Have you met Dave Phinney?

Photo: Margaret Pattillo Photography

Well, if you know Prisoner, Saldo, Orin Swift or Locations, then yes, you’ve already met. Dave is the creator and winemaker behind all of these.

“Oh, yeah,” you say. “I love those labels”. Not surprising. They each sold for hundreds of millions of dollars.

And Dave is still creating and making and sharing. These days his focus is on the Savage & Cooke Distillery, located on historic Mare Island off the coast of San Francisco, and close to Napa Valley.

The decision to locate the distillery on Mare Island was due to its fascinating history as a naval shipyard, the plethora of space, stunning brownstone buildings and its proximity to both the Napa Valley and San Francisco. Savage & Cooke will distill, age and bottle a range of brown spirits including Bourbon, Whiskey and Rye. Dave will craft offerings in the style that he appreciates most; complex flavors, concentration, balanced oak influence and lushness.

The spirits created there are Ayate Reposado, Ayate Añejo, Second Glance American Whiskey and Burning Chair Bourbon. This writer has no doubt they will be as well received by consumers and trade alike, as Dave’s previous triumphs.

Here’s the line-up.

Ayate Añejo, 40% Alc., SRP $95

Location: The agave fields are located in highlands of Jalisco at an elevation of 7000 feet. The cool nights, warm days and iron rich soils provide ideal growing conditions.

Distillation: Distillation takes place in handmade, traditional copper pot stills.

Barrel Aging: Twelve months of aging including two months in new American oak barrels, four months in used French oak barrels and finally finished for six months in our Chardonnay barrels.

Buy it here.

Ayate Reposado 40% Alc., SRP $65

Location: The agave fields are located in highlands of Jalisco at an elevation of 7000 feet. The cool nights, warm days and iron rich soils provide ideal growing conditions.

Distillation: Distillation takes place in handmade, traditional copper pot stills.

Barrel Aging: Eight months of aging including four months in new American oak barrels followed by four months in our Chardonnay barrels.

Buy it here.

Second Glance, 44% Alc., SRP $38

Distinctive and pronounced, this is the first release of Dave Phinney’s highly anticipated five-year-old American Whiskey.

Sourcing: Each barrel is hand-selected for its unique attributes by Dave. The youngest Whiskey in the blend is five years old. Tiny lots are procured from Kentucky and each barrel brings a desired characteristic to the final blend.

Barrels: Aged for a minimum of five years in ex-Bourbon barrels and then uniquely finished in wine barrels from Dave’s Napa Valley Cabernet projects.

Buy it here.

The Burning Chair, 44% Alc., SRP $55

Intense and expressive, this is the first release of Dave Phinney’s highly anticipated four-year-old Bourbon.

Sourcing: Each barrel is hand-selected for it’s unique attributes by Dave. The youngest Bourbon in the blend is four years old. Tiny lots are procured from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Each barrel brings something special to the final blend.

Barrels: Aged for a minimum of four years in new charred American oak barrels and then uniquely finished in wine barrels from Dave’s Napa Valley Cabernet projects.

Water: The mature Bourbon is titrated to 88 proof with pure, pristine water from Dave’s high elevation property in Alexander Valley in Northern California.

Buy it here.

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