Review: New Amsterdam Citron and Coconut Vodkas
I can’t explain why our review of New Amsterdam Gin is one of the most popular pages on the site, but the Modesto-based company has continued expanding its spirit lineup, first with a straight vodka, and now with a few flavors. New Amsterdam now has four flavors available, with Citron (citrus) and Coconut the most…
Review: WhistlePig “The Boss Hog” Rye Whiskey Single Barrel 12 Years Old 2013
WhistlePig is widely regarded (by myself included) as one of the best ryes on the market, a straight, 100% rye bottled at 100 proof and a full 10 years old. Last year’s TripleOne brought the age up to 11 years and proof to 111 proof. Now comes The Boss Hog, a 12 year old rye…
Review: Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel and Chardonnay, 2013 Releases
Napa-based Frank Family Vineyards has just released two new bottlings, a Zinfandel and a Chardonnay. We spent time with both. Thoughts follow. 2011 Frank Family Vineyards Zinfandel Napa Valley – Earthy and smoky on the nose, at first blush this feels like it will be a bruiser. The body however reveals a far fruitier core, tempered…
Review: The Real McCoy Rum 5 Years Old
The Real McCoy is a new brand that’s just made its way into the U.S. “The Real McCoy” is sourced from Foursquare Distillery in Barbados, where column and pot still rum is aged for five years in oak ex-bourbon barrels. The name refers to Bill McCoy, a Prohibition-era bootlegger and, as bootleggers go, a real…
Recipes: Tabasco Cocktails (Anchorman 2 Edition)
Everything has to have some sort of “spin”, and our first reaction upon opening the press release promoting the release of Anchorman 2 was that it would be flooded with Scotchtails. While there’s not a single malt to be found in this list, we have to give the marketing folks and mixologists who supplied us…
Review: Magnum Exotics Coffee
Magnum Exotics recently debuted its new line of coffees in California, with a national expansion on the way. The company behind these products is a major private label coffee supplier, but this is its first original brand being marketed directly to the public. Thoughts on two of these offerings follow. Magnum Exotics Organic Fogcutter Dark…
Review: Hangar 24 Hullabaloo Winter Beer
Oktoberfest is gone, winter brews are new arriving. One of the first to hit is Redlands, Calif.-based Hangar 24’s Hullabaloo, a Scottish style ale made with European and American malts. It’s a rich and burly brew, driven by thick malt, coffee and cocoa powder notes, and bitter root notes. The overall impact: Relatively muted and…
Review: 2012 Wines of Portugal’s Monte Velho
This brand, from Portugal’s Esporao is now 40 years old. With a focus on ultra-cheap blends both red and white, Monte Velho’s packaging has been redesigned with a focus on environmentalism (the bottles are amazingly lightweight, at least when empty), while keeping costs to a bare minimum. That said, quality remains uninspiring. Thoughts on the…
