Low Gap Bourbon 750 ml

Distilled on an antique cognac still in Mendocino County, Low Gap Bourbon takes California craft whiskey somewhere Kentucky doesn't go. The mash bill runs 65% corn, 20% malted barley, and 15% malted rye — heavy on malt, light on convention — and the slow pot-still run keeps the spirit soft and grain-forward. Craft Distillers, the house behind Germain-Robin brandy, bottles it at 86.5 proof. Malt Advocate handed the label its Artisan Whiskey of the Year award in 2012, back when few believed West Coast whiskey was worth the argument. Expect gentle caramel and toasted grain rather than barrel-char bravado. Drink it neat with dinner, or build it into an Old Fashioned that doesn't shout.

Bourbon86.5 proof · Mash bill: 65% corn, 20% malted barley, 15% malted rye · New charred American oak · Mendocino County, California