I have just sampled a whiskey called Mister Sam, which ranks as one of the finest pours I have experienced.
The nose of this whiskey was terrific; it had sweet tobacco, vanilla, and sweet cereal. The flavor is fantastic, with chocolate-covered cherries, baked pecans, raisins’ sweetness, and marshmallows’ touches over the campfire. It is one stand-alone unique whiskey.
Mr. Sam
The whiskey is an homage to Sam Bronfman, a man known for blending and building the Seagram Empire. Samuel Bronfman made the following quote. “Distilling is a science: Blending is an art”.
Drew Mayville
Mr. Mayville is the Master Blender for Sazerac and brings a long history of knowing and understanding spirits. He spent twenty-two-plus years with Seagrams and worked with people who had direct contact with Sam Bronfman. This bottle is unique and blended to create a very memorable whiskey. Drew Mayville shows a master touch in making this whiskey. I have had the luxury of meeting Drew and sampling a few bourbons with him. He is a gentleman, a whiskey-savant, and a true Master Blender.
Sam Bronfman and the Seagram Empire
Bronfman’s Distillers Corporation purchased the Joseph E. Seagram & Sons company in 1928. Mr. Bronfman built on the reputation of multiple spirits in the Seagram catalog, including Calvert, Dewars, and Seven Crown. Being a Canadian company, Bronfman navigated the years of American Prohibition by staying within the gray lines of Canadian and American whiskey law. In the later 1950s, Seagram established a headquarters building in New York City.
In the 1960s, Sam Bronfman acquired the Texas Pacific Coal and Oil Company to take advantage of the new US tax law. This fifty-million-dollar purchase eventually resulted in a sale to Sun Oil in 1980 for 2.3 billion dollars.
Mister Sam Whiskey
Keeping with the theme of blending, Mister Sam is a robust blend of American and Canadian Whiskey. It was developed patiently and bottled at Sazeracs Old Montreal Distillery in Montreal, Quebec. The bottle comes in a handsome presentation box and includes a miniature copy of From Little Acorns, a book by Mr. Sam himself.
Drinking good whiskey with friends
I have been extremely lucky to have friends who have been generous with their time and generous with their whiskey. It is one thing to be able to sample a bottle of Mister Sam. It is on another level to sample it with my good friends Raj Patel and Freddie Johnson. Being in their company, with a once-in-a-lifetime bottle, is an experience that is hard to explain. I am so very thankful for their generosity of spirit.
Drinking toast of the week
Starting with this post, I will offer my readers some of my favorite drinking toasts. Feel free to use them the next time you are drinking with friends.