No-Limit Allocation on a Cult-Caliber Bourbon Rarity
W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml) ($49.99)
“Tantalizingly close to perfection … It’s maybe the easiest drinking AND most fully flavored Bourbon I’ve tasted all year.” — Andrew Whiteley, K&L Spirits Buyer
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“This is about the best bourbon we can sell to you dollar-for-dollar. This gets my highest recommendation!” — David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
This long-awaited release from the Whiskey Barons has finally arrived, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the debut batch. Made by master distiller Eddie Russell, the man responsible for some of the most famous and coveted bourbons to come out of the Bluegrass State, it’s an absolutely top-shelf expression that should be on any collector’s short list. The Russells composed the blend from painstaking historical research into the fabled whiskies of William Butler Saffell, one of Kentucky’s most acclaimed distillers of the late 19th century.
Made entirely at Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg (a good portion of it at the now-demolished Old Ripy facility) using their famous, corn-heavy mashbill and comprising bourbons of varying ages up to 12 years old, “it’s seamless, powerful, and graceful all at once” according to K&L spirits buyer Andrew Whiteley. Bottled at 107 proof and showing the unmistakable signature of a true master, the W.B. Saffell Batch No. 1 is an unequivocally outstanding new addition to the craft bourbon scene that will surely find a fanatical fan base with each subsequent release, just as with previous Whiskey Barons releases like Old Ripy that now command hundreds of dollars on the secondary market. Made in highly limited quantities, we expect this first release of Saffell to fly out the door on its way to becoming a collectible icon in its own right.
W.B. Saffell Limited Edition Batch #1 107 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (375ml) ($49.99)
K&L Notes: W.B. Saffell is the newest in the Whiskey Barons’ lineup from Campari. It pays tribute to William Butler Saffell, who began distilling as a teenager and built his first distillery in 1889. This bourbon is inspired by the delicate spirit he produced at the time and is the first in the collection to have legendary Master Distiller Eddie Russell working on the spirit. A blend of 6, 8, 10, and 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbons, it’s non-chill filtered and bottled at 107 proof. The distillate is all made at Wild Turkey in Lawrenceberg, KY with their 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley mashbill.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 05, 2022
It’s no secret that I’m a total Wild Turkey fan boy. I’ve been pining for this whiskey for the better part of two years. While this batch was released in most markets in 2019, we didn’t see it in California until two years later. While most other markets have sold out and the few stores that still have it are asking nearly double the original price, we’ve done everything in our power to purchase every single bottle we could find. There’s simply nothing on the market as delicious and available as this incredible product. If you ever wanted to know what pre-prohibition bourbon might have tasted like, this is about as close as you’re going to get. The nose is never-ending in its complexity. Every trip back is a different story. First, it offers tons of sweet corn, rich caramel, and brown sugar. When you return, now a powerful spice focused on cinnamon, but more complex, and some added herbal savory character. Finally, zesty burnt orange peel and freshly toasted vanilla bean. On the palate, that fab WT earthiness, which I’m certain comes from the old 12-year element (of course, distilled at the now-demolished Old Ripy plant). Sweet oak, peppery spice, caramel syrup, it’s full-bodied but not obtrusively heavy, with a vibrant zest no doubt thanks to some excellent work by the blender. This is a whisky I’d like to be drinking all the time in perpetuity. It simply never gets old. After days with this bottle, it continues to grow on me. There will be the occasionally hater that quips about the price, but considering the junk that people throw money at these days, this is about the best bourbon we can sell to you dollar-for-dollar. This gets my highest recommendation!
Andrew Whiteley | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: December 31, 2021
Tantalizingly close to perfection. Painstakingly recreated from the study of historical notes, careful tasting of pre-prohibition bottles, and the ingenuity of the Russells, the recreation of W.B. Saffell’s famous whiskey is finally here. Bottled at 107 proof, it’s seamless, powerful, and graceful all at once. The nose is a stunner: fresh gingerbread, candied corn, sweet, succulent grassy notes like a burst of springtime, butterscotch, vanilla, crème brulée, dark cocoa, toasted oak, fresh saw dust, and caramel. It goes the whole nine yards. And that’s just the first nosing. The palate is downright glorious. The combination of sweet corn, spicy rye, and toasty barrel is on point. It drinks like the very oldest Russell’s barrels we’ve ever sold but with a softer, silkier palate. The proof is dialed in just right. The finish is long and sweet with a hint of heat on the back end that is the exact reminder you need that this was made at Wild Turkey. It’s maybe the easiest drinking AND most fully flavored bourbon I’ve tasted all year.
