Astor Wines & Spirits Exclusives
One of the most exciting things our spirits buyer gets to do is work on limited collaborations with distilleries all over the world—from big names in bourbon to rare rum estates. These five bottles are only available at Astor Wines & Spirits.
Elijah Craig 9yr Astor Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey $44.96
I drink for pleasure, not status. These days it can be hard to find a quality bourbon with some age on it at a reasonable price. Astor’s exclusive barrel pick of 9-year-old Elijah Craig fits squarely into the category of spirits that I want to drink. Well balanced in its aromas and flavors–roasted peanuts, honey, soft oak, and just a bit of ripe peach. A slightly drying and lingering finish without any cloying sweetness. The complexity that comes along with a bit of age at this price point is an absolute steal. This is worth sipping, but you certainly won’t feel guilty for making a Manhattan with it either. It may not be a unicorn bottle, but the satisfaction of drinking a thoughtfully made bourbon is sometimes priceless. – Bambi Ray, Sales Manager
Starward Astor Single Barrel Australian Single Malt Whisky $69.96
At a store like Astor, we often do barrel picks and limited collaborations with some of the best distilleries from all over the world. What’s rarer is when we go back to one of them and say: this was so good, we’re gonna make it a series. This is our second red wine aged single barrel from Aussie distiller Starward, bottled at cask strength. It’s one of the most interesting bottles on our shelf. The aging regimen is a fun inversion of a typical wine cask finished spirit. This was actually fully matured in an ex-Barossa Valley red cask before being briefly finished in charred American Oak hogshead (usually it’s the other way around). Full bodied, viscous, and long on the palate, each sip is a journey. The aromas run from ripened dates, wine grapes, and vanilla to Christmas spice, sourdough, wild mint, and even marzipan. – Jon Miner, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Vieux Sajous Astor Batch 4yr Grand Terroir Rum $89.96
This 4-year rum is the full package: traditionally artisanal, terroir driven, aged, natural, and free of additives. Bottled exclusively for Astor Wines & Spirits. This extraordinary rum was made from the local cane of Saint Michel de l’Attalaye in Haiti and distilled and aged in a combination of rum and single malt scotch casks prior to bottling at cask strength. The purity and concentration of flavor is nearly unmatched. Aging a clairin is extremely rare and this is an incredible example of what a bit of time can do to transform a young aromatic clairin. – Nima Ansari, Spirits Buyer
High Wire Astor Jimmy Red Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey $119.96
Our most recent single barrel selection from High Wire is a perfect example of how Jimmy Red is at once a breakthrough bourbon and a hyper-distinctive American whiskey that conveys its origins. It’s unique and delicious. Aged in a Char #3 cask made from naturally air-dried staves for three-and-a-half years in an intense uncontrolled natural environment at the distillery in Charleston, S.C. and bottled at cask strength. Very limited. – Nima Ansari, Spirits Buyer
Neta Astor Batch Madrecuixe + Jabalin Mezcal – 2019 $199.96
This is the real deal (Neta is slang for truth in Mexico after all). The Cruz family made this batch of Madrecuixe and Jabalin exclusively for Astor. The number on the bottle indicates that this batch was a mere 102 bottles. When this is gone, that is all there will ever be. Given all this, the mezcal lives up to the highest expectations. This is a mezcal that comes at you in waves and develops and evolves in the glass, revealing layer upon layer. So yeah, this is a true sipping mezcal that should be savored with patience and attention. The smoke is well integrated and lets the natural earthiness of the agave shine with notes of tropical fruit and straw. With time, the fruit candies give depth and length to the finish that will linger in your mouth and in your imagination for hours if not days. – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager