Review: Jefferson’s Bourbon and Jefferson’s Reserve Bourbon (2013)
Today we’re filling a glaring hole in our coverage. While we reviewed one special edition of Jefferson’s Bourbon (which is no longer available, actually) four years ago, we’ve been silent on the line’s other expressions. Today we start correcting that, with reviews of Jefferson’s entry-level Bourbon and Jefferson’s Reserve, the two most commonly available expressions…
Review: Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon
Jim Beam’s been on a tear lately. First came the two members of the new Signature Craft Bourbon series, now there’s Distiller’s Masterpiece, an ultra-premium Bourbon that truly earns its name. Available exclusively at the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Ky., the whiskey is “extra aged” (but released with no age statement) “in the…
Review: Chivas Regal 18 Years Old
You don’t have to drop $100,000 on an enormous seven-foot sculpture to get a bottle of Chivas 18: You can buy it, sans artwork, straight up. Chivas, a bit of a grande dame in the whisky world, is far from the shoddy, workday blend common with lesser blends. Particularly at older ages — including this…
Review: Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon (2013)
It’s surprising that more aged spirits aren’t made in the solera style. For the uninitiated, solera aging involves moving spirits from younger barrels to older barrels, bit by bit, until the liquor in the oldest barrel is bottled — the oldest of the old blended with a bit of spirit from a wide variety of…
Review: Skyy Infusions Natural Wild Strawberry Vodka
Wild strawberries, really? Flavor #11 from Skyy is indeed made with real, wild strawberries, according to the company, a flavored vodka inspired by one of the most popular cocktail flavorings around. (Skyy says the strawberry is “more complex” than you’d think.) That may indeed be the case. Skyy Strawberry has a solid fruity nose, and…
Review: Middle West Spirits OYO Vodka and OYO Whiskey
Columbus, Ohio-based Middle West Spirits produces a variety of vodkas and whiskeys, but these two, pronounced Oh-Why-Oh, are the base products from which everything else is drawn. Thoughts follow. OYO Vodka – Made from local red winter wheat, this (purported) 34-times column distilled vodka has lots of character. On the nose, there are lots of…
Recipe: Mother’s Day Cocktail Ideas, 2013
Sunday brings us the time-honored tradition of celebrating everyone’s favorite person: Mom. Whether it was helping with algebra, forcing you to eat vegetables, or picking you up from school because you wore a Dead Kennedys “In God We Trust Inc.” t-shirt to class, Mom’s always been there to help out along the way. Here’s a…
Review: Queen Jennie Sorghum Whiskey
Old Sugar Distillery in Wisconsin is home to a number of spirits (including this rum), but none is more unusual than Queen Jennie, a whiskey made of 100% Wisconsin sorghum. Sorghum isn’t made into whiskey the same way corn or rye might be. Rather, the grassy sorghum (most typically used as animal feed) is squeezed…
