Author: Thirsty South

Dedicated to all things drinking well in the South.
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There’s A New Bar In Town…

The latest arrival to Atlanta’s cocktail and spirits scene sits in an old train station in a rather derelict part of town, but the cocktails and whiskey selection will have people lining up to get on board (OK, no more bad train puns, I promise). H. Harper Station is the name, and they call themselves “a modern watering stop.” The conductors (really?? another one?) are chefs Duane Nutter, Reginald Washington and mixologist Jerry Slater, and if you’ve ever had an hour to spare in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson international terminal, you may recognize a few things from their well-regarded One Flew South bar and restaurant there. A first look at H. Harper Station will be forthcoming, but it’s worth pointing out now that the cocktail list instantly vaults them into consideration among Atlanta’s most ambitious cocktail bars. One particularly good and creative drink on the list is the “Bufala Negra,” with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, basil, brown sugar, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and some ginger beer – it all melds together wonderfully. The spirits selection is one of the best you will find in town, with over 40 whiskeys (including Pappy Van Winkle 20 year old and Caol Ila 18 year old). Beer and wine lists are fairly short, but interesting (Brewer-Clifton pinot noir, La Spinetta barbaresco, Domaine Weinbach riesling on the wine lists; Allagash Four and Hitachino White on the very nice draft beer list). Let us know what you think if you make it over to H. Harper Station, we’re looking forward to good things…

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Small Batch Goodness: 13th Colony, Georgia Craft Distillery

We here at Thirsty South are firm supporters of the “drink local” movement – be it beer, wine, spirits, or coffee (or tap water and cola for that matter!). The South obviously has a tremendously successful history with bourbon in Kentucky and whiskey in Tennessee, but recent years have seen the rise of the craft distillery movement in the South as well as some unique Southern takes on vodka and other spirits. Corsair Artisan comes to mind on the craft side, as does Firefly vodka on a more commercial scale. And for the past year or so, another craft producer has been building a following in Georgia with their Southern Vodka and Southern Gin: Thirteenth Colony Distillery out of Americus, Georgia.

Thirteenth Colony is a small batch producer, and has recently released a limited edition (only 400 cases made) 100% corn whiskey that is turning heads. The Thirteenth Colony Southern Corn Whiskey was aged in old oak barrels, and comes in at a healthy 95 proof. This combination of 100% corn, oak aging (though still relatively young), and the robust strength makes for a unique product that should help Thirteenth Colony further establish its credentials as a craft distillery worth keeping an eye on.  Not that they are an unknown quantity – their Southern Gin picked up a Gold Medal at the most recent Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards competition in San Diego, and the Southern Vodka claimed a bronze.

Listening to the folks behind Thirteenth Colony, one gets a very clear image of their mission: high quality, small batch spirits “made by friends for friends.” There is a unique camaraderie that infuses their brand, and they definitely wear their Southern sense-of-place on their sleeve, from the “Southern” branding on their gin, vodka and corn whiskey, to the mention on each label of being “Georgia’s only craft distillery.” And the “Thirteenth Colony” name, of course, refers to Georgia’s heritage from colonial times.

So, the big question is, how are their products? Will they make Georgia proud? The short answer is, “yes.” The Southern Corn Whiskey is noteworthy for its unique character. The Southern Gin is a serious pleaser, with a nice coriander presence. The Southern Vodka is an all-around solid vodka that will make any bar happy, though the least interesting of these three bottlings. We were fortunate to receive some samples for tasting, and here are our full notes:

Thirteenth Colony, Southern Corn Whiskey, 2010 Limited Release
95 Proof
Approx. $30 Retail
Tasting Date: November 4, 2010

Nice balance of mellow oak and light caramel on the nose. The mouthfeel is soft and full. The corn is noticeable in a good way, slight summery sweetness, and sets this apart from most other whiskeys. Interestingly, the oak fades to the back on the palate (vs. being prominent on the nose), so the oak aging was enough to impart some pleasant top notes without overtaking the flavor profile. It is fairly robust at 95 proof, but not unbalanced at all, with a nice touch of heat on an overall smooth finish. The color is a typical, light golden amber. Good Stuff* and definitely worth seeking out to experience a 100% corn whiskey with oak aging.

From the distillery: “Each bottle of Southern Corn Whiskey is numbered and signed. Our Limited Release Corn Whiskey will be a small quantity, released once per year in the fall, and when it is gone, it is gone for the year.  Our goal is to pursue unique, high quality spirits and have several in various stages of development and planning.”

Thirteenth Colony, Southern Gin
82.4 Proof
Approx. $17 Retail
Tasting Date: November 4, 2010

Prominent coriander on the nose, alongside refreshing lavender/floral and light juniper herbal notes. Mouthfeel manages to be both crisp and full, with nice viscosity. The coriander carries over to the palate, which veers towards invigorating “green” herbs, celery even, a touch of lime. A well rounded juniper gin, not too sharp, not too mellow. Citrus notes linger enticingly on the finish. Good Stuff* and highly recommended for gin fans looking for a Southern player to knock out the Brits.

Thirteenth Colony, Southern Vodka
80 Proof
Approx. $17 Retail
Tasting Date: November 4, 2010

A touch of cucumber and alcohol on the nose. Clean on the palate with hints of sharp citrus and peppery spice which mellow out on a finish that stays smooth while packing some heat. Minimal texture, straight and to the point. Good Stuff* – a solid vodka to displace the Absoluts of this world in any Southerner’s bar, but not as compelling as Thirteenth Colony’s other offerings.

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* Thirsty South Rating Scale:
Wow – among the very best: knock-your-socks-off, profound, complex liquid gold!
Excellent – exceptional in quality and character, worth seeking out, highly recommended
Good Stuff – solid expression of its type/varietal, enjoyable and recommended
Fair – fairly standard or exhibiting obvious though minor flaws
Avoid – move away folks, nothing to see here, a trainwreck

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Thirteenth Colony Distillery quote regarding their Corn Whiskey is from the excellent interview with Kent Cost, co-owner of the distillery, that appears in American Craft Spirits’ “Meet The Makers” series

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Woodford Reserve, Maple Wood Finish: Brilliant New Approach or Bourbon Gimmick?

The fine folks at Woodford Reserve just released the fifth in their series of “Master’s Collection” bottlings. Arriving in stores today, the Woodford Reserve Maple Wood Finish is (quoting their press release) “finish-aged in a toasted maple wood barrel, resulting in a whiskey enhanced with hints of maple, honey, and cinnamon… Maple Wood Finish continues Woodford Reserve’s tradition of crafting rare whiskeys that extend the category in bold new directions.”

Now, bourbon, by definition, is matured in new, charred oak barrels, thus the prominent use of the word “finish” on this bottling. Woodford Reserve is not divulging the mix of time in new oak vs. finishing time in maple wood, and the practice of finishing in a unique wood barrel type to drive specific flavors (such as the sweetness inherent in maple wood) is somewhat controversial for bourbon purists. The use of maple wood does indeed appear to be unique to Woodford Reserve so far, and they deserve props both for pushing new ideas and for getting this product out in time for the holiday season (go buy some Brown Forman stock now!).

This one clocks in at 94.4 proof, just a touch above their normal 90.4 proof bottling. It also costs more than double the regular bottling, with a suggested retail price of $90 vs. an average of roughly $35 for the regular Woodford Reserve. So, is it worth that type of investment to experience what the maple wood finish can bring?

Well, the bottle is beautiful (see photo below), so if you like collecting glass, this may be for you. Early reviews around the web are mixed – with many noting heavy wood notes, and, yes, hints of maple syrup. I’m personally not inclined to give it a shot, given the price (I have not received a free tasting sample as the early reviewers above did (*see update below)) and the somewhat gimmicky nature of this bottling. A few drops of maple syrup in my regular bourbon will do just fine to spice up my bourbon experience if I’m looking to add a touch of maple sweetness. Heck, in Woodford Reserve’s marketing of their new release, they even include a cocktail recipe that calls for the addition of maple syrup.

You can learn more about the Woodford Reserve Maple Wood Finish release with this educational video! which looks to me like it ought to be on late night TV somewhere, or maybe QVC. Maybe that’s fitting for this one.

*UPDATE, 11/11/2010: Woodford Reserve was kind enough to send a tasting sample after the original post was written. The nose on this Maple Wood Finish release is lovely – think cinnamon-spiced apple pie sitting on a toasted oak barrel. On the palate, it actually wasn’t as sweet or maple-y as I expected, with heavy wood and a somewhat harsh lingering finish. Very glad I was able to taste it, but it would be a bit hard to justify the $90-$100/bottle to experience this unique finishing approach.

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Thirsty Sleuth Contest: Win a Thirsty South T-shirt

Time to have a little fun around here, with a puzzle for you, dear readers. The Thirsty Sleuth challenge is to identify the places shown in the three photos below. You must reply in the comments section on this page, and the first person to get all three photos right wins a Thirsty South t-shirt! The first two are relatively easy, but the third one is going to be tricky. I’ll post a new hint on our Facebook page and Twitter feed each day if no correct answers have been submitted. You can enter a new guess each day as well, so keep an eye out!

#1: Name the coffee house with a fanatical following where I purchased this latte and a unique take on ice coffee:

Hint: they are not in the South, but in a certain Northern California city that Thirsty South recently visited

#2: Name the cocktail bar that can be found beneath this sign (no, its name is not the Anti-Saloon League):

Hint: A bit of research online should quickly help you uncover this hidden gem.

#3: Name the winery tasting room where this delightful wine bottle chandelier can be found:

Hint: They are big believers in biodynamic viticulture, but their tasting room is NOT in Sonoma (it is definitely not the tasting room visited here)

So… there you have it. Start digging, and please enter just one response here in the comment section each day. Then watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for more hints!

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Out West, Where The Wine Is Wild

For anyone who digs wine – and I mean really DIGS the art and craft of what it means to take a patch of soil, nurture vines and grapes on that soil, then find a way to capture that soil, those grapes, that place in a bottle of wine – there is something spectacular about visiting a renegade, crusading winery in a non-descript office park off a side road in some (relatively) forgotten corner of Sonoma County.

There are no pretty flowers as you approach. No grand gates with wrought iron lettering on gorgeous, restored oak-barrel slats. No illustrious works of art on the walls. Definitely no samples of private-label artichoke-parmesan-chardonnay dip with mini-pretzels. Heck, there’s not even a sign to help you find your way there. This is the anti-Napa-mega-winery. The un-Disneyfication of wine country. This is where zealots toil and hope to produce something magical. This, is the home of the NPA and Salinia wines.

If you haven’t heard about these wines, do check them out (go ahead, click on them!). If you have heard about them, it was probably a story on NPR or Gawker about the cool stainless steel refillable canteens that the NPA wines come in, or the fact that they are destined for consumption only within 100 miles of the winery and not meant for cellaring, OR possibly because some guy named Hardy Wallace now works for them after showing that a little wine blog called Dirty South Wine could indeed bring a bit of the dirty South to California wine country.

In any case, getting to know more about the NPA and Salinia is a very good thing, as I recently found out at that very same non-descript office park off a side road in some (relatively) forgotten corner of Sonoma County. Winemaker Kevin Kelley and crew are pushing the boundaries of where “natural” winemaking can go, and the resulting wines will literally shock and astonish a lot of wine drinkers for their uniqueness, their resonance, and the pure enjoyment and provocation that they deliver. It must be said, you will only find the NPA wines in the San Francisco area, and there is no better place to taste them than from the barrel or from the tap at the NPA tasting room / winemaking superheadquarters in Santa Rosa. The Salinia wines, meant for aging but following a similar philosophy to the NPA wines as it relates to the care for the soil, the grapes, and the winemaking itself, are bottled and can be shipped out of California. They are all worth seeking out. The Salinia wines are not cheap, but they truly deliver an unforgettable experience. My tasting notes from the Salinia Chardonnay (a decidedly atypical California chardonnay) went something like this: “holy sh!t, are you kidding me? crazy good stuff. Nose of olives (yes), butterscotch, herbs (rosemary and thyme). Definitely chard when it hits the palate, but so much more, nuanced and crazy. Knockout wine.” See what I mean?

Rather than ramble on about the philosophical underpinnings of these wines, let me just say that tasting them is a revelation – something like how I imagine it would have been to see a Picasso for the first time when all you knew was Rembrandt. That’s no knock on Rembrandt, but Picasso was simply playing the game in a way no one else was playing it, and the results were shocking and amazing. So, next time you’re visiting California, forget Disney Napa World, drive past the tourist busses stopping at the wine country welcome centers, and head to a tucked away office park on a side street of Santa Rosa. Your taste buds will thank you.

Photos from the NPA / Salinia Tasting Room, Santa Rosa, CA: (clockwise from upper right) the wine taps, fermentation in process (day 10), “spot on pinot blanc,” wine paparazzi stalking Hardy Wallace, an empty barrel of which there are many as the small production volumes sell out, NPA skin fermented sauvignon blanc, tools of the trade, Hardy Wallace climbing the barrels to retrieve a sample, Salinia current releases, the amazing color of crazy juice – recently harvested 2010 NPA Pinot Gris.