Review: 2021 Yalumba Y Series Viognier
A viognier from Australia’s Barossa Valley, this presents as a slightly subdued expression of the normally powerfully perfumed wine, its apricot notes buried under a shot of cream, white flowers adding a touch of the garden to a finish that rolls into vanilla and elderflower notes. Simple, but at this price, don’t even blink. B+…
Review: Smokehead Tequila Cask Terminado, Sherry Cask Blast, and Rum Cask Rebel
We kicked off our exploration of Smokehead earlier this summer with a look at the flagship offering and its bolder, cask strength sibling. Those bottles are joined in the Smokehead lineup by a trio of unique cask finished expressions (with a fourth, stout-finished offering on the way). Thoughts follow. Smokehead Tequila Cask Terminado – Finished…
Bar Review: Swift’s Attic, Austin
Normally when I’m asked to visit a bar, it’s a new operation — so fresh that often the paint isn’t even dry. I had no idea when I stepped into Austin’s Swift’s Attic that it had been around since 2012 — with general manager and beverage director Curtis Hansford at the helm for virtually its…
Review: Wines of McPrice Myers, 2023 Releases
McPrice Myers isn’t a partnership but rather a person. His first name is McPrice, or “Mac” to his friends. The Paso Robles winemaker has been cranking out wines since 2002, and today he bottles them under a bevy of different labels — but all revolving around Paso-born fruit. We received a sampling of bottles that…
Review: Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate 15 Years Old 2023
Glenmorangie released back-to-back expressions of its Cadboll Estate in 2020 and 2021, both of which were aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, allowing the estate-grown barley to shine without the distraction of any of the distillery’s trademark cask finishing. When we interviewed Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, the infamous Dr. Bill, he told us that he…
Review: 2022 Villa Maria EarthGarden Sauvignon Blanc
Peaches and lemons come together — in bright, semi-sweet fashion — in this focused but ultimately summer-centric New Zealand-born wine, laying its floral elements bare after the initial rush of sweetness fades. Connotations of lemonade or white sangria aren’t off-base here, though there are touches of fragrance here — green herbs, possibly some mint —…
Review: Bhakta Jamaican Rum 1990
Raj Bhakta‘s eponymous spirits line started out as an Armagnac purveyor, but it’s since expanded to whiskey and, now, rum — all of which are designed to showcase these spirits at the peak of their maturity. The product is a blend of two single vintages of Jamaican rum, a 25 year old column still rum…
Review: Santo Tequila Anejo
Santo Tequila is fronted by Sammy Hagar of Van Halen fame and food show celebrity Guy Fieri. We first tried the brand in 2017, when they released their unusual Mezquila, and just a few months ago we tried Santo’s younger tequila offerings: blanco, reposado, and a bold, flavorful 110 proof blanco. Today we finally finish…
