St. George Baller Single Malt Whiskey

"Baller Single Malt Whiskey pushes the definition of what a single malt can be. If you enjoy the crisp, bright flavors of Japanese malts and the bold swagger of American malts, you have to try Baller.

The Spirit

Blending multiple distilling traditions, multiple roast levels of barley, and multiple casks for aging and finishing, Baller is a wholly unique whiskey that has to be tasted to be believed.

What’s in it?

We start with 100% American malted barley (predominately two-row pale malted barley, the remainder is lightly roasted by our friends at Admiral Maltings) that is pot distilled, then aged in used bourbon and French oak wine casks. 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. The original watercolor on the front label is by Oakland artist Sylvia Solochek Walters, done to emulate woodcut. The calligraphy is by Eri Takase of Takase Studios.

The Experience

Baller is clean 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.

Incredible served neat and perfect for Japanese-style highballs, we also recommend Baller in a ""Ballervardier,"" or in place of Scotch whisky in a Bobby Burns or Rob Roy."