Napa Valley’s Coup de Foudre winery makes cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends, but vintners John Schwartz and Kent Jarman have had a side project for the last dozen years. They’ve been working on a 12-year Lone Whisker Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The name gives a nod to the distillery’s dog, a Bluetick Coonhound rescued on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.
Their recipe blend of 74% corn, 21% rye and 5% malted barley, proofed at 93.8, is as smooth as bourbon comes.
Lone Whisker
Aromatically, elements of corn, malty sweetness, and candied citrus seep out of the tumbler, quickly followed by hints of cocoa laced with dried currants. The palate offers a refined, integrated oak nuance with balanced caramel, darker dried fruit and a touch of vanilla taffy. The patient, 12-year aging produces flavors and olfactory notes that combine in a smooth as silk finish.
Only 2,000 bottles will be made available annually. Each bottle comes in a unique burlap sack, its neck adorned with a dog tag featuring a Lone Whisker quote unique to each offering. Lone Whisker bottles will be allotted on a first-in basis. The cost per bottle is $150 + flat rate of $25 for shipping and California state tax of 8%, if applicable.
Lone Whisker
