Review: Sandeman Ruby Porto and Founders Reserve Porto (2012)
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get good quality Port. These two Ruby Ports from Sandeman show that you can get solid dessert wines for under 20 bucks. Not familiar with Ruby Port? Ruby is (of course) the cheapest and least complex Port, a blend of wines that sit in neutral (not wood)…
Review: Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Cask Strength 12 Years Old (2012)
My oh my how the people love Redbreast. It wins awards, has hipster cred, and bartenders love the stuff. It’s the hippest Irish whiskey on earth, and it costs a boatload. Somehow I’ve never really gotten into it. Made by Midleton (which also makes Jameson and other Irish brands), it is distilled three times in a…
California Wine Trip 2012: Page, Revolver, Mumm, Miraflores
I’ve spent more time than usual in various wine regions in Northern California, and I figured I’d put all my tasting notes into one post. Page Wine Cellars is a boutique winery in Yountville that also sells under the Revolver label. Miraflores is based in El Dorado — up in the Sierra Nevada foothills —…
Review: Tequila Clase Azul – Plata and Reposado
I’m never quite sure what to make of the ornate tequila bottles like this. They’re striking to look at, but I always feel like they’re trying to hide something behind a lot of glass, metal, and ceramic. Perhaps my fears are founded in the case of Clase Azul, a very expensive and unique but ham-fisted…
Review: George Killian’s Irish Red (2012)
Killian’s was a big hit around when I was in college. I’m sure I drank plenty of it then, but haven’t even thought about it in the last 15 years or so. Now, as we head into St. Patrick’s Day, Killian’s Irish Red is revamping its recipe and repackaging the beer. The new recipe, per…
Review: Shock Top Wheat IPA
Our mohawked friends at Shock Top are experimenting again with something new: A wheat beer made in an India Pale Ale style. Can that be done? I won’t pretend to be the beer expert that our resident beer guy Greg Bruce is, but Shock Top’s Wheat IPA really is as curious as the company says…
Review: Brugal Siglo de Oro Rum
It isn’t every day that we’re treated to products that aren’t even sold in the U.S., but our good friends at Brugal sent this, Brugal‘s Siglo de Oro (“Golden Century”), for our consideration. It’s Brugal’s most prized rum, so rare it is produced only once a year and doesn’t even appear on Brugal’s website. Fortunately,…
Review: 2008 Chateau de Cosse Sauternes
This Sauternes comes from a holding of Chateau Rieussec, which is part of the Domaines Barons de Rothschild empire. This tiny property makes less than 5,000 cases of dessert wine each year, with prices kept low because it is aged only 16 to 18 months in used oak barrels. Grape varietals are 80 to 90%…
