I never get tired of learning about the industry I work in, which is why I love meeting new people with the ability to educate like Michael Dougherty.
No ego, no elitism, and no chip on his shoulder like half the sommeliers I’ve met in my life. Just a passion for his product and a desire to share it with others.
All the reasons that I enjoy learning from Michael are on display in this little chat we did yesterday. Hopefully you get something out of it as well.
-David Driscoll
Having covered Arturo Fuente cigars during our last conversation, this evening I’m back with industry veteran Michael Dougherty to discuss his other company: J.C. Newman, America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker.
We’ll be live at 3 PM over at the @missionliquor Instagram handle.
Tomorrow will be another big cigar day at Mission, as I reunite with my longtime friend Matt Freerks—once the director of sales for Westland Distillery—now working with La Palina cigars. I’m sure we’ll have photos and some stories to tell you later in the week.
Cinco de Mayo is Wednesday, which is why I’ll be releasing an exclusive single cask of Roca Patron Añejo, originally bottled for the Hotel FIgueroa in downtown LA, in honor of the occasion.
Plus, we’ll have Adam and Nora from Lost Lantern whiskey live on Instagram that same day (Wednesday) to talk about their new American independent bottling company. That starts at 4 PM.
i’m picking out a single cask of Old Forester cask strength on Thursday with Brown-Forman’s Jackie Zykan (that will not be streamed, but I’ll have an interview to post), plus there will be a lot of wine talk this week as we’ve got tons of new whites, light reds, and rosés for your Spring needs.
More soon.
-David Driscoll
The single barrels are selling fast, but we’ve got plenty more on the way and a good supply of the standard bottled-in-bond editions. Rolling this out at Mission has been quite nostalgic for me, a little reminder of how heady the build-up to an exciting new release can be. If you’re too pressed for time to read all the details, I’ve created this brief cheat sheet for you:
New Riff Bottled In Bond Kentucky Bourbon $39.99 - Using a 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley mash, this is one of the easiest drinking, yet potent Bourbons on the market today. Surprisingly soft at 50% ABV, it’s pretty damn sneaky and, man, does it mix well with others.
New Riff Bottled In Bond Kentucky Rye Whiskey $39.99 - Do yourself a favor and buy two of these. This whiskey is so loaded with fresh rye aromas it’s like dipping your entire head into a bag of German rye bread.
New Riff Single Barrel #17-0599 Kentucky Bourbon 103.2 Proof $49.99 - A bigger, spicier version of the standard BIB, it’s like something between Four Roses high rye and Wild Turkey.
New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin $29.99 - I’m halfway through my first bottle and it’s just gin and tonic central. Don’t overlook this amazing gin because you’re hell bent on securing the whiskey.
New Riff Bourbon-Barreled Kentucky Wild Gin $29.99 - Haven’t tasted this one yet, but assuming it’s a milder, rounder version of the standard. Looking forward to making a Martinez with this.
Next week we’ll be focusing entirely on the new Lost Lantern releases. And don’t forget the 700ml bottles of Flaming Heart that just landed!
Also, doing a barrel selection for a cask strength barrel of Old Forester next week with Brown Forman. So much to remember!
-David Driscoll
In anticipation of one of our biggest new whiskey launches in store history, I sat down with New Riff Distillery’s Jay Erisman to talk about the genesis of the brand, the philosophy on whiskey-making, and all things mash bill, non-chill-filtered, and bottled-in-bond related.
We agreed that New Riff is perhaps the most profound new distillery in Kentucky since Maker’s Mark, so you can see why we’re quite excited to have the products here at Mission.
Available now! Check out the site here.
-David Driscoll
Like almost every other novice cigar smoker I’ve met, I went immediately to the industry’s most established luxury brands for my early education: Cohiba, Davidoff, Romeo & Julieta, etc—just to establish a baseline.
But as I’ve always done (as is my way), I can’t help but be attracted to the overlooked and underrated when it comes to being both a consumer and a salesperson. It’s simply in my blood to want to give customers the best possible bang for their buck, not necessarily the most famous label; I want the same experience as a consumer.
Not that Oliva is all that overlooked in the grand scheme of things—having been around for 132 years and winning countless awards—but it still feels like an underdog. The Serie O (what I’m smoking in the above photo) gets great scores from critics and was named one of the 50 best cigars of the year by Cigar Aficionado. Look at any major cigar site and the feedback is pretty incredible. Yet, when I ask my amateur cigar-smoking friends about the brand, few seem to have heard of it.
I’m writing this blog today having finished my first Serie O, and my seventh overall cigar from Oliva. Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, I can’t imagine smoking anything better.
When it comes to whiskey, I look for two characteristics straight away when determining quality: weight and texture. Flavor comes after that. Call me crazy, but that’s how I work.
When it comes to cigars, I also look for two important characteristics right off the bat: burn and construction. Flavor comes after that.
You could have the best tasting whiskey in the world, but if it’s jagged and thin on the palate, you’ll never win over the masses. The same goes for cigars. You could have the most amazing taste experience, but if you’re pulling hard on every draw and dealing with an inconsistent burn, the experience is ruined.
I’m far from a cigar expert, but in the last six months I’ve gone back for repeat visits to cigars I know will deliver, time and time again, with a consistent burn and an effortless draw, manifested with huge billows of white smoke that spread like clouds across my patio. If the stick can also provide complexity of flavor, seductive aromas, and a whiskey pairing that knocks my socks off, I’m smitten for life.
The Oliva Serie O did that for me.
Nicaraguan Puro by design, the filler is made from Habano seeds grown in three different locations, bound with Habano leaf, and finished with a Habano wrapper. Whereas other top-rated cigars can be earthy, robust, and intense, everything about the Serie O is soft and seductive. It’s like cherry blossoms and cedar with a dusting of cocoa powder.
I can’t recommend it highly enough. Grab the Double Toro next time you come by the store. You won’t be sorry.
-David Driscoll
Tune in tomorrow at 4 PM PST to the @missionliquor Instagram handle and catch New Riff Distillery co-founder and distiller Jay Erisman if you want to learn more about their whiskies.
I spent most of yesterday tearing down the pallets that just hit our warehouse, organizing the bottles and getting the transfers ready for each of our retail locations. By the end of the week, there will be a serious amount of New Riff parceled out between Woodland Hills and Pasadena.
Having popped a bottle of both the BIB Bourbon and rye, I can tell you this: if you’re burnt out on trying new whiskies that don’t deliver for the dollar, New Riff will be the experience that gets you excited once again. The Bourbon is outstanding, but the rye is just other worldly. Made with 95% rye and 5% malted rye, both the nose and the palate are concentrated with a blistering intensity beyond anything I’ve ever tasted.
This is going to be fun.
-David Driscoll
It’s gonna be a busy week behind the scenes here at Mission with the arrival of a big new container. If you’ve been saving your pennies for a rainy day, I’m about to make it rain.
New Bourbon and rye whiskies from New Riff Distillery in Kentucky—the hottest upstart to hit the state since Willett began distilling again.
The California debut of Lost Lantern: the first true American independent bottler of 100% American whiskies (these will be exclusively at Mission).
Our first arrival of 700ml whisky bottles from the UK, concentrated entirely on one product: I bought all the Compass Box Flaming Heart we could afford. Because can you ever really get tired of drinking a Clynelish/Caol Ila vatting? If you can, there’s something wrong with you.
And, of course, for those dropping some coin on these new arrivals, I may have some other allocated treats to unlock.
Stay tuned! It’s gonna get busy; fast.
-David Driscoll
I had a fantastic conversation with Jed Wolf from Luneta Spirits yesterday, a label that I think is doing a fantastic job of curating the complicated world of uncertified agave spirits for the masses.
When your agave spirit is neither Tequila, nor Mezcal, you’re already talking over the head of 90% of spirits customers. When you have to call it Aguardiente de Agave because it falls under no legal classification due to where or how it’s made, you’re getting geekier. When your price tag is well over $100 for a 750ml bottle, you’re really pushing it.
Given its unbridled expansion and plethora of new labels, the uncertified agave spirits market needs more customers to survive. In my opinion, brands like Luneta are the gateway.
While I do consider myself a Bay Area refugee, with no real desire to ever return to my homeland, I do have my memories. And when I was a kid, there was no bigger force in the Bay than Digital Underground. Their videos played on the now-defunct Jukebox TV station 24/7, and we never got tired of watching them.
My wife and I gasped when we heard the group’s frontman Shock G was found dead in a hotel room last night. News reports will contextualize his importance with the discovery of 2Pac, but I’ll tell you this: more than twenty years after his death, most of what I loved about 2Pac as a teenager doesn’t hold up.
Whereas everything about Shock G and Digital Underground has only gotten better with time.
No matter where I am, no matter what mood I’m in, I will stop whatever I’m doing and start dancing if someone plays The Humpy Dance or Doowutchyalike. No matter how many times I’ve heard either song, which is thousands upon thousands at this point, they never get old.
R.I.P. Shock G.
-David Driscoll