Review: 2011 Amapola Creek Chardonnay Russian River Valley Jos. Belli Vineyards
This high-end, unfined Chardonnay from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley is surprisingly mild. The nose offers gentle caramel notes, light wood character, and a touch of apple fruit. On the body, clear lemon character, with an earthy finish that offers hints of honeycomb, chewy nougat, and hints of fresh pear at the very end. Unusually restrained…
Recipe: 2013 St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail Ideas
Once again it is that festive time of year where folks, regardless of their ethnicity and cultural upbringing, can agree upon one thing: They’re Irish to the core, and always have been! Yes St. Patrick’s Day arrives on Sunday, a day for folks to wear all green clothing, consume mysterious looking green beer, and relish…
Review: Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA
With Dogfish’s fan loyalty, this Imperial IPA from Dogfish Head can be a challenging bottle to find. The brewing process for this expression in the Dogfish lineup is quite intense, and so goes the flavor and the alcohol content. 120 Minute IPA goes through a unique brewing process that incorporates a massive amount of hops.…
Review: Bowmore Dorus Mor Small Batch 10 Years Old
Known overseas as “Tempest,” this limited edition of Bowmore has an unfortunate trademark issue in the U.S. so, for its arrival on our shores it’s been rechristened as “Dorus Mor,” a tidal gate near the Isle of Mull. Classic, if slightly young, Bowmore, this Islay whisky is an iconic expression of what Bowmore does best.…
Review: 3 Big Bottom Bourbons, 2012 Releases
I’m an unofficial member of the Big Bottom fan club, having gushed about the company’s 2 year old and 3 year old Port-finished Bourbons in the past. The 4 year olds sold out pretty much immediately, but Oregon-based proprietor Ted Pappas just can’t quit. His latest series includes a collection of three 5 year old…
Book Review: The 40 Minute Irish Whiskey Guide
Few books could be more appropriate for the celebration leading up to St. Patrick’s Day than a resource guide to Irish whiskey, one of which conveniently just arrived in our inbox. At a mere 40 pages in length, 27Press’ 40-Minute Irish Whiskey Guide is a brisk read, and could prove debatable as to whether or…
Review: Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin
Monkey 47 is one of those spirits with a really long and involved backstory, but the nut of it is that you’re drinking crazy gin from Germany. Created by a WWII Royal Air Force pilot who settled in the Black Forest after the war, our hero made his own gin out of local ingredients and…
Review: Privateer Rum – Silver and Amber
Another entry into America’s great and belated return to rum-making, Privateer hails from Massachusetts. I’ll spare you the lengthy backstory which includes a discovery of a colonial era flotilla of ships and a distillery owned by the ancestor of the distillery’s current proprietor. The bottom line: They’re making rum in New England again, people. It’s…
