Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt Whiskey
Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt Whiskey is a 98-proof (49% ABV), 750mL American single malt — 100% Maris Otter malted barley, double distilled in small copper pot stills at Hotaling & Co's original Potrero Hill distillery in San Francisco, California, and aged 6 years and 9 months in new American oak (char no. 3) and toasted American oak barrels. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
"The Departure" is exactly that for Hirsch: a brand built on sourced bourbon steps into American single malt with a whiskey it distilled itself — the first Hirsch expression made in-house at Potrero Hill, and one of the last spirits crafted at that original distillery. Development began in 2015 under Master Distiller Emeritus Bruce Joseph, drawing on the distillery's Old Potrero 100%-malt heritage: UK-grown Maris Otter barley, Hotaling's house beer yeast, and small copper pots rather than a column. Released March 2025 as a limited edition (SRP $75) in CA, IL, TX, LA, and CO.
Tasting profile: grassy caramel and grain on the nose; sweet cereal, green tea, baking spice, and fruit on the palate, with herbal tea, dried fruit, cocoa nibs, and oak building through a long finish. Browse the Hirsch brand collection, more American whiskey, and the full spirits collection.
Serving note: neat or with a few drops of water — the 49% ABV and malt depth open up beautifully.
Is Hirsch The Departure a bourbon? No — it is an American single malt whiskey: 100% malted barley, distilled in-house in San Francisco, not a sourced Indiana bourbon.
Where is The Departure distilled? At Hotaling & Co's original Potrero Hill distillery in San Francisco, California — the first Hirsch expression distilled there.
How long is it aged? 6 years and 9 months in new charred American oak and toasted American oak barrels.
What is the ABV? 49% ABV (98 proof), 750mL.