The Whiskey Hotline: Scouring the World for Limited Rarities & Exclusive Handpicked Spirits

Every year, we have the opportunity to choose several barrels from Four Roses. These are consistently some of the hardest decisions we have to make, as the barrels are universally excellent, and we end up rejecting casks we really like due to allocation limits. We taste everything blind and then argue and litigate each cask before we come to an agreement on the best of the best. Over the last several years, we have been able to accumulate barrels from all ten of Four Rose's unique recipes. Their recipes are called out with a 4-letter code, each starting with 'O' to indicate that it was made at the Four Roses distillery and each has the third letter as 'S' to indicate straight distillation. The second letter is either B or E, identifying mashbill 'B'- 60%corn/ 35% rye/ 5% malted barley or mashbill 'E'- 75% corn/ 20% rye/ 5% malted barley. The last letter shows one of the 5 yeast strains used at the distillery. 

Four Roses Barrel Strength Binny's Handpicked Single Barrel Bourbons

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At the Whiskey Hotline, we believe in rye and High West has been bottling some of our favorite ryes for years. Midwinter Night's Dram is their yearly release, celebrating the change of the season and helping get us through the darkest days of winter. This year's Act 14 is extra special, as it celebrates the distillery's 20th anniversary, incorporating Amontillado, Oloroso and PX sherry finished rye into the usually blend of tawny and ruby port finishes. The result shows rich fruit on its sleeve and is the perfect accompaniment to an autumn bonfire or the ideal end to a holiday gathering. 

Booker’s, the legendary barrel-strength bourbon from Beam, honors Booker Noe, the sixth-generation whiskey maker who first had the idea to bottle exceptional casks of bourbon at barrel strength. The latest batch, Southern Thunder, refers to Booker's famously booming voice, and the whiskey in the bottle reflects this. Matured for over 7 years and bottled at a stout 127.3 proof, this shockingly balanced sipper is not to be missed, especially as we enter the season of long, cold nights. 

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The Macallan's Harmony Collection celebrates their connection to nature and their commitment to sustainability. For this, the final release in the series, the cask masters at The Macallan went to Pastry Chef Jordi Roca, known for pairing their previous releases with his whimsical desserts. Inspired by Fresh Coconut, this release uses good amounts of whisky matured in sherry seasoned ex- bourbon casks to pull out a richly warm and vibrant tropical coconut character that American oak brings to the table. Bottled non-chillfiltered at an elegant 94.6 proof, they saved the best for last with this incredible release.

In 2020, 10 founders of a new distillery project bought land that they believed contained an important piece of Kentucky bourbon history. The land was surveyed and they found the remnants of William Berkele's distillery, founded in the 1860s, including the ruins of a rickhouse. Prior to the distillery, the site was known as the 'Old Burnt Tavern,' a respite from the Kentucky Frontier dating back to the 1700s that survived two major fires. Fast forward to now, and the founders brought in Chip Tate, the founder of Balcones, to design a bourbon reflecting the recipe Berkele would have used and to honor the site's history. The result is a double barreled, 105 proof high rye bourbon aged for at least 7 years that we can't get enough of.

Every year, fans of Vermont's WhistlePig distillery eagerly await the annual Boss Hog release, which highlights the quality of their rye whiskey and their eye for innovation. Since Boss Hog IX they've added exotic ingredients to accentuate different flavors in their excellent rye whiskies. This year, they took inspiration from Egypt for their Golden Pharaoh, finishing the whiskey in barrels seasoned with two historically important food sources. The first is the Tiger Nut or yellow nutsedge, which is cultivated for its tuberous root that when roasted, tastes somewhere between a roasted almond and toasted coconut. The second is Egyptian black honey, which rather than being true honey, is sugarcane juice that has been boiled into a molasses- like syrup. Bottled at cask strength, this is one of the best modern Boss Hogs we've had, with the sweet black honey perfectly complementing the toasted nuttiness of the Tiger Nut.

Glenrothes is known for making elegant, malt driven whiskies that serve both as great entry points for new scotch drinkers and reliable pours for experienced tasters. With a history dating back to 1878, they've survived explosions, fires and downturns in the whisky business. For most of the 20th century, the whisky was a cornerstone of famous blends such as Cutty Sark. Single malt bottlings of Glenrothes were finally released in the 80's, and they were one of the first to use a vintage label rather than or in addition to an age statement. Their latest release is their 14-year-old aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels, letting the incredible richness of the malt shine. Bottled at a friendly 91.4 proof, this a scotch for all seasons and deserves a spot on your home whisk(e)y shelf.

After starting the cult whiskey revival of Kentucky Owl, Dixon Dedman decided to move on to other things and start the 2XO brand, with their signature being double cask matured whiskey. His Collectible Series celebrates his personal passions, from his love of sneakers to his appreciation of vinyl records, the consistent thread is bottling of excellent bourbons from his best barrels. The latest in this collection is Rapper's Delight, named for The Sugarhill Gang's seminal 1979 hit. Bottled at 104 proof, it's the perfect pour, whether you're enjoying it at home or the hotel, motel or Holiday Inn.

How do you make a good whiskey better?

One of the best ways is to bottle at cask strength, giving you the chance to try the whiskey at its natural strength and the freedom to dilute it yourself. When we heard that Willett was releasing their pot still at cask strength, we were thrilled. Made with the same 65% corn/ 20% wheat/ 15% malted barley recipe as their standard pot still and bottled at 115 proof, this is the perfect pour as fall weather settles in. The first drop of this will sell out quickly, please reach out to your local Binny’s for availability. 

Bulleit has been a long-time cocktail staple for lovers of American whiskey. They are celebrating their 40th anniversary next year, and their latest release is the perfect commemorative bottle. Named for the year they were founded; Bulleit 87 is a blend of Kentucky rye and their renowned 95% rye/ 5% malted barley Indiana rye. Each whiskey ages on its own in toasted American oak before finishing with French oak staves. Bottled at a sippable 90 proof and aged for at least 4 years, this is an excellent addition to their lineup and a perfect nod to their history.

Compass Box has made its reputation on constructing beautiful scotch blends from their vast collection of casks. Focused on coaxing unique flavors out of their blends, their latest release is no exception. Inspired by the invention of creme brulee in the 1700’s, Brulee Royale is constructed from mostly Benrinnes and Clynelish for the intersection of fruit and sweet custard with a dollop of red fruited Speyburn and a dash of Ardbeg to copy the crust of smoky burnt sugar that defines the dessert. Bottled non-chillfiltered at a perfect 98 proof, this limited bottling is not to be missed. There isn’t a ton of this out there, please contact your local Binny’s for availability.

Started by the Teeling family in 2015, Dublin's first new distillery in 125 years has earned a reputation for producing flavorful and interesting Irish whiskies with a focus on unique finishes. Their storage warehouses are a veritable playground for whiskey enthusiasts, with casks of every style and shape stacked to the ceiling. We were there last fall, touring their warehouses and came across a printed listing of the casks stacked in that corner. After surreptitiously thumbing through this list, we stumbled on one of the coolest whiskey and finishing combos we've seen. What we found is their peated Blackpitts whiskey finished in pineapple rum casks. For most consumers of fine spirits, pineapple rum is approached with a touch of cynicism, but this particular rum is a throwback to Victorian era production, when the bark of the pineapple was steeped in aging spirit, resulting in a tropical top note rather than an overdone sweetness. We asked to taste this cask and were immediately in love. While we were at it, we chose another Blackpitts matured in rich PX sherry casks. Both of these were bottled at natural cask strength. 

Started by the Teeling family in 2015, Dublin's first new distillery in 125 years has earned a reputation for producing flavorful and interesting Irish whiskies with a focus on unique finishes. Their storage warehouses are a veritable playground for whiskey enthusiasts, with casks of every style and shape stacked to the ceiling. We were there last fall, touring their warehouses and came across a printed listing of the casks stacked in that corner. After surreptitiously thumbing through this list, we stumbled on one of the coolest whiskey and finishing combos we've seen. What we found is their peated Blackpitts whiskey finished in pineapple rum casks. For most consumers of fine spirits, pineapple rum is approached with a touch of cynicism, but this particular rum is a throwback to Victorian era production, when the bark of the pineapple was steeped in aging spirit, resulting in a tropical top note rather than an overdone sweetness. We asked to taste this cask and were immediately in love. While we were at it, we chose another Blackpitts matured in rich PX sherry casks. Both of these were bottled at natural cask strength. 

Tucked between San Francisco and Santa Rosa is the Redwood Empire distillery. Named after the redwood forest that they call home, their whiskies honor those who worked to preserve the forest and the trees themselves. Their latest release is named for Colonel Armstrong, the oldest tree in nearby Armstrong Woods. The tree was named for Col James Armstrong, who was in the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, he moved to Northern California and preserved an important part of the redwood forest. Made from a high wheat four grain mash bill of 59% corn/ 30% wheat/ 6% rye/ 5% malted barley and bottled at 94 proof, this is a stunning bourbon not to be missed by wheater devotees. 

Started by the Teeling family in 2015, Dublin's first new distillery in 125 years has earned a reputation for producing flavorful and interesting Irish whiskies with a focus on unique finishes. Their storage warehouses are a veritable playground for whiskey enthusiasts, with casks of every style and shape stacked to the ceiling. We were there last fall, touring their warehouses and came across a printed listing of the casks stacked in that corner. After surreptitiously thumbing through this list, we stumbled on one of the coolest whiskey and finishing combos we've seen. What we found is their peated Blackpitts whiskey finished in pineapple rum casks. For most consumers of fine spirits, pineapple rum is approached with a touch of cynicism, but this particular rum is a throwback to Victorian era production, when the bark of the pineapple was steeped in aging spirit, resulting in a tropical top note rather than an overdone sweetness. We asked to taste this cask and were immediately in love. While we were at it, we chose another Blackpitts matured in rich PX sherry casks. Both of these were bottled at natural cask strength. 

At the Whiskey Hotline, we believe that tasting spirits blind is one of the most valuable ways to determine items that stand above the rest. Tasting blind removes any brand loyalties or aversions and age or proof preferences.
 

This spring, we undertook a companywide blind bourbon tasting tournament to determine the best bourbon on our shelves without bias. Expert spirits staff from each of our 46 stores were brought together for a multiple round blind tasting that included 64 unique bourbons. The 64 bourbons were selected based on availability: everyday shelf items and limited items that are occasionally out of stock. The first round was performed four times, in four different regions clustered by surrounding groups of stores: 1) Central Illinois, 2) West Suburbs, 3) North Suburbs, 4) City of Chicago. Each region tasted 16 unique bottles, for a total of 64. Four bourbons from each region for a total of 16 moved on to the next round, where the top four bourbons were determined blind. The final round pitted the top four against each other, and the best bourbon on our shelves was determined by our teams through a truly blind tasting.