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.

The bottle and presentation box of Mister Sam Whiskey.

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.

“To enjoying the moments that truly matter, With those that matter most”