Old Potrero has added to its California Cellar Series, featuring two premium cask-finished rye whiskeys that showcase collaborations with Golden State artisan producers.
The highly allocated releases include a Gewürztraminer barrel-finished expression and an imperial stout barrel-finished whiskey, both priced at $79.99.
The San Francisco-based distillery’s latest offerings celebrate California’s position as America’s leading wine and craft beer producer, accounting for more than 85 percent of the country’s wine production and hosting more breweries than any other state.
Old Potrero Teams with Gundlach Bundschu for Wine Barrel Finish
The Old Potrero Toasted Barrel Rye Whiskey Finished in Gundlach Bundschu Gewürztraminer Barrels (57.3% ABV) represents a collaboration with Sonoma’s award-winning winery, founded in the 1850s. The five-year, eight-month aged rye whiskey received an additional 14-month finish in the wine barrels.
According to the official tasting notes, the expression presents ripe fruit, grassy notes and caramel on the nose, with candied caramel, cantaloupe and tropical fruit on the palate, finishing with floral notes, ginger root and subtle fruit characteristics.
“We were excited by the opportunity to collaborate with Old Potrero as it’s the ‘OG’ creator of California rye with roots in our ancestral home city of San Francisco,” says Jeff Bundschu, president of Gundlach Bundschu Winery. “We are even more excited by the results. We’ve always strived for balance and nuance in our wines, and those attributes are in full effect with this intense but delicate new whiskey.”
Old Potrero Partners with Almanac Beer Co for Stout Barrel Expression
The second release, Old Potrero Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Almanac Beer Co. Imperial Stout Oak Barrels (57.5% ABV), features a six-year, six-month aged straight rye that received a five-month finish in barrels that previously aged a custom imperial stout for eight months.
The official tasting notes describe rich chocolate and vanilla hints with barrel rickhouse character on the nose, followed by caramel, roasted malt and spiced apricot flavors, concluding with a viscous, long finish featuring deep stone fruit and rye spice.
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“Born of the ethos ‘Farm to Barrel,’ Almanac and Hotaling & Co. Distillery share deep roots in California,” says João Alameida, brewmaster for Almanac Beer Co. “The result of our collaboration – marrying a strong, malt-forward stout with Old Potrero barrels – brings forward the signature spicy rye note from Old Potrero accompanied by a milk chocolate, dark-malt brûlée nose reminiscent of the beer.”
Head Distiller Kevin Aslan emphasized the collaborative spirit behind the series. “Old Potrero California Cellar Series is an exciting opportunity to highlight other California producers,” Aslan says. “We all share a commitment to the quality of the final product and an openness to innovation.”
Both expressions are available online and in select markets this month, with the 700ml bottles carrying identical suggested retail prices of $79.99.
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