Pinhook

Pinhook was started in 2010 by Sean Josephs, the barman behind Char No. 4 and Maysville in New York and Kenton's in New Orleans. He blends it himself. The name comes from pinhooking, the horse trade of buying a young thoroughbred and raising it on to sell.

Pinhook treats whiskey like wine. Each year is a vintage, and Josephs sets a different proof for every batch, the proof he thinks that particular whiskey wants, rather than hitting a house number. The bottles are distilled at Castle & Key in Frankfort. You get a real difference year to year.