A bottle of St George Baller No Background 1000 H

Baller American Single Malt Whiskey

American-made. Japanese whiskey-inspired. Wholly original. St. George Baller American Single Malt is unlike any whiskey you have ever tasted. With its crisp malt, delicate maple charcoal smoke, and tropical, sherry-like notes imparted by house-made umeshu finishing casks, Baller is a category of one.

Format: 750ml
ABV: 47%
Availability: Widely available

Over-the-top delicious.

- Bloomberg

Perhaps America's most unique single malt. Immensely drinkable

- PUNCH

This might be the best new spirit of the year, period.

- Supercall

Perfect sipped neat or on a rock or two... an intense crispness and ferocious burst of plum on the front, followed by a warm, slate-like dryness and lingering smokiness.

- Imbibe

An absolute pleasure… exactly the kind of whisk(e)y that I love and that keeps me in love with whisk(e)y.

- The Whiskey Wash

A bold, dry whiskey with subtle plum and smoky notes ideal for Japanese highballs and Scotch-style cocktails.

- Liquor.com

A meta whiskey, if there ever was one. While it has more than enough complexity to be sipped, it was made to be mixed in highballs and other cocktails.

- The Daily Beast

One of the most visionary whiskeys on the market.

- Spirited

A California take on Japanese whisky from one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious craft distillers, with a stunning label to match.

- Whisky Advocate

One of the Best New Spirits of 2016. Remarkably complex, starting off dry and a little smoky on the front of the tongue, then blooming into an explosion of fruit.

- Playboy

A category pioneer…fruity, smoky and singular

- Bon Apetit

Uniquely delicious...the depth of the palate is remarkable

- Food & Wine

The Spirit

Blending multiple distilling traditions, multiple roast levels of barley, and multiple casks for aging and finishing, Baller is an incomparable whiskey. Spirits are our form of self-expression, and Baller epitomizes our passion for redefining spirits categories in ways that are both meaningful and unique.

What’s in it?

We start with 100% American malted barley (two-row pale and Munich malt) that is pot distilled, then aged in American and French oak casks that previously held other whiskies. After aging, we filter the whiskey through maple charcoal, lending subtle smoke, then finish it in umeshu casks to create a flavor unlike any other. What is umeshu? It’s an incredibly aromatic liqueur made from small, tart, stone fruit called ume. While umeshu is native to Japan, we make the umeshu for our casks in-house, with California-grown fruit.

The Process

Why is an American distiller (who already makes a renowned single malt) doing a take on Japanese whiskey? Originally it was for our friends at Ramen Shop, an Oakland restaurant that inspires us with their California spin on venerable Japanese culinary traditions. But the response to Baller was so overwhelming, we increased production so we can share this singular whiskey with aficionados everywhere.

Master distiller Lance Winters did the art direction for the label, which re-imagines the legend of St. George as a samurai defending a barrel of whiskey against a dragon.

The Experience

Baller is crisp and dry on the nose with bright fruit and a hint of smoke. Tasting opens with a touch of malt sweetness and maple charcoal, then explodes into a burst of plum, mango and lychee with notes of almond and eucalyptus underneath. The smoky finish lingers and builds with each sip.

With its endless layers of flavor, Baller is perfect for sipping neat. The Shop Highball is what we order when we visit our friends at Ramen Shop. Baller’s unique aromatics add freshness and nuance to a Boulevardier. We also love it as a substitute for peated scotch in cocktails like the Penicillin.

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