Review: J.W. Dant Bourbon

First, for your consideration, a bit of history: Joseph Washington Dant was a well-known Kentucky distiller who in 1836 gained a reputation for making his whisky using a log still. For those not versed in the distillation arts, that’s essentially a hollowed out tree trunk with copper piping running through the center. The logs would…

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Review: 2012 Campo Viejo Rioja Garnacha

Campo Viejo is well known for its Rioja wines, which are typically made from Tempranillo grapes. Now the Spanish winery is launching its first ever Garnacha (aka Grenache), the second largest varietal in Spain. With a continued focus on affordability, here’s how Campo Viejo’s latest pans out. Mild to a fault, the wine eventually reveals…

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Review: Wines of Stickybeak, 2013 Releases

Stickybeak has an odd little boutique approach to winemaking, producing almost random wines (its first was a Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend) from both Sonoma and Italy, all under the same label — and for $20 and under. Thoughts on the two most recent releases from this odd duck with an even odder name follow. 2012 Stickybeak…

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Review: Sakes from Kasumi Tsuru Kimoto, SakeMoto, Murai, and Yoshinogawa

Oregon-based SakeOne is America’s largest producer of sake, and it’s one of its biggest importers of Japanese sakes, too. Recently the company added two new imported sakes to its lineup. We tasted them both (plus two previously available expressions), and have some opinions to share. Here are thoughts on the four new products, which should…

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Review: Hermitage Brewing Company India Pale Ale Single Hop Series – Calypso

Our third review in San Jose, California-based Hermitage Brewing Company’s Single Hop Series of IPAs brings us to the Calypso hop, “a dual purpose hop that was originally bred from the Nugget hop varietal.” The nose is extremely fruity — big apples and some light citrus notes. On the body, waves of warm caramel sauce…

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Recipe: Chicago’s Signature Room Cocktails

Located atop the Hancock building overlooking the metropolis of Chicago, the Signature Room at 95th has been serving up fine dining for two decades. We were lucky enough to snatch the recipes from some of their classy, signature drinks to present for your enjoyment. Island Waters Martini (created by Jesse Bivens) 2 parts Pinnacle Whipped…

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Review: Krome Vodka

This “world’s greatest vodka” is made in Bend, Oregon, where it is distilled from locally grown corn and blended with water from the Cascades. It’s bottled in a distinct, opaque black bottle. Thoughts follow. You’ll find caramel notes on the nose, but otherwise it’s a very simple and clean spirit. The finish — driven, the…

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Review: Wild Turkey Spiced

Spiced rum? Old news. Spiced whiskey is the future, bringing all the goodies of the baking cabinet to Kentucky’s finest. Wild Turkey is the latest to get into this game, bringing the traditional islandesque spices you’ll find adorning Captain Morgan and the rest of his crew to the world of Bourbon. There’s not a lot…

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