Review: Guinness Generous Ale
This seasonal English Dark Mild Ale slipped through the holiday cracks at Drinkhacker HQ, but we’re trying to atone and get a quick review up while it’s still on the market. (It should be readily available for at least another month or so.) Surprisingly mild-bodied, it’s somewhat woody on the nose, exhibiting some mild baking/Christmas…
Tasting the Wines of Valencia, 2013 Releases
Valencia is a Spanish region that sounds oh-so-familiar but, in reality, is one which few Americans could pinpoint on a map. It’s actually a region of Spain in the east, along the Mediterranean sea — about as far away from the more famous regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero as you can get in…
Review: Newcastle Winter IPA
The latest in Newcastle’s seasonal releases is this cold-weather brew, a Winter IPA designed for celebratory tidings. The amber beer doesn’t come across as particularly IPA-like. It’s not particularly bitter or hoppy; in fact, it’s on the sweet side. Perhaps that’s what makes it “winter” — some vague baking spices in the finish that play…
Review: 2012 River Road Nouveau Rose of Pinot Noir
This ultra-young rose of Pinot Noir — picked, produced and bottled all in 2012, a la Beaujolais Nouveau — is ultra-fruity, with fresh strawberries and pineapple backed up with a touch of rose petals. Complex? Not exactly, but it’s got a fun zip that, once you push past all the sugary notes, makes for a…
Review: Cacao Prieto Single Origin Cacao Rum Liqueurs
Single-origin coffee beans? Sure. Single-origin chocolate bars? Why not? How about single-origin cacao liqueur, then? Can turning cacao beans from a single estate really make a difference? Is it actually possible for the individual character of a cacao bean to make it through the distillation process and into the finished product? Well, we’re about to…
Original Recipe: The Upton Abbey
My sources tell me that Downton Abbey season three begins this weekend. Coincidentally, I developed this cocktail at an Abbey-themed New Year’s Eve party, in part trying to capture the spirit of the era (and using liquor common in 1910s England), in part trying to take advantage of spirits available on hand at our host’s…
Review: The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 6
Balvenie’s Tun 1401 is a series of special releases that have been hitting the market, each batch typically a regional release exclusive to an individual country or two. Batch 3 was the first U.S. exclusive. Now there’s Batch 6, another U.S.-only bottling composed of whisky from seven traditional (ex-Bourbon) casks and two sherry butts. Balvenie…
Review: Pomacai Vodka
Pomegranate and acai have developed strong “superfruit” reputations, which have led to many a boozemaker attempting to use these products to make new spirits. But the fact remains that neither of these taste particularly good, which is why most pomegranate juice drinks are stuffed full of sugar or other, sweeter, juices. Acai, based on the…
