Colin Joliat
Friends of the program know that Boozist is a big supporter of a little distillery down in St. Louis known as StilL 630. The founder, Dave Weglarz, has an unmatched passion for life and spirits. He has a greater Thirst for Life than Yanni himself, and quenching it with his new line of experimental spirits.
Weglarz has recently embarked on the most outlandish journey in the booze business. He’s releasing a new spirit every single month for five years. I can wait if you want to do the math (Command + Space -> CALC -> Enter -> 12*5 -> Enter), but to save you the trouble it’s 60. StilL 630 is releasing 60 original spirits over the next five years. If that’s not ambitious, I don’t know what is!
These aren’t all just different ages of the same spirit either. I’m lookin’ at you Jack Daniels Un-Aged Rye, Rested Rye, and Single Barrel Rye. No, these are all unique spirits. We’re talking everything from single malts, ryes, and bourbons to brandies, rums, and gins. The world is Weglarz’ oyster, and we’re just drinking the liquor.
The first of these 60 experimental spirits was released back on July 7th. You knew that already though if you follow me on Instagram. And because each new iteration is slated to come out on the first Friday of the month, we’re already on Round Two (3.3% of the way to the finish!). As I wait to get my hands on the new edition I thought it wise to talk about the spirit that launched 60 ships.
X1 is a single malt aged for 14.5 months and bottled at 100-proof. If you’re wondering how you could possibly have a good whiskey after such a short time, the answer is 15-gallon barrels. While little fellas will never replace the standard 53-gallon barrel, they do give small distillers a fighting chance. The high surface-area-to-spirit ratio means the whiskey interacts with the wood more quickly.
At first whiff, X1 is big on wood. As I let it sit for a minute (I was distracted Celebrity Family Feud) the wood faded a bit a the sweetness came through. I debated taking it as a shot out of spite for Weglarz, but it smelled to good to do that. Instead I sipped it like a gentleman.
You’ve probably heard the expression “mouthfeel” before by some whiskey dick who wants to show off his vocabulary. Well, X1 would help you realize what Johnny Thesaurus was talking about. It coats your entire mouth with a soft, almost velvety feel. It’s like what you would image Crown Royal would do if it actually lived up to it’s name.
For you whiskey-cats, a term I just invented for people who don’t drink whiskey, “because it burns,” this one’s for you. It warms the throat but has no burn whatsoever. It sucks the moisture from your mouth and lingers just long enough to demand you take another sip sooner than later.
This is only X1, and we’ll be covering each of StilL 630’s monthly releases. If you want to let your liver enjoy the same luxuries, it’s time to either buy a plane ticket or make friends in St. Louis. These experimental spirits will only be available on the first Friday of every month and only at the distillery. You can catch ’em all like Pokemon though for $20/200ml bottle.
And finally, if you want more in depth on the tasting notes front (you know that’s not the Boozist style), check out the video from Bourbon & Banter below!
