Hotaling & Co. is well-known for its distilled and imported artisanal spirits. Recently, it announced that it was joining the trend of American single malt whiskeys by adding a new expression called The Departure to its HIRSCH Selected Whiskeys portfolio.
Hirsch The Departure
The Departure is the first American single malt whiskey from Hotaling. It begins with a mash bill of 100% Maris Otter malted barley grown and malted in the United Kingdom. Double distilled in small copper pot stills, this expression is matured for six years and nine months in a combination of char #3 and toasted American oak barrels.
This limited-release 49% ABV single malt whiskey is known for its flavor profile of caramel, grass, malted barley, herbal tea, dried fruits, cocoa nibs, oak, and baking spices.
“The distillers at Hotaling & Co. had been wanting to work with barley malt for quite some time, and began development of the 100 percent barley malt whiskey that became HIRSCH’s The Departure in 2015,” Bruce Joseph, Master Distiller Emeritus for Hotaling & Co.. said.
“This whiskey, an American Single Malt, drew heavily from our long history of distilling another 100% malt whiskey, Old Potrero Rye Whiskey. Our tradition at Hotaling is to use only the finest ingredients and barrels. With that tradition in mind, the grain bill for The Departure is comprised of 100 percent Maris Otter malted barley, after we fell in love with this barley’s rich malty character, which is further accentuated by our house beer yeast strain.”
Where can I buy it?
This is a limited-release expression, with only 1,350 bottles being made available to the public. This month, it will be available at select retailers in California, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado as well as online for the suggested retail price of $74.99 for a 750ml bottle.
