St George Spirits – Baller

Single Malt Whisky   ABV: 47%   Bottle Size: 750ml

Producer: St George Spirits
Bottler: Official Distillery Bottling by St George Spirits

Country: America
Region: Other

$139.04

Out of stock

Cask Type: Ex-Umeshu Cask Finish - Previously In Ex-Bourbon & French Oak
Age: 3 Years Aged
Vintage: Unknown

Release: Standard Release
Cask Strength: No
Chill Filtration: No

Added Colouring: No
Peat Smoked: No

From The Makers

THE SPIRIT
“A California take on the Japanese spin on Scotch whisky.” So says master distiller Lance Winters of this unique and inspired spirit, which was created with Japanese-style whiskey highballs in mind (hence the name Baller).

THE PROCESS
We start with 100% American barley (predominately two-row pale malted barley, the remainder is lightly roasted).
After distillation in our eau de vie pot stills, the whiskey is aged in used bourbon casks and French oak wine casks, as well as filtered through maple charcoal.
We then finish the whiskey in casks that had held house-made umeshu (a Japanese style of plum liqueur we made entirely from California-grown ume fruit).

THE EXPERIENCE
Crisp and dry, with a touch of malt sweetness and a hint of lychee fruit and nutty almond character. The smoky finish lingers and builds with each sip.
In addition to using in Japanese-style whiskey highballs, we also recommend Baller in a “Ballervardier,” or in place of Scotch whisky in a Bobby Burns or Rob Roy.

ABOUT THE LABEL
Distiller Lance Winters did the art direction for the label, which re-imagines the legend of St. George as a samurai. The original watercolor on the front label was by Oakland artist Sylvia Solochek Walters, done to emulate woodcut. The calligraphy was done by Eri Takase of Takase Studios.

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Group Score: 89.28 / 100

Flavour Profile: Fresh & Floral

Group Score: 89.28 / 100

Flavour Profile: Fresh & Floral

Serenity From Madness

When Tasted: June 2022
Where Tasted: In Store

Visual: 4.17 /5
Aroma: 22.34 /25

Taste: 36.76 /40
Finish: 26.04 /30

Why This Bottle?

Following on from the very... different pair of whiskies two weeks ago - we have another weird and wonderful dram for everyone to discover. St George Spirits in Alameda California has been operating since 1982, and they make American style and single malt whiskies. However, they also make pretty much every other kind of spirit you could name. Brandy? Yup! Green Chili Vodka? Yup. Absynthe? Yup. Shochu? So they definitely have a creative streak, which is on full display with Baller. It's a single malt whisky but uses some brewing malt in the mash bill. Believe it or not they actually maple charcoal filter it, in the Tennessee tradition. Then, potentially the strangest part of the process, it's finished in casks that previously contained their house made umeshu, a Japanese style plum wine. What a wild process!  

Strath Panel Tasting Notes

On the nose, it's strikingly reminiscent of Glenmorangie Nectar D'or. Slightly sweet and syrupy with apricots and digestive biscuits. On the palate, it has some kind of a mysterious organic powdery note - not quite floral, not quite vegetal, not quite fruity, but somewhere in between. There are also some rarer tropical notes such as starfruit and feijoa with a dusty white pepper finish.

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