Book Review: Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History
Spirits nerds love a good yarn about how such and such booze came into being, and with Iconic Spirits, Mark Spivak has put plenty of the best into one easy-reading tome. Curious how moonshining and NASCAR are inextricably intertwined (hint: it’s got nothing to do with the people watching it), or how St. Germain found…
Review: Kendall-Jackson 2010 Chardonnay and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon
Even the wine world is going mobile. Kendall-Jackson has launched a new mobile app called K-J Recommends, with an eye toward pairing its wines with certain events in your life (romance, family, etc.). It’s a fanciful app… and two of the 11 wines recommended are reviewed below. 2010 Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay Vintner’s Reserve California – Apples…
Review: Master of Malt Professor Cornelius Ampleforth’s Cold-Distilled Absinthe 91.2%
One of Master of Malt’s completely hare-brained sub-brands, Professor Cornelius Ampleforth is the producer of a line of unusual spirits, including this ultra-oddity, an “absinthe” distilled to 182.4 proof. Not a typo. Made in the UK from English wheat and traditional absinthe botanicals (grand wormwood, anise, fennel, licorice) and a number of non-traditional ones drawn…
Review: Luna Nueva Tequila, Complete Lineup
This Highlands tequila, 100% agave of course, is double distilled — intriguingly — first in a copper pot still, then in a stainless steel still. We sampled all three expressions on the market. As a side note: Mind the stoppers on these tall bottles — they have a dangerous tendency to come off with minimal…
Review: 2010 Melka CJ Cabernet Sauvignon
Melka was a new brand for me that I wasn’t familiar with. This Napa-based winery produces only a few thousand cases a year under two major sub-labels, Matisse and CJ. Today we look at the 2010 CJ, named for the initials of the two children of Philippe and Cherie Melka. It’s unclear whose eyeballs are…
Looking for the Green Fairy with an Absinthes.com Sampler Pack
Interested in absinthe but don’t know where to start? With bottle prices that can top $100 a pop, it’s tough to justify the price for a bottle if you aren’t exactly sure what you’re getting in to. Germany-based Absinthes.com attempts to correct that with its collection of miniatures — 50ml bottles of absinthe available for…
Review: Fair Vodka and Cafe and Goji Liqueurs
You have to appreciate a company that wants to do some good in the world, even while it’s getting people liquored up. Fair (technically “FAIR.” with a period) bills itself as the first Fair Trade-certified spirits manufacturer. Based in France, the company offers a vodka and two liqueurs. We tasted them all. Thoughts follow. Fair…
Review: AnestasiA Vodka (2012)
Much has been written about AnestasiA to date, so I won’t belabor obvious points. This weird and wacky spirit is far from the beaten path. I’m sure there are tons of club kids who’ll find this to their liking. I found it strange to the power of 100. AnestasiA is marketed as a “Sensational Spirit”…
