I rarely feel compelled to write reviews unless I've been poorly treated or a place is deserving a 5-star review due to expert, perfect service. Everything in between is kind of just meh for me. So this review is for a company that I knew nothing about before last night but that after my experience (and yes, I'll be using that word a lot because this was a great experience!) with them has more than earned a 5-star. They are uniquely deserving so I will endeavor to give them the highest praise I can...
My wife gave me what was probably the best birthday gift I've ever received from her (and I'm hard to shop for!) last night, not only because of what it was, but because of how expertly it was executed-- Everything was perfect.
I came in blind, not knowing what to expect or what was coming. We got to spend 2 hours at F/S with Tim, one of the 2 owner/founder/master-blenders of F/S where he provided an experience I won't forget, a high-end cocktail/alcohol-lovers dream where we were treated like royalty, every element thoughtfully planned and executed.
It started with drinks, each of us getting to select any cocktails we desired from their bar menu before the private tour/experience began. I didn't know it at the time but all their cocktails are made with their blended F/S bottles, which at the time I had little appreciation for, an error in ignorance. But from the first sips we knew this place was special, as good or better than even the best bars we've tried in NYC (think D&C, Attaboy, Nothing Really Matters, etc). They are expertly crafted, perfectly balanced with "farm to glass" ingredients and probably some love and pride of effort thrown in as well.
Cocktails in hand, we were then escorted by our knowledgeable host back to their new private event space (we'll have to figure out how to get invited to one of their events!) and then on to their distillery and blending areas where Tim expertly and winsomely taught us about what they do at F/S. I won't try to tell you their story here on their behalf but it's a story worth telling, worth hearing, worth understanding why they are focused primarily on blending vs distilling and why you (and me!) are better off for it. And through all this it's clear that Tim both loves what he's doing and is very good at it and that his love is infectious -- it was hard not to get caught up with him!
We were then taken to their private lab for a unique tasting experience. Tim taught us the science of whiskey tasting, the history of what we were drinking and, how each limited-run F/S bottle came together. Our tasting flight was a combination of individual elements sourced for F/S and then the F/S offerings themselves which are fantastic, their sum greater than the parts which were already pretty great. There were a few more surprises thrown in but I won't give them away but they all combined to make this the most incredible experience deserving of the highest praise I can offer. I bought my first bottle of F/S last night, but I'm expecting many more to come. (let's be honest I needed a reason to come back soon!)
Highly, highly recommended. I will be back soon and often. read more