| Hey Free Rangers, Promise not to dwell on it for more than a moment, as the topic consumed so much of this space for so long, but due to the recent massive spike in infections here in The City, we’ve gone back to masking in the shop, and would very much appreciate it if you’d all help us out in this one. So, they say that new love brings back all the old loves that you’ve ever had, and that moving residences is one of life’s great traumas. And my current residential move is bringing up all sorts of things, and not just the joy of unearthing piles of amazing old concert tees. More than anything else, and there’s a lot, I’ve been thinking about my late platonic man-partner, Jeff Austin, and currently alive and well old friend Ben Kaufmann (thank dog!), founding members of Yonder Mountain String Band. Ben has been humoring my texts at all hours with pics, itineraries, back stage passes, and all order of other ephemera from some of the greatest days of my not-so-inexperienced life, very directly involving his band and very often his personal company. Ben’s a deeply empathetic fella, far less judgmental than I, and is exactly the kind of compatriot one needs in these tumultuous times. But Jeff isn’t around this physical realm anymore, and I can’t even count the number of times in the last couple of years I’ve come across things, new and old, that would have once led me to contact him at all hours. Hunter S. Thompson always said that you know who your friends are at 3 o’clock in the morning, and Jeff rarely failed to take my call, or return a text, even if it woke him up in his catacomb bunk on the tour bus. So much of my time spent with, and many of my best memories of, Jeff Austinwere just driving around playing music for each other. I was already a fan of Todd Snider’s work by the time he and Jeff became friends and occasional writing partners, and Jeff had the new record before I did. We were alternating playing songs for each other as usual, and he put on one from Todd’s new record, “Just Like Old Times”. It’s a tale about a different kind of American dream, and it contains at least a half novel worth of story in a 3 minute tune; and the lyrical resolves are second to none. I know a good story when I hear it and Todd Snider is unquestionably one of our greatest living tellers. Near the end of the tale, the narrator is caught with a photo in his wallet of his high school crush/sweetheart/something, twenty-something years down the line. In writing it off he tells her, “Don’t get all sentimental on me now, girl, you haven’t even told me what your new name is yet.” At this point I insisted that we leave this album on, and start it from the beginning. Oh right, it’s a holiday. Memorial Day. I guess I knew that, but working 6+ days/week, very few holidays mean anything at all anymore (zero disrespect to our Vets). In the words of my Twitter buddy, but can’t claim as for real friend because I’ve never called her at an ungodly hour (nor have her phone number at all): Nostalgia Kills. … Hopefully you aren’t too bummed out by this morose reminiscence (and thanks for indulging me) to not want to get in on some delicious, and unreasonably high proof Bourbon that’s unavailable anywhere else in the world. So, who has two thumbs and needs a drink? As most of you know, we have a fairly large place in our collective heart(s) for Brooklyn’s own Kings County Distillery, as can be plainly seen in that our two most recent barrel acquisitions are FR9 and FR10. Yeah, we have our own numbering system with them, no big deal… well, they started putting barrel numbers on all single barrels now, but we begged/insisted on getting our numbering system on there somewhere and Gaby was super sweet about it, at least in part because we tried to buy five of those barrels in one shot, and were forced to whittle it down to only two of them; and ya know, squeaky wheel and all. Squeak squeak. But all forced self-deprecating humor aside, we’re quite proud of these delicious, limited, full proof Bourbons, both of which clock in at over 140 proof, or hazmat proof, if you wanna be all FaceSpace Bourbon chat groupie about it. Some of those guys will chuckle at a light ribbing, and the other 3/4ths of them hate us already anyway. Sorry (not sorry) that nobody wanted to hear about how much less you paid for Pappy twelve years ago in one Carolina or another. We don’t pay the rent with your tiresome stories, we do that with mine. As a long time collector turned retailer, I can confirm that to a collector everything is serious, and we have absolutely no sense of humor; well 3/4ths of us don’t anyway. But you know you want that sweet, sweet overproof brown sauce, and you just can’t get these two anywhere else. I suppose you can always ask one of those 25% of your friends to come get it for you. In all seriousness, unless you’ve got something to prove, I highly recommend 2:1, if not 1:1 whiskey to water for normal human consumption of these bottles. FR10 was one of the very last of Kings Co.’s 15 Gallon barrels, rested for 6 years, and with an absurd 75% angel’s share, the remaining juice in bottle is a whopping 147.4 proof, and there isn’t much to go around. Blame the hammered angels (which is officially the new name of my thrash metal band). The FR9 juice was the result of 7 years in a 30 gallon barrel from which the angels bogarted quite a bit less, though it still found its way to a more balanced palate at slightly lower 145.6 proof, though it’s equally as dark and brooding as its friend (and quite delicious with a heavy splash of water), and there’s a good bit more to be had. And I know how much collectors like to pay for the most famous of high proof Bourbons, but I’d gladly put our FR9 up against the fiercest George T. Stagg releases any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. As usual, as our list’s faithful, you get first crack at these at the lowest price at which they will ever be offered. Check out the numbers on the 200ml 2-pack and individual 750ml(s) below. And if you’re in the neighborhood, there’s about 1/3rd of a bottle open for tasting. Please feel free to come by and ask for a taste, unless you’ve publicly trashed us on the interwebs. You know who you are, ya smug little gremlins. And for those of you who missed ‘em, the recent Sean Thackrey and Elijah Craig Single Barrel deals are still live for this week right here, right now: Sean Thackrey Deal Page Elijah Craig Deal Page (!) Click here for the hidden Kings Co Free Range Single Barrel page (!) sale: retail: Kings Co Free Range Single Barrel Bourbon 2 x 200ml $65 $108 ** 1 per customer ** Kings Co Free Range Single Barrel Bourbon FR10 750ml $129 $159 Kings Co Free Range Single Barrel Bourbon FR9 750ml $139 $169 *** Online exclusive! *** *** This week only! *** Cheers, Jack Proprietor Free Range Wine & Spirits P.S. Free Range E-mail Archive |
