NBA champ Steph Curry got into the whiskey game back in 2023, and the initial release was… fine (we called it the Seth Curry of of whiskey at the time, which the brand did not appreciate). There have been a few more releases over the years since, many of which have cost way too much. The latest bourbon might not be astronomically priced, but it’s still not cheap, which is likely due to the fact that it was finished in Japanese mizunara oak. We have the details to share.

When Gentleman’s Cut originally launched, we reported that Curry’s SC30 Inc. venture partnered with John Schwartz, owner of the Amuse Bouche Winery in Napa, to create a company called Game Changer Distillery. That “distillery” partnered with Boone County Distilling Co. in Kentucky to produce and bottle the whiskey sold under the Gentleman’s Cut label. The core bourbon is made from a mashbill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley, and aged for five to seven years before bottling. This new release is part of the Player Exclusive series, which previously included bourbon aged for 16 years priced at $950, and 15 years priced at an astounding $4,500.

Player Exclusive: Shacho is a bit more reasonable at $250 per bottle, but that’s still a lot to ask for an 11-year-old bourbon from a relatively unknown brand. The reason for that high price is likely because this bourbon was finished in Japanese mizunara oak sourced from the Hokkaido prefecture in Japan, a relatively rare, expensive, and notoriously difficult type of wood in which to age whiskey. While the marketing materials say that this release “is unlike anything the U.S. bourbon market has seen before,” this is not actually the first American whiskey to undergo this type of secondary maturation. Past examples include Barrell Craft Spirits’ Cask Finish Series bourbon, Rabbit Hole’s Founder’s Collection (also very expensive), and Angel’s Envy’s limited mizunara finish release.

According to Curry, this new Players Exclusive release was inspired the Japanese leadership philosophy called shacho. “When I discovered that in Japanese culture, the term is an esteemed word meaning ‘leader,’ it spoke to something I’ve always believed in—to lead with vision and humility,” he said in a statement. “As someone who has taken inspiration from leaders from a variety of backgrounds, places, and lanes that I respect, this Player Exclusive celebrates those milestones and is for everyone who has shown up, put in the work, and made a difference as a leader in their own way.”

This bourbon is made from a different mashbill than the core expression—78 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 9 percent malted barley—and it is bottled at 105 proof. We did not get to try a sample, but the official tasting notes describe Kyara incense, cinnamon, coconut, and sandalwood flavors that overlay the bourbon’s core profile (all notes that are commonly associated with a mizunara finish). Only 850 bottles of Players Exclusive: Shacho are available, and you can pre-order one now at ReserveBar.