Review: Wines of Balverne, 2013 Releases
Balverne was a well-known wine brand in the 1980s, making estate wines on its Russian River Valley property since 1972. The vineyard changed hands in 1992 and winemaking stopped, the grapes instead being sold to other winemakers. Now Balverne is back, beginning again in 2005 under the name Windsor Oaks — and now as its…
Tasting Report: 2011 Vintage Port (and Beyond)
One of the can’t-miss wine experiences of any year is the roadshow during which the new Vintage Ports are poured. Of course, these don’t happen every year. The last major one was the 2009 vintage, released two years ago. Overall, 2011 is a standout, the first great Vintage Port year since 2003 — which, on…
Review: Alibi American Whiskey
Here’s something you don’t see much of any more: blended whiskey. This isn’t bourbon, or artisanal rye, or anything micro. It’s a budget whiskey, blended from who knows what (including, in this case, both aged corn whiskey and neutral grain spirit) and bottled on the cheap. There’s no standing on ceremony here. If you like…
Review: Eastside Distilling Below Deck Ginger Rum
Portland’s Eastside Distilling, which makes the awesome Double Barrel Bourbon, recently launched a line of four naturally-flavored rums. We got a look at one of them — intriguingly spiked with ginger. Lightly gold colored, the rum has a mild ginger nose, with a bit of soapy quality atop it. Notes of green pepper and olive…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Promise of Hope Bourbon (2013)
The theme of this year’s Parker’s Heritage Collection limited edition Bourbon release should come as no surprise: It is bottled in honor of Parker Beam (the “Parker” in the name of the spirit) and in recognition of his recent diagnosis with ALS, which we’ve discussed in prior posts here. The Promise of Hope bottling is…
Tasting Report: Vini d’Italia Tour 2013
Our friends at Winebow, a major wine importer, host this event on a fairly annual basis, bringing some of the biggest names in Italian wine (and a little grappa) to the States for tasting and consideration. In addition, some virtually unknown brands, looking for distribution in the U.S., are made available, too. Prices below are…
Review: Mammoth Brewing Company Epic IPA
Mammoth Brewing Company is one of the centerpieces of CANFEST, a beer festival with a twist: All the beers are poured not from taps or bottles but from cans. I couldn’t attend the Reno-based event (which happens tomorrow), but the organizers were kind enough to send me one of the event’s top offerings. Thoughts follow.…
Review: Schramm Organic Vodka
Pemberton Distillery in British Columbia, Canada, makes this vodka from local organic potatoes grown just a few miles away. Charcoal filtered and blended with water from the nearby Coast Mountains, Schramm bottles the finished product at 80 proof. Schramm is made by a Scotland-trained distiller, and you’ll find plenty of of those fingerprints all over…
