When Steph Curry released his first Gentleman’s Cut bourbon about a year ago, the basketball and whiskey worlds were pretty excited about the news. In our estimation, however, the whiskey failed to live up to the hype—it was not terrible, just a bit young and green on the palate, and maybe a little overpriced at $80 for a bottle. Well, a new Gentleman’s Cut bourbon was announced today, and it blows that price point out of the water: Player Exclusive is a 15-year-old that costs a staggering $4,500.
We have not been able to sample this whiskey yet, and it could actually be amazing, fantastic, life-changing, and worth every penny. But here’s the thing—that’s a ridiculous price for a 15-year-old bourbon that is not Pappy Van Winkle, and even that icon of bourbon is waaaaaaaay overpriced. You can find a bottle of Knob Creek 15 or IW Harper 15 for around 100 bucks, and even the excellent Remus Gatsby Reserve is less than $300. Like the original Gentleman’s Cut release, Player Exclusive is produced at Boone County Distilling Co. in Kentucky, but given that the distillery only started operating in 2015 it was distilled elsewhere.
According to a rep for Boone County, this whiskey was distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2020. In addition to distilling, they were sourcing barrels of aged whiskey and held onto these particular casks for five years before deciding to release the whiskey. The mashbill is 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 4 percent malted barley, edging it into the high-rye bourbon category.
This is an extremely limited release with only 100 bottles available. Each decanter is numbered, etched with Curry’s signature, and comes with a stopper with the letters “T.C.C.” on it, short for what the brand calls Curry’s motto: “Trust, Commitment, Care.” Official tasting notes list crème brûlée, butterscotch, orange peel, spice, hazelnut, cherry, and oak on the palate. The first bottle was sold at the Golden State Warriors Foundation annual event last month for $350,000, a pretty good haul for the charity. If you want to spend some serious cash on a bottle to try this bourbon for yourself, you can order from Back Room Wines in Napa, Calif. starting in June. Or if you’d like to try the much more affordable Gentleman’s Cut, you can find it for sale from websites like Total Wine now.
