"anchor steam" news and stories

Dave Pickerell left his post as the master distiller of Maker's Mark bourbon in April 2008 after about 14 years of making that signature red waxed-top whiskey. After 18 months of soul searching (or should I say warehouse searching?), he has launched a new rye label called WhistlePig. Oh, did I also mention that he was the distiller of the recently released whiskey made at the rebuilt George Washington distillery at Mount Vernon? Actually, Dave considers himself the Johnny Appleseed of American craft distilling, projecting that he will be involved in the production of more than 30 small distilleries in the next two years.

In December 8, 2009, Kentucky's Vendome Copper and Brass Works, which makes much of our country's distillery equipment, introduced Dave to an entrepreneur by the name of Raj Peter Bhakta who had bought a 500 acre farm in Shoreman, Vermont that he named WhistlePig. A few weeks later, Raj and Dave shook hands on the farm and spent three days socializing that ended in a decision to do business together.

More after the jump ...

Junipero Gin is 49.34 abv. / 98.6 proof and is made by Anchor Distilling Co. in San Francisco, the same folks who make the excellent Anchor Steam Beer and other fine brews. It has "more than a dozen" botanicals according to their website.

The aroma is very light, almost not present at all until I pressed my nose deep into the snifter. Then I got a slight but sharp alcohol smell with just the faintest trace of juniper and some unknown spices. I kept on sniffing the gin for a few minutes, trying to discern what the components of the aroma were. I spun and circled my glass so the spirit would coat the inside, so more would evaporate and the aroma would increase, but to no avail.

Finally I kept the snifter in my hand until it started to warm up and finally the nose of the spirit started to come out. I could smell faint spices, and some sharp juniper notes. I put down the glass so that I could type and picked it up again a minute later and the glass had cooled down and the aroma faded. So I started warming it up all over again. I have never had such a fight to bring out a gins aroma before. This was becoming an epic struggle indeed.

It's time for autumn, so that must mean it's...Miller Time?

Well, sure, you could go for any one of your usual six-packs off the grocery store shelf, but according to beer buff Stan Hieronymous, author of "Brew Like a Monk" and the editor of Realbeer.com, autumn is the time to drink outside the box, when brewers offer limited edition "seasonal" brews. He selects a few favorites:

• Fuller's Vintage Ale - UK beer with "a wonderful yeasty character."
• Anchor Brewing's Our Special Ale - "the recipe changes annually"
• Sierra Nevada: Celebration - "expect a strong flavor of hops"
• Affligem Brewery: Affligem Noel - "strong, dark, spicy beer with a hint of fruit and raisins"
• Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - "deep brown imperial stout with complex flavors"
• Great Divide Brewing Company: Hibernation Ale - "caramel character, even a little bit of toffee"