BEAST MASTERS CLUB X PINHOOK
PRIVATE CASK VERTICAL SERIES SELECT
10 YEAR MGP BOURBON
75% / 21% / 4%
CASK STRENGTH, 118.7 PROOF
SUPER SHORT BARREL - 72 BOTTLES!

Seriously folks, we’re in a golden age to buy bourbon right now. Years back we always had a mantra, “Ten Bucks Per Year. Ten Bucks Per Year.” We’d don our tie-dyed monks robes and sit cross-legged chanting it over and over until our backs hurt because we’re terrible at sitting on the floor.

Because we’ve always felt that really high quality, single cask American whiskey is an absolute steal at that rate. But the market got away from all of us. The Facebook tater-ing, the online auctions, liquor stores realizing they were leaving money on the shelf by not matching secondary market prices. It all came together for a while there in a maelstrom of supply-side greed and malevolence.

But the good news is that once the bulls charge through, the bears are always there to settle in, hibernate through the winter, and then lazily wake up when spring arrives and pick their way through all the sweet treats that the new year brings. So this season, Beast Masters will be focused on finding you incredibly high quality juice, at 2016 prices.

In the winter of 2016, way back when I was still pretending that the decline of my hairline was both reversible and concealable, we picked a 10 year MGP bourbon from Smooth Ambler. It was a private pick, we didn’t have our public club in business yet, so yours’ truly - SmokyBeast and JewLaser and a few close friends just bought a couple cases each. Short barrel, 120 proof. Cost was around $110/bottle. This is a now legendary pick that regularly goes at auction for north of $500.

So when we saw that the Pinhook Vertical MGP Bourbon single barrel program hit 10 years old, we were eager to try some barrels. Of course we picked the best barrel in the whole warehouse! A super-short, beast of a bourbon coming in at only 72 bottles in the whole barrel and 119 proof. And the price? Solid 2016 glory of $110/bottle.

Nose: Powerful but sweet. Starts with dark chocolate, peanuts, and nougat. Opens up with some sweet cream - olive oil and cake frosting. Then at the end a little hint of mint.

Body: Wonderful viscous mouthfeel. Chamomile tea with double honey. Coats the front and sides of tongue leaving a little bold heat at the base.

Finish: The cocoa comes back for a long finish. You know you’re drinking a big full-proof beast, but damn if it doesn’t go down so easy. Lingering sweet cream, cocoa/vanilla, and that little mint pop at the end.

People have been asking us for 10 years when we’ll have another barrel like that 10 year SAOS. Don’t let the good times pass you by. This one’s gonna go fast.

Yaaaawn, scratch, back to the cave…