E-Ville Spirits & Wine Launches Rare Character Bourbon Inspired by Ellicottville
E-Ville Spirits & Wine Launches Rare Character Bourbon Inspired by Ellicottville
With one of Western New York’s largest bourbon clubs, E-Ville Spirits & Wine introduces a custom-labeled Rare Character Bourbon that captures the spirit of Ellicottville and its loyal bourbon enthusiasts.
Home of the largest bourbon club in western New York, E-Ville Spirits & Wine at 10 Monroe St., is excited to celebrate all that makes Ellicottville unique with a new bourbon, Rare Character. Manager Tanya Luciano, who started the store’s bourbon club five years ago, said “rare” is truly the best description for this style of bourbon, which will be available in limited quantities at the store that has become well known for its thoughtfully curated collection, clubs, classes, and more.
Luciano said the store’s bourbon story began five years ago, when she started the bourbon club with approximately 20 members who subscribed to a quarterly bottle of her choosing. In just five years’ time, the club’s membership has increased ten-fold to around 210 members! “I have six children of my own, so chaotic is what I kind of do,” Luciano noted. “So I decided not to cap the program.” She added that many stores will cap membership at around 100 as a large membership can get difficult to manage; however, she is actually aiming for around 246 members. “I want to be able to buy a full barrel of 246 bottles,” she said. “The goal is always to have every bottle go out as fast as it came in, so that’s the gauge now… If we continue to grow beyond that, that’s amazing and that just means that we need two barrels!”
Recently, E-Ville Spirits & Wine got the opportunity to get Rare Character from a company called M.S. Walker, who has the line. “The one thing that’s very unique about Rare Character in itself is that they allow us to design a portion of our label ourselves,” Luciano explained. Interestingly, about 80% of the bourbon club’s membership is not local - in fact, members live as far away as California, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and beyond. Luciano’s vision for the label was for it to reflect the many reasons why the club’s out-of-town members enjoy visiting Ellicottville and have committed to their bourbon club membership there. Luciano explained, “I wanted to make sure the hill was there, that Sky High was there, that the fall foliage is out, that the flowers that the Alley Katz put out are noticeable, that Fall Fest and Taste of Ellicottville were part of it, that buildings in the town, part of everything blended together into one simple photo that said a lot without saying anything.”
Speaking of the flavor of Rare Character, Luciano said she tried four different single barrels that the distributor was offering and is pleased with the one she chose. “It is very mature and nice and round, has great characteristics,” she said. Unlike full size barrels that have 246 bottles, Luciano said Rare Character is a very limited supply, with 122 to 140 bottles in a barrel. “The distillation date was November of 2016,” she noted. “They don’t tell me the actual proof until they’re ready to bottle… I would say it’s definitely in the mid one-teen range. I do know the mash bill, which is 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malt barley, nine-year Kentucky cask strength.” Bourbon club members have already claimed the first 50 bottles, Luciano said, and a limited number will be available in store, too. If there is enough interest, a second barrel will be ordered.
Luciano credits store owner Shannon Carscallen for providing the education and the experience that she and other employees have continued to hone. “It’s like we have our own sommelier,” Luciano said. "She’s definitely opened her arms, pulled us right in. She does classes with her staff. We do constant tastings. She doesn’t bring anything into the store unless it runs our palates, so we know how to taste or we know how to sell it, and that’s really what sets us aside from most other liquor stores that have no idea about the products on their shelves.”
Personally, Luciano said she has made it her job to attain additional knowledge about bourbon, including the story behind each one, the purpose of every distiller and why they started distilling. Additionally, she has written multiple cookbooks utilizing different spirits that are based on her years of experience as a cook and reflect her passion for good food and drink. Maintaining strong connections with other Ellicottville businesses is another core value of the store. Toward that end, Luciano said she is in talks with the owner of the Silver Fox about getting a bottle or two of Rare Character for the restaurant, giving them exclusive pouring rights.
To learn more about E-Ville Spirits & Wine’s bourbon club, as well as their other clubs, including scotch, tequila, and wine, visit www.evillespirits.com or call 716-699-4474.