It’s finally that time of the year: when the weather starts to cool off, the evenings start a little earlier, and getting home after dark to a glass of wine or whiskey begins to sound like a pretty good idea.
Now that November is here, it’s also the beginning of the holiday season, which is when most of us start thinking about parties and thoughtful gifts for our loved ones. With the end of the year in sight, publications begin releasing their best of the year lists around this time as well, curating an interesting selection of ideas for those who could use a little inspiration.
Here at Mission, it’s been an incredibly eventful year. We’ve seen a number of exciting new brands come to market, we’ve been fortunate enough to secure a bevy of private barrels, and we’ve started purchasing single malt whiskies directly from Scotland. Given the endless array of bottles that engulfs each of our five locations, I wanted to put together an extensive list of what I think represent some of the best selections of 2021 at Mission in each category—a cheat sheet, if you will, for those who need an outside-the-box suggestion.
There’s a lot to look through, but I think I’ve managed to hit just about every major category. Without further ado, here’s The List: Spirits Edition.
Best Blended Scotch Whisky: Compass Box Great King Street Mission Single Sherry Butt $49.99 - Imagine if you took Johnnie Walker Black, dumped it into a seasoned Oloroso Sherry barrel, and matured it for an additional two and a half years, then bottled it at 49% ABV exclusively for a single retailer (Mission). If you can picture what that would taste like—rich Sherry flavor, supple texture and viscosity, light peat smoke coming on the finish—then pick up a bottle of our single barrel Great King Street edition and put those ideas into practice. This baby delivers on every level flavor-wise, the packaging is beautiful, and there are only 300 total bottles in existence, making it a unique and exclusive gift idea.
Best Single Malt Whisky: Hector Macbeth 21 Year Old “First Edition” Single Barrel Cask Strength Blended Malt Whisky $119.99 - So first off: who is Hector Macbeth, and why is a blended malt whisky listed as the single malt selection? Let me tell you about teaspooning. Teaspooning is what’s done before the sale of a single barrel to prevent independent bottlers from marketing off the name of the distillery from where it originated. For example, imagine if one of the major Glen distilleries was to sell Mission Wine & Spirits a single barrel of 21 year old single malt, but wanted to ensure that we couldn’t market the whisky as their single malt. By adding a teaspoon of another 21 year old single malt to that single barrel, the whisky would become a blended malt whisky, and no longer a single malt, due to the addition of a second single malt whisky. We would have to call it something like Hector Macbeth 21 year old blended malt whisky as a result, since we wouldn’t be allowed to legally label it as a single barrel of single malt whisky. So this is actually a 21 year old single malt from a very, very famous Highland distillery with a tiny teaspoon of single malt whisky from another very, very famous Highland distillery. And it’s available for about half the price of what it should cost. And it’s delicious. And you’ll probably want two bottles.
Best Non-Scottish Single Malt: Starward Mission Single French Oak Wine Barrel Cask 55.3% Strength Australian Single Malt Whisky $59.99 - Located in Melbourne proper, I was introduced to David Vitale’s Starward distillery as part of a trip to Australia a few years back, and I left with as many bottles as I could safely fit in my suitcase. Without a doubt, it’s one of the best non-Scottish single malts being made anywhere in the world right now, and also one of the most precocious. When Starward finally became available in the states, I made sure Mission was first in line for a single barrel selection, which is how we nabbed this absolutely gorgeous French Oak Red Wine cask of three year old 55.3% cask strength single malt. The decadent aromas of cocoa, port wine, and incense are intoxicating enough, but it’s the color of whisky that first grabs your attention: a dark amber hue that looks much, much older than its true age. The chewiness of the red wine smacks the gums on the finish, leaving you immediately in search of a second sip.
Best Peated Whisky: Caol Ila 9 Year Old “Hepburn’s Choice” Single Sherry Butt Single Malt Whisky $59.99 - To quote Special Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks: “Nothing beats the taste sensation when maple syrup collides with ham.” Or in this case, when the taste of sweet Oloroso Sherry collides with peat smoke. The sweet and peat taste sensation is something that all true peat lovers crave, which is why obtaining this single Sherry butt of Caol Ila directly from Scotland was a real coup for Mission this year. All that phenolic goodness of sea, salt, smoke, and peat gets coated in caramel in this equally smooth and savory delight. The peat freak in your family will be very, very pleased, and the price is damn fine as well.
Best Fancy Whisky: The Kinship Collection $399 to $999 - Working with our friends at Hunter Laing in Glasgow, who also own the new Ardnahoe distillery on Islay, we were able to secure the only American allocation of The Kinship series: a rare and highly-coveted selection of ultra-mature single malts with incredible pedigrees. Laphroaig, Bowmore, Highland Park, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, and Bruichladdich, each at full proof and in single barrel form. Originally meant for the Ardnahoe distillery gift shop, we were fortunate enough to bring a very special piece of Islay directly to our customers during the travel restrictions of the pandemic.
There's nothing even remotely as good as these bottles in the whisky category for the price. As an example, the official Highland Park 30 year is $1200. The Kinship expression is a single barrel at full proof and it's $699. You do the math.
Best Irish Whisky: Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey $56.99 - While out at a bar for the first time in quite a while recently, I decided to order a glass of the Redbreast 12, as it had been sometime since my last pour. Wow, just wow, wow, wow. If there’s a better whiskey out there, dollar for dollar, from any country, please let me know. It’s so ethereal: sweet grains, vanilla, toasted coconut, the softest essence of oak, and it moves over your palate like a slow wave from heaven. Redbreast 12 has long been considered the standard when it comes to Irish whiskey, and while some people I know prefer the cask strength edition, for me it defeats the purpose. This is the archetype of what Irish whiskey should be. They should break the mold now.
Best Canadian Whisky: Found North 16 Year Old Cask Strength Whisky $124.99 - Not only is this my favorite “Canadian” whisky of the year, it might be my favorite whisky of the year—period. It’s no secret that whiskey drinkers today have a sweet tooth, and—even though the Found North isn’t technically Bourbon—I think those of you who want power and richness are going to go ga-ga for this one. This is a 64.9% beast of a whiskey, featuring a corn whiskey that spent 13 years in used barrels and an additional 7 years in new charred American oak. The nose is like Wild Turkey, the whiskey plops down a fat gob of richness on the middle of your tongue, and the finish is big and spicy. It’s not quite Bourbon, but it’s definitely not your typical Canadian whiskey. It’s as if Crown Royal and George T. Stagg had a baby, and this is what came out.
Best New Bourbon: New Riff Single Barrel #16-3459 104.7 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon $49.99 - Being one of the only retailers on the West Coast who sell New Riff has been both a boon and a privilege in 2021. Founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis, a visionary Kentucky liquor retailer and entrepreneur, New Riff is led by a team of corporate refugees ranging from craft beer to politics and more. Their mission is simple: to someday be counted among the world’s great small distilleries. They’re clearly well on their way, as the New Riff cask strength single barrel editions have been without a doubt the top selling Bourbons in our store this year, finally giving local whiskey lovers a taste of what they’ve been reading about online for years. Believe the hype. New Riff is the hottest new Kentucky Bourbon distiller of 2021.
Best New Rye: Ry3 Mission Single Rum Barrel 61.5% Cask Strength Rye Whiskey $79.99 - With so many great new rye whiskies in 2021, picking just one was difficult. Yet, when every single customer emails you with a glowing review of one particular expression, the decision becomes a bit easier. There was no greater fan favorite at Mission this year than this single barrel rum cask we selected from Ry3, marrying three different rye whiskies from Canada and the U.S. into a sweet rum cask, and letting the maple syrup notes meld with all that potent rye spice. As I told customers before, if you’re a fan of the Angel’s Envy rye, this is a bigger, bolder, better version bottled at full proof. Hats off.
Best Tequila: Tres Generaciones Cenobio’s Batch Plata Tequila $32.99 - With agave prices moving ever higher, and the rise of the dreaded diffuser in the Tequila industry, “real” Tequila fans have been left with two choices: pay more for the good stuff, or settle for the chemically-altered, artificially-sweetened versions that now occupy the middle ground. For fans of blanco Tequila like myself, we’ve seen the entry level blancos of authentic quality move into the $45-$50 range per bottle, moving it into the super premium market and out of the hands of the everyday drinker. Enter Tres Generaciones. From out of nowhere, the new Cenobio’s Batch completely blew the roof off our Tequila shelf, bringing true Tahona-crushed agave flavor for a price that doesn’t break the bank. It’s also quite an exquisite bottle, which makes gift giving that much easier!
Best Mezcal: Agua del Sol Tobasiche Destilado de Agave $69.99 - Rather than go into the incredible story of distiller Berta Vasquez, and how this woman has forged ahead in the industry despite the loss of her husband and son, let’s focus on the fact that most of Berta’s distillates are sold for well over $100 by other mezcal bottlers and brands. To purchase a wild agave expression of Berta’s ilk for $69.99 is unheard of, which is why this Agua del Sol is a closely guarded secret by those in-the-know.
Best Gin: Four Pillars Olive Branch $29.99 and Isle of Harris Gin $59.99 - In the end, when presented with Sophie’s Choice, I couldn’t force myself to choose between my children. The Four Pillars Olive Branch is like a distilled dirty martini in a bottle. It’s like an olive eau-de-vie!! The Isle of Harris isn’t just the most beautiful gin bottle of all time, it’s also one of the most elegant and ethereal gins on the planet. Both are made with extreme care and attention, and both challenge the horizons of what we think of as traditional gin. More creamy and textural than herbaceous and botanical, these are two spirits that I can’t live without and, more importantly, have a general “wow” factor that cannot be accurately put into words.
Best Vodka: Beluga Gold Vodka $79.99 - From the ceremony of opening the bottle, using the hammer to break the hard wax and the brush the clean the neck, to the exquisite elegance of the spirit itself, it’s really hard to find anything better than Beluga Gold if you’re looking for the height of what vodka can offer you. I have to admit, I am new to the Beluga phenomenon, never having spent much time with it until starting at Mission this year. Now that I’m predisposed, I will admit that both my wife and I will drink nothing else. For straight Martinis or Vespers, it’s Beluga Gold or nothing. Add in a few blue cheese-stuffed olives and you’re really descending into decadence.
Rum: Ron Izalco 10 Year Old Mission Single Barrel 61.7% Cask Strength Rum $69.99 - Again, going back to letting the customer fanfare decide the best of category, there were few rum selections at Mission this year that generated as much unbridled excitement and positive feedback as this single barrel of Ron Izalco. We have a big cigar following at Mission, which helps describe part of the enthusiasm because the sweetness and strength of the Ron Izalco are pure heaven with a cigar. But the richness of the blend, the intensity of the spice, the viscosity on the palate, and the dark, caramel notes on the finish are also part of the equation. I have a feeling we’ll be indoctrinating many more drinkers into the world of Ron Izalco as the holiday season unfolds.
Best Cognac: Dudognon Reserve Cognac $46.99 - Ask me what my favorite Cognac is every year, and it’s always going to be Dudognon. Once you’ve had 100% additive-free Cognac, you realize how much caramel and sugar goes into the big house brands. And, once you’ve tasted how clean and pristine the golden fruit flavors of Dudognon can be, you’ll likely never go back. Made from 100% estate-grown grand cru Ugni Blanc, by the nicest family you’ll ever meet.
Best Armagnac: 1986 Pellehaut 34 Year Old Tenereze Armagnac $114.99 - Since we’re out of the 1987 Ugni Blanc expression, I’m going with the 1986. Mark my words: there is no singular value in the world of distilled spirits as great as Pellehaut Armagnac. Family made in the Tenereze outside of Condom in Gascony, it’s aged like Bourbon, made from a much more expensive source material, shipped across the Atlantic, and it’s still a fraction of the price despite its incredible age. For those looking for the bridge between Cognac and Bourbon, this spirit is going to blow your mind. Big woody notes, rich oak and supple fruit on the palate, and a long spicy finish that lingers with toasted barrel notes and raisined richness. And it’s 34 years old. And it’s cask strength! For this price??!!
As new products continue to arrive, I’ll be back with a few more holiday suggestions here and there, but for now this list represents some of the best of what we have going today.
-David Driscoll