Multnomah Whiskey Library

Our next Meet Your Maker installment transports guests to the ruggedly beautiful Riach farm in North Speyside. A guided tasting lead by Global Ambassador and Scotland native, Rory Glasgow, this premium flight features six unique pours from , including a complimentary pour of Benriach 25 year. This won’t be one to miss. Tickets available at the link in our bio, membership not required.

CORN BASQUE CHEESECAKE

corn toffee sauce, miso caramel corn


🍽️: Sharon Saeteurn
📷: Adele | PDX Photographer

FEATURED BOTTLES

BUNNAHABHAIN AN CUAN GARBH 15YR

Secluded in the northeast of Islay, Bunnahabhain is one of the two distilleries on the island that regularly produces peated and unpeated whiskies. Its core range—unpeated, rich, and sherry aged—is an excellent option for fans of Speyside single malts like Macallan, Glenfarclas, and Aberlour. Moving outside of that core range, this limited release, An Cuan Garbh (Gailic for “the rough seas), stays with the unpeated style, but switches the maturation a bit, swapping out their standard sherry casks for a finish in white port barrels. The result is a brighter fruitiness, with honeyed peach and apricot leading the way followed by a pleasant spice from Bunnahabhain’s robust distillation style. After years of Oregon only seeing very limited supply from this excellent distillery, we’re excited to see rare and limited releases making their way here.

WILD TURKEY AUSTING NICHOLS ARCHIVES GOLD FOIL EDITION 16YR

Last year saw the final release from Wild Turkey’s “Master’s Keep” series, an annual limited release headed by second generation master distiller, Eddie Russell. And though that specific release series is gone, it by no means the end of special releases from the distillery. Instead, the third generation Russell, Bruce, has taken the reins and begun the “Austin Nichols Archives Collection." Austin Nichols is the name of the wholesaler that started the Wild Turkey brand in the 1940s, and whose name was dominant on all Wild Turkey bottles up until the last decade. This first release of the new series is an absolute stunner: a 16 year blend that was reportedly at a staggering 74% abv before being cut to a bottled strength of a mere 60% (this is especially impressive considering Wild Turkey’s 57.5% barrel entry proof). Packed with cherry, oak, caramel and spice, it’s an outstanding bourbon, and the last major release to be distilled at Wild Turkey’s old distillery (which was replaced in 2011 with a new, more modern distillery). If this is any indication of what’s to come, the Austin Nichols Archives Collection is going to be quite special.

NEW COCKTAILS

SWAN SONG
haku vodka, cucumber, hendrick's gin, dolin dry vermouth, mirin

RYE CURIOUS
russell's reserve 6yr rye, banhez destilado de piña, lustau rojo vermouth, bénédictine, bay leaf

MIDNIGHT COWBOY
wild turkey 101 bourbon, brixeur pinot cask rye, blackberry, pasubio amaro, division w**e co pinot noir, lemon

PARADISE CITY SPRITZ
kopke fine white port, atxa blanco vermouth, kanáde yuzu, la cigarrera manzanilla sherry, cava, soda

LATE BLOOMER
cimarron reposado & herradura blanco tequila, jasmine silver tip, yzaguirre blanc vermouth, ferrand ambre cognac, tempus fugit creme de banane

AUGUST FEATURED POURS

MEMBER POUR: BULLEIT MESQUITE SMOKED MALT

Despite the fact that there is clear demand for smoky flavors in cocktails, there are few options to reach for when trying to add clean smoke notes to a drink. The smoke in peaty scotch is, well, peaty, and the smoke in mezcal is less common than one would think and when it’s there, married to other agave flavors that may or may not work in every drink. Enter Bulleit Mesquite Smoked Malt. The bourbon is made from 65% corn, 5% malted barley, and 35% mesquite malted barley. The latter adds a familiar woody bbq smoke to the bourbon which does a good job balancing presence without being overwhelming. We’re happy to offer our members a complimentary half pour this month, and we’re particularly excited to start experimenting with this as another unique option for adding smoke to cocktails.

BREAK EVEN BOTTLE: DIPLOMATICO CHANCELLOR

This month’s break even pour is a rare option to try, in the words of the Venezuelan rum distiller who created this, “the most exclusive and treasured release to date.” Founded in 1959, Diplomatico makes impressively complex rums distilled on a wide array of stills from Grade A molasses, which they refer to as “cane honey.” Limited to only 900 bottles worldwide, the Diplomatico Chancellor is the rarest release in their history. Primarily made up of richer, pot distilled rum that was matured in three separate types of casks: French virgin oak, American virgin oak, and ex-American wh***ey casks, then blended together and bottled at 47%, this rum is redefining what Diplomatico is capable of.

PARANUBES CAÑA MORADA

The classic release from Oaxacan rum producer, Paranubes, is made from a blend of four locally sourced fresh sugar cane varietals, resulting in a rum with unique funk and savory, briny flavors. In making batches of their classic blanco, the team at Paranubes has begun distilling limited quantities of rum from individual sugar cane varieties, and two of those expressions have finally made it to Oregon.

Featured here is the rum made from the varietal, Caña Morada. Fermented for 24 hours with wild yeasts, distilled in a wood fired copper pot still, and bottled without any additional water added, the Caña Morada release is resplendent with baking spices, cinnamon in particular, as well as a minty brightness. It’s a fascinating insight into how cane varietal affects the flavor of rum, something we don’t normally get the opportunity to try. Beyond that, we think it’d make for a really delicious daiquiri or rum manhattan.

📷: Adele | PDX Photographer

HASSELBACK POTATO

sour cream, herb salad, parmesan crisps, pickled mustard seed, bacon

JULY FEATURED POURS

MEMBER POUR: ELIJAH CRAIG TOASTED RYE

There are two main methods of treating wh***ey casks with heat. The first, charring, is required by law for bourbon and rye, and involves literally burning out the inside of the barrel with flames, creating a layer of purifying charcoal inside the barrel as well as caramelizing wood sugars. Another optional step is toasting the barrel. This typically happens before charring and involves heating the cask to awaken and extract natural flavors from the wood, particularly vanilla. This month’s member pour, Elijah Craig Toasted rye, is fully aged first in a charred cask and then is transferred to a specially toasted barrel for further aging. The secondary maturation infuses the spicy rye with abundant richness and vanilla notes, leading to a really complex wh***ey.

BREAK EVEN BOTTLE: ANGEL'S ENVY CASK STRENGTH

Angel’s Envy made a name for itself well over a decade ago by releasing port finished bourbon long before the trend of finishing bourbons became commonplace. And while the general release is great, the real star of the show is the cask strength option. These limited annual releases represent a blend of some of the best barrels in their warehouses, bottled with no additional water. The port finished punches through, adding a fruity sweet note to the high proof bourbon.

📷: Adele | PDX Photographer

Join us in the Wh***ey Library for a summer afternoon of floral arranging, with step by step instruction lead by Fiori founder and owner, Jordan Andrew. The event will feature one-time cocktail specials from Fords Gin, with a choose-your-own-garnish bar to customize your botanical beverage.

Tickets at the link in our bio

JUNE FEATURED BOTTLES

MEMBER POUR: LOCH LOMOND 12

Loch Lomond is a fascinating distillery that focuses on varying the elements of production more than the casks the wh**ky matures in. Utilizing malt at different levels of peat, three different yeast strains, and a bevy of still types, Loch Lomond nearly always ages in ex-bourbon casks so that after years of resting they can showcase the complexity and depth achieved by blending so many styles of wh**ky making together. The 12 year is delicate without losing depth, fruity, and finishes just slightly peated. It’s a wonderful introduction to a still underrated distillery that we are happy to offer to our members this month.

BREAK EVEN BOTTLE: EL TESORO MUNDIAL

One way to pique our interest even further in one of our favorite tequilas is to mature it in barrels from one of our favorite whiskies, and that’s exactly what happened with this month’s break even pour. El Tesoro Mundial Collection takes their tahona crushed tequila and rests it for a year in w**e and sherry barrels that had previously been used to age Yamazaki 12. The end result is a tequila with subtle hints of fruit and spice.