WOLVES WHISKEY
CALIFORNIA, USA
Why Buy: From the partnerships with Rolls Royce and the 5-star Peninsula Hotel to the ecstatic reviews from Maxim and Forbes, Wolves has vaulted into the upper ranks of craft whiskey producers. This superlative trio of bottles – made the Wolves way, with long, slow distillations that are produced in small batches in a still imported from Cognac, then allowed to mature in charred Napa oak of varying intensities – only burnishes their already immense reputation among connoisseurs and collectors. If you haven't hopped aboard the Wolves train, you're missing out, quite simply, on some of the finest spirits to be had in the world right now.
What They're Saying: "Spectacular," Forbes raved over Lot One. "The mouthfeel is gorgeous, velvety and, dare I say it, smooth ... to add a drop of water would be a crime." Maxim was no less enamored of the Malted Barley Series: "We just wish it was a little easier to get a hold of."
The Story: 13th-generation master distiller Marko Karakasevic builds his extraordinary whiskeys from unlikely sources – most notably, beer. Winter Run Batch 3 is fashioned from a blend of two Pilsners, a Stout, and a rye whiskey. Its rich texture derives in part from the alembic pot still that Karakasevic imported from Cognac, another outside-the-box choice. Even more unorthodox, perhaps, is that Karakasevic doesn't simply oversee production, which occurs in super-small batches and takes 10 days to complete; he sleeps in four-hour shifts, so that he can personally attend to every turn in its development. All these same painstaking, idiosyncratic processes can also be found in the Wolves' Malted Barley Series, which was conceived in 2011, when Karkasevic laid down a small lot. In the next few years, he laid down 12 more of these small lots. Each contained a two-row pale malted barley that he fermented with California Ale yeast. To produce the bottlings in this series, he blended 11 of the 12 barrels, then distilled the result, in 2015, in his alembic still. For maturation, he turned to a Napa cooperage that many cult winemakers swear by for his oak, which he then charred to different intensities, in this way turning a single barrel into many mini-barrels.
Our Tasting Notes: When people say that a Wolves whiskey tastes like nothing else, they're not kidding. It just speaks to the extraordinary degree of detailing that goes into each bottle, and we see that care and attention on full display here in this trio of whiskeys. Winter Run positively swaggers with its uniqueness, from its foresty, resinous nose to its rich, hoppy palate to its long and fascinating finish, with its trailing notes of citrus, spice, and nuts. The Malted Barley Series bottlings are, likewise, beyond comparison with anything out there. Here again we see the results of that unorthodox alembic still, and the patient distillation that Karakasevic insists upon: enormous heft on the palate, a rich, almost creamy mouthfeel, and a balance that, for all the various elements that make up the blend, is nothing short of remarkable.
Fun Fact: Each bottle is hand-wrapped in sheepskin, and also hand-numbered.
Our Guarantee: We always buy and source direct, so rest assured: your whiskeys will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2024. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in IN, KS, LA, MA, MI, MN, NC, NM, NY, TN, VA, & WA. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Sunay, December 17, 2023.
