Craig Winchell is a winemaker with an abiding interest in distilled spirits (see bio below). He is also a man of decided opinions and definite tastes…so definite, he doesn’t need 12 choices to fill out his case. He’s happy with multiples of five specific spirits.
Here's Craig to speak for himself:
OK, my Desert Island case of spirits, eh?
One of the big problems is that I keep kosher, and many spirits are inherently nonkosher. Like Cognac and Armagnac, for instance. Basically, anything originating from grapes is not kosher unless it is produced from scratch with the idea of it being kosher. So although I love Pierre Ferrand Cognacs, reduced with petite eau rather than water, I can no longer drink them (and should not have been doing so when I was drinking them).
For Scotch, I guess I would start with Laphroiag 10 year old Islay Single Malt. I like the 10 best.
Bourbon, Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12 year Bonded (which I don't think they make anymore).
Rum, Barbancourt, the oldest I can get, for sipping. I would couple that with some Havana Club for guzzling.
I've had some very good Calvados, and I'd have to include a couple bottles of them, but I couldn't name brands. No really good kosher Cognac, no kosher Armagnac at all, no other brandies worth drinking that I've tasted (although Rogov's board has a thread on "Rogov Brandy" by Carmel).
So I think 2 bottles of Laphroiag 10 year old, 3 bottles of the Very Very Old Fitz (what can I say, I love Stitzel-Weller spirits), 3 bottles of Barbancourt and 2 bottles of Havana Club, 2 bottles of a good Calvados (I've had many brands, and have yet to have one I did not at least enjoy) and I would be good to go. But if the case is my 12 selections rather than 12 bottles, that will take more thought, and maybe some research. I'm from Louisville, was wine manager of a fine liquor store back in '78-'79, so I made it a point to know my bourbon. Other spirits, more of a lifelong quest. And yes, I love spirits, and have toyed with the idea of being a distiller since my Davis days.
Since Craig raised the issue of kosher versus non-kosher, we should mention that there are numerous websites that deal with what may or may not be consider kosher. It’s not an easy topic, as questions and complexities abound, and sometimes it comes down to who/what authorities you consider. One very good site for alcoholic beverages is www.kashrut.com/articles/liquor2/.
Obviously, Craig’s choices show a preference for complex, full-flavored and oak-aged spirits. The Old Fitz Bond has extra age and a full 100 Proof; it’s not in any way a shy bourbon. The Laphroiag Islay is renowned for being one of the most notoriously peat-reeky and briny of scotches with a definite iodine and bandaid tang to it.
Rhum Barbancourt, Haiti’s most famous rum, is a rhum agricole, made from raw sugar cane juice rather than the more usual molasses. Barbancourt was founded by a native of Cognac and made in the double-distilled Cognac tradition. Many experts maintain the well-aged versions taste more like Cognac than of rum. Even the Havana Rum, closer to the traditional Cubano style of rum made from molasses, sees oak maturation and development; it is also prized by rum connoisseurs for its depth of flavor.
Craig’s reference to the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery, now long defunct, reveals his youthful days growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, and requires us to delve into some arcane Bourbon history.
The old Stitzel-Weller Distillery was once owned by the famous Van Winkle family (still very much around Kentucky as a family, by the way) and responsible for a roster of legendary brands (Old Rip Van Winkle, Pappy Van Winkle, W.L. Weller, Cabin Still, Rebel Yell). It was sold to United Distillers, which closed it. Production was moved to the famous Bernheim Plant. Subsequently sold to Guinness, then with some brands parceled off to Heaven Hill and Buffalo Trace distilleries and some dying off, a handful were left in the curious position of living off old stocks laid down long before but no longer in production---in essence, depleting their finite resources each time they bottled a new batch.
All that is left of this mythical distillery, through continuance in a direct line, is the Old Van Winkle label kept alive by Pappy’s descendant, Julius Van Winkle, who struck a bargain with another distiller to resume production under his guidance so the Van Winkle brand could continue. Thus, the ever-dwindling Van Winkle whiskies are now sustained through new production and the great tradition is kept alive by its descendants. The good news is that Van Winkle is more popular than ever! It remains quite rare and difficult to find, though, because it is released in limited quantities and sells out almost immediately upon release to collectors. It’s worth your while to seek it out. Best to look in top quality backbars when you can find it. But if you spot a bottle, snap it up; it won’t be there for long, and if you don’t like it, rest assured you can impress your bourbon-loving guests no end by pouring a Van Winkle whiskey in their glass.
Craig’s Bio:
I grew up with wine in Louisville, KY. My dad was a doctor and an avid collector. I went to school at Haverford College in Philly, dropped out in '77, made my way to NYC, and eventually found a job as manager of The Village Vintner, 448 6th Ave. I then had an opportunity to be an international flight attendant for a short while. I then went back to Louisville and found a position as wine manager of State Liquors, where I used my wine knowledge to good effect, to the benefit of consumers and the trade. But I was getting the itch again, and high-tailed it out to California on a Greyhound, and was admitted to UC Davis in 1980. Studied straight through and graduated in June '81. Got a job as winemaker of Tucker Cellars in Sunnyside, WA. Left for CA for a job as winemaker of Vina Vista Winery in Geyserville, then I began the project that would be my family's winery, which we sold in 2005, when I relocated to Los Angeles. Unable to get a job, and after several years used up most of my money, so I established a BBQ joint to blow the rest of my wad, in 2008. Upon closing it in 2010, I found a position as Winemaker of Agua Dulce Winery, where I am at present. In any case, I grew up with a dad who enjoyed alcoholic beverages, so I was privy to many of the best. both spirits and wine. I became observant as a Jew, and ceased drinking non-kosher wine and spirits. I could still taste non-kosher wine, as long as I spit and rinsed my mouth, but the vast majority of my tasting experience occurred pre-1984.
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