Book Review: Bordeaux
Every serious wine drinker needs a big fat book on Bordeaux, the world’s pre-eminent wine region, on his shelf. Oz Clarke’s fat tome on the area and its wines (and, per the subtitle, the vineyards and winemakers) is a decent pick, but it’s not the best I’ve seen. As is frequently the problem with “celebrity”…
Review: Hooker’s House Bourbon and Rye (2013)
Color me a bit of a skeptic. Hooker’s House label declares these whiskeys as “Sonoma Style,” as in the California wine country. Where they do not make whiskey. Right? Heck, HelloCello (aka Prohibition Spirits) — best known for its artisanal lemoncello (and other flavors) — makes this whiskey. What on earth do these guys know…
Review: Merlet Cognac Brothers Blend
Formerly a private label distiller of Cognac for the major houses, Merlet (pronounced mer-lay) has launched its own label, under its own name. (The company also makes a variety of fruit liqueurs, which we’ll be reviewing soon.) The first product, launching now in the U.S., is called Merlet Brothers Blend, a marriage of eaux-de-vies ranging…
Book Review: Extreme Brewing
We presented Alt Whiskeys previously. Now we have Extreme Brewing. Written by Sam Calagione, owner of the highly-esteemed Dogfish Head Brewery, Extreme Brewing is a treatise on how to make beers that push the boundaries of the beverage. Several dozen recipes are included, ranging from the expected pilsners and lagers to stuff that includes pumpkin,…
Review: Finger Lakes Distilling McKenzie Rye and Bourbon Whiskey
Finger Lakes Distilling operates out of, you guessed it, the Finger Lakes region of New York, well known as an up-and-coming wine region but also a hotbed of craft distilleries, too. Finger Lakes makes two young whiskeys which we recently put to the taste test. Both are 91 proof. McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey – Double-pot distilled…
Review: Agave Underground Anejo Tequila
With a coffin-shaped bottle and a stopper that looks like a flaming skull, to say that Agave Underground is going for the punk tequila drinker with this fairly new brand (established 2009) may be stating the obvious. These tequilas — the three typical expressions are made — hail from seven-year-old agave plants in the Jalisco…
Book Review: The Kentucky Mint Julep
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is home to many a splendored thing: actors Clooney, Depp, and Shatner, bluegrass music, horses, Lionel Hampton, Loretta Lynn, and of course bourbon. While these are all claims of which to be Kentucky proud, one of the finer small indulgences signaling spring’s imminent arrival to the Bluegrass is the season’s first…
Review: Belle de Brillet Poire Williams (2013)
I’ve had a mini of Belle de Brillet around for years. So it came as quite a surprise to find out that Kobrand would be “bringing” this brand (which launched in the 1980s) to the U.S. (The bottle I have was imported by Pasternak.) I figured I’d crack it open and give it a spin.…
