "This wonderful bourbon is bottled as close to barrel proof as possible. We add just a splash of our Kentucky limestone well water when we empty the barrels for bottling. Thus, this whiskey is as smooth as any you will find. The more water you add to whiskey from its natural barrel proof to its bottle proof, the harsher it becomes. This 107 barrel proof seems to be just right."

--

In 1893, when he was 18 years old, Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr. began working as a salesman for the liquor wholesaler, W.L. Weller & Sons. Fifteen years later, he and another Weller salesman bought the firm. In 1910 they acquired the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, which had started as a sour mash whiskey distillery in 1872.

The Stitzel Distillery supplied much of the whiskey sold by the Weller wholesale firm. The consolidation coincided with prohibition, during which time the Stitzel-Weller firm was licensed by the government to produce whiskey for medicinal purposes. One of their labels that was introduced on the market just before prohibition was Old Rip Van Winkle. After prohibition, the brand was not reintroduced until after 1972 when the Stitzel-Weller distillery and its current brand names (including W. L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell, and Cabin Still) were sold to other companies.The only brand name the Van Winkle family had kept the rights to was the pre-prohibition brand Old Rip Van Winkle.

The Stitzel-Weller Distillery was opened on the day of the Kentucky Derby in 1935, just outside Louisville in Shively, Kentucky. At the time of his death in 1965 at the age of 89, Pappy Van Winkle was the oldest active distiller in the nation. A photo of him lighting a cigar graces the bottle's label.

Sometime after the Stitzel-Weller distillery was sold in 1972, Julian Van Winkle, Jr. resurrected the pre-prohibition Old Rip Van Winkle brand and initially used old whiskey stocks from the distillery for its bottlings. Julian Jr. died in 1981 and Julian Van Winkle, III (Pappy's grandson) took over the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company.

After the initial sale in 1972, the Stitzel-Weller distillery was eventually closed completely in 1991.

Since 2002, the Van Winkle brands have been distilled and bottled by the Sazerac Company at the Buffalo Trace Distillery as a joint venture with the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company.

In 2013, Julian Preston Van Winkle III, said the 2013 bottlings of the 23-year brand expression "may be the last of its kind", since at that point there was very little left of the aging stock from the Stitzel-Weller distillery (although he said the brand would not be discontinued). The makers say that they do not want to boost production, as there is considerable long-term risk, and they do not want to be left holding copious quantities of unsaleable bourbon should tastes, fashions or circumstances change.

2021 Edition

An ultra-rare expression from one of the most revered names in agave releases, this is the Day of the Dead collection from Clase Azul. Each vintage is released in custom, ceremonial bottles that change from year to year, with every release. 

Clase Azul's Day of the Dead Tequilas are a collection of premium tequilas crafted to honor and celebrate the Mexican tradition of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). These tequilas are meticulously made with the finest blue agave plants, carefully selected and distilled to achieve exceptional quality.

Each bottle in the Day of the Dead collection is adorned with exquisite artwork, inspired by the vibrant and colorful imagery associated with the holiday. The bottles are custom produced and decorated with intricate details, making them unique works of art that embody the spirit of Día de los Muertos.

The ultimate Mother's Day or birthday gift. An inviting and rustic custom handcrafted wooden gift box with a brass nameplate with the engraving "World's Best Mom" that teases the fact that someone special is about to open something equally special. As you open the antique latch, it reveals a felt top that has been covering 2 hand-blown glasses and a bottle of Original Rip Van Winkle Bourbon Aged 10 Years laying gently and securely in a batch of hypoallergenic antique packing straw. The exterior dimensions of this one of a kind gift box are 14.75″W x 10.75″D x 5.75″H. Because each box is handmade, quantities are limited and delivery is expected in 10 business days.

Clase Azul EDICIÓN LIMITADA PINK 2024 Joven

With its stunning pink bottle and exclusive 2024 release, Clase Azul EDICIÓN LIMITADA PINK 2024 Joven is a must-have for any tequila aficionado. Savor the smooth, balanced flavors and delight your senses with every sip.

Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade 90 Proof 10 Year Old Bourbon (Squat Bottle)

In the nineteenth century, bourbon aristocrat Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. exuded a passion for producing the finest whiskey in the world.

This bourbon honors Taylor’s enduring spirit of innovation and commitment to exceptional whiskey by introducing Amaranth as the flavoring grain. Amaranth was originally cultivated by the Aztecs and is known as the “Grain of the Gods.”

This ancient grain is similar to wheat, but offers a complex taste with subtle flavors ranging from a nose of butterscotch and spearmint, to a finish of pecans and dark berries. Amaranth roughly translates to “never fading,” just like the legacy of Colonel Taylor, the founding father of the modern bourbon industry.

A limited release in 2017 and again in 2018, E.H. Taylor Four Grain is made from a “distinct bourbon recipe” using corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley. It was distilled in 2005 and entered into the barrel at 104 proof. According to Buffalo Trace, these are the four grains E.H.Taylor would have had access to in the late 1800s, which is why they were ultimately chosen for this release. In the company’s press release, master distiller Harlen Wheatley states, “We wanted to extract everything we like from both the rye and the wheat mashbills we currently use and combine them to see how they react. Not surprisingly, it added complexity to the finished product.”

A mix of some of Heaven Hill's best styles including rye- and wheat-based whiskey. The result of this is rich, buttery and full of spice. Creamy butterscotch and hints of Muscovado sugar. Corinth raisins and sweet cinnamon. A little gingerbread. Thick, rich palate entry, starting out on rum spice and cinnamon and developing with toffee apples, juicy sultanas, and sweet vanilla. A good dose of warming ginger too. Toasted, spiced finish, fading out on toasted oak, cedar, sweet black coffee, and caramel.

Hibiki Harmony 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Japanese Whisky

Hibiki is a blend of over ten malts and grains featuring Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita all aged in five types of cask. The non-age statement Japanese Harmony was intoriduced in 2015, following the discontinuation of the 12 year old as the entry level to the core range. This limited edition was released in late 2018 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Hibiki blend being released in 1989.

As always with Hibiki the Hibiki Harmony 30th Anniversary Limited Edition bottle always has 24 facets representing the 24 seasons of the Japanese lunar calendar.

Developed by fourth generation chief blender Shinji Fukuyo with production overseen by third generation master blender and great-grandson of the founder, Shingo Torii.

Hibiki Harmony 30th Anniversary is a harmonious blend of innumerous malt and grain whiskies which are meticulously blended to create a full orchestra of flavors and aromas. Seductive, blossoming and enigmatic, Hibiki Whisky celebrates an unrivaled art of blending, fine craftsmanship and a sense of luxury from the House of Suntory.

Hibiki was launched in 1989 to commemorate Suntory’s 90th anniversary, and has ever since been embraced as the paragon of The Art of Japanese Whisky, the very product of Japanese nature and her people. Hibiki Whisky is not only Japan’s most highly awarded blended whisky, but among the most prestigious and honoured whiskies in the world.