A Winemaking Legend Shows His Whiskey-Making Prowess

Savage & Cooke “Second Glance” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength American Whiskey ($49.99)

Dave Phinney, the man behind such legendary wine brands as The Prisoner and Orin Swift, has branched out into the world of distilling, and we couldn’t be happier that he did. His new project, Savage & Cooke, has been turning out a stream of spirits that stand among some of the best in the market. But then, we expected no less from such a visionary. This K&L exclusive release, “Second Glance,” is his first cask-strength whiskey. Made in Kentucky and finished on Mare Island in California, the whiskey has a mash bill of 95% corn, 4% rye, and 1% malted barley. The juice is top-notch, but it’s on Mare Island where the real magic happens. Phinney usually finishes this whiskey in Cab barrels. At the recommendation of our NorCal Spirits Buyer, Andrew Whiteley, he used Zin and Grenache casks in this run—and the result is astounding and truly unique. Rich, unctuous, and wonderfully accented with fresh, jammy fruit, it shows remarkable clarity. Sweet, but never too sweet, it offers a seemingly unending cascade of blue and black fruit, mocha, and subtle spice. This a great whiskey to enjoy on its own, but also has a profile that will make it natural for any number of cocktails. While we’ve been more than impressed with all of the spirits from Savage & Cooke, this special release of “Second Glance” really is something special. Made in limited quantities, you’ll want to lock in your bottles sooner, rather than later.

Savage & Cooke “Second Glance” K&L Exclusive Cask Strength American Whiskey ($49.99)

The legendary Dave Phinney delivers again. The man behind The Prisoner and Orin Swift wines has stepped into the whiskey game in a big way. He is building an extraordinary distillery on Mare Island, just west of Vallejo in an old U.S. Naval Yard that that was responsible, among other things, for building submarines and loading ships during WWII. Both of the distillery’s whiskies are finished in Dave’s wine barrels from his Napa Valley winery and have received great acclaim. We traveled to Mare Island to meet up with Master Distiller and Blender Jordan Via to put together a bespoke barrel of whiskey for K&L. The result is Savage and Cooke’s first ever cask-strength release and it’s a doozy. While the OB’s from the distillery are both currently finished in Dave’s Cabernet barrels, they do have whiskey resting in other wine casks. There was no way we were going to pass up the opportunity to showcase what a whiskey can do with barrels from the world’s most famous Zinfandel producer! The Zinfandel finish showed most prominently in the Second Glance whiskey so we started there. While the 100% Zin was excellent, it needed just a touch of something else. The dark fruit and spice of the Zinfandel played perfectly with the floral and jammy flavors and lifted nature of the Grenache. Ultimately we settled on an 80% Zin, 20% Grenache blend and it’s perfect. Grab this piece of history before it’s gone. 95% corn, 4% rye, and 1% malted barley.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 07, 2018

Dave Phinney’s whiskies are currently made in Kentucky, but really come to life once they reach his new distillery on Mare Island and are married with the best California has to offer. The man behind The Prisoner and Orin Swift wines knows a thing or two about wine barrels. This whiskey rested in a blend of 80% Zinfandel and 20% Grenache barrels from Dave’s Napa winery. Bottled at cask strength, it carries those flavors with remarkable clarity. The underlying heavily corn mash bill has tons of sweetness and rich buttery popcorn flavors and lifts the intense dark fruits and pepper spice of the Zinfandel to the top of the glass. This is balanced by the lighter floral tones and bright jammy flavors of the Grenache. The end result is nearly a Manhattan in itself. Just pour it on the rocks, toss in a cherry and have yourself a great cocktail without the extra sweetness of vermouth. On the palate, the bread spices really stand out and contribute to a long and intense finish. Add a little water and more chocolate and caramel flavors come to the front. Anyway you serve it, this is an extremely versatile whiskey.

Shaun Green | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 07, 2018

Now here’s something really special in the whisky world! What a great combination of cask and whisky here—the Zin barrels really add a zesty spice to a rich corn-based spirit. Full and round and with a nice sweet touch without ever being cloying; a touch of water really brings out a rich note of malt on the nose. The color seems quite intense, likely influenced a lot by the wine barrels.

Miles Philippe | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: November 07, 2018

I love how familiar this can come across, and yet at the same time express itself so uniquely! What I mean by that is the mostly corn base of the whiskey shows itself so nicely and freely here—round, lush, and slightly sweet. But then this becomes something so much more because of the ex-wine barrels. The color is a beautiful deep bronze with flashes of red from the wine. And the finish has a nice zing to it with a touch of dried fruit, a hint of fresh fruit, and some slight medicinal herb notes.