Every month, a huge amount of booze moves through the Gear Patrol offices — beer, wine and a whole lot of whiskey. Here are a few of our favorites.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B519
A beefier, older version of classic Elijah Craig Small Batch, the barrel proof bottle releases thrice-yearly, and, by way of its competitors continuously ratcheting up prices, has become one of the best values in whiskey. This is a 12-year-old uncut bourbon that retails for $50 (expect something closer to $65 or $70). This particular batch, the final release of 2019, is one of the best in recent memory. Its proof (122) is noticeably lower than previous iterations, and it shows — the whiskey retains its heavy, fatty feel but doesn’t light the palate aflame quite like its siblings. It’s vanilla-heavy on the tongue and smells like bananas. I’d drink it slow with a little water added.
Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion No. 14
Every 120 days, the masterminds at Firestone Walker rotate their ongoing Luponic Distortion IPA Series with a different blend of hops to showcase what can be achieved using only hops for flavoring. Luponic Distortion No. 14 is dry-hopped with a concoction of seven different hops from four different continents (South Africa, Australia, Germany and the Pacific Northwest). The result is a tropical fruit bomb with tasting notes of Sauvignon Blanc-like white grapes, mandarin orange and passionfruit for a totally unique IPA. At 5.9 percent ABV it will cure that never-ending desire for juicy IPAs despite the cooler fall weather.
