OLD POTRERO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Limited Release (2024)MASH BILL – unstated 2011 Anchor Steam Christmas Ale
PROOF – 100
AGE – 12 years
DISTILLERY – Old Potrero (Hotaling & Co.)
PRICE – $152
WORTH BUYING? – Yes!
Well I couldn’t pass this one up, despite the hefty price tag. And what an irresistible bottle to post about on Christmas Day.
I’m a longstanding Old Potrero Rye fan. Their cask strength single barrel releases are always uniquely powerful. Their 100% malted rye mash bill takes very well to wine cask finishings. And their penchant for one-off experiments are similarly reliable. Last year’s 17 Year rye, for example, was an out-of-the-blue surprise release that delivered an antique Armagnac-like experience.
Old Potrero began in 1993 as the passion project of Fritz Maytag, the man who made Anchor Steam into the iconic San Francisco brewery it eventually became. Distiller Bruce Joseph has been working the still from the start and continues to tweak the dials to this day. Double pot-distilled and always 100% malted rye, Old Potrero Rye is a single malt whiskey in the early American tradition, whereby local rye grain subbed for the traditional Scottish barley. Very few American distilleries have made such a singular commitment.
But within the confines of their intentionally limited concept, Joseph likes to experiment. As one gets to know the brand, surprises gradually become no surprise. This 12-year whiskey distilled from a famous local beer arrived as unexpectedly as that 17-year rye, and is just as welcome.
I opened this bottle—along with some others, including the St. George Single Malt Lot 24—to share with friends at our annual holiday crab dinner. After I explained it was a one-off distilled from a Christmas beer, one guest said they were scared to try it! Perhaps the towering bottle also added to the intimidating prospects of this whiskey of unusual origin. But all seemed to agree the experience of it was refreshing, not unlike standing amidst the fresh air of a mountain pine forest.
So here we are, two days after uncorking and about a third of the way into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.
COLOR – buttery amber with pale lemon highlights
NOSE – fresh Douglas fir pine needles still on the branch, fragrant mountain air, eventually also faint cream, a touch of fresh cut oak, lemon zest, hops, light malt, clove, salt
TASTE – the pine notes submerged in fresh whole cream, fittingly delivered in a nice creamy texture accented by the spicy kick of the 100 proof; with baking spices like clove and cinnamon, brown sugar, a touch of milk chocolate, and finally a nice refined oak note
FINISH – warming, the dominant pine coming across less “piney” than minty, oak, a gently fading shimmer of the citric and spice notes, lingering and lingering and lingering…
OVERALL – I’m sticking to the fresh air in a mountain pine forest metaphor
Pine is a flavor area that can be divisive. Just as “grain” can be positive but “grainy” negative, so too can “pine” be positive but “piney” a deal breaker for some people. Here I find the distinct Douglas fir pine needle notes to be genuinely refreshing. They dominate the experience from nose to finish and keep me reaching back for more. The range of spices and citric accents add ample complexity, with the creamy flavor and texture grounding everything once that first sip has gone down.
The Anchor Steam Christmas Ale origins read clearly in those subtle but very present spice notes—the clove and hops and malt. There is an edge at work from the bright pine needle and citric elements, softened nicely by the prevalent cream qualities.
Definitely unique, and that’s no backhanded compliment. I’ve never had anything like it that I can recall. Even within the distinctive Old Potrero oeuvre this one-off stands on its own. I’d say it’s actually less daunting than some of their powerhouse cask strength 100% malted rye releases. Perhaps my wary friend who found the prospect of this bottle intimidating was picking up on the Old Potrero vibe. But that potential to overwhelm takes such an enlivening turn here. Like a strong gust of mountain air, it’s easy to get caught up in it.
This Old Potrero makes a fitting companion to the whiskey I posted about just yesterday, the St. George Single Malt Lot 24. In addition to each being a limited release from small local San Francisco Bay Area distilleries, they share certain bright citric qualities and overall unique flavor profiles, distinct from one another and yet totally relatable.
And like the St. George, so too does this December holiday release go well with family and friends. If “celebratory” can be considered a flavor one can smell and taste, this whiskey brims with it. It’s bright like laughter. Having first sipped it surrounded by the laughter of longtime friends, I’ll now always associate it with that particular joy.
Cheers!
The Right Spirit 