Review: Belvedere Intense Unfiltered 80 Vodka
Is “intense” something people normally want from their vodka? Made from single-estate Dankowskie Diamond rye in Poland, Belvedere distills this vodka four times then bottles it unfiltered for your happy consumption. (Note: There is also a Belvedere Intense that is filtered; but this version typically goes by the nickname of “Belvedere Unfiltered,” even though the…
Review: VnC Pre-Mixed Cocktails
Pre-mixed cocktails continue to grow in popularity. VnC, which is based in New Zealand, takes it to the ultimate conclusion: The cocktails not only have the alcohol already in them (in addition to natural juices), they’re packaged both in party size bottlings and in single serve versions, which we reviewed. Each 200ml cocktail comes in…
Review: Shock Top Lemon Shandy
From now until the end of July, our friends at Shock Top are offering this seasonal release, a classic Lemon Shandy reminiscent of the classic beer and lemonade combo. It’s not my favorite from this brewery: The base beer is a lightly spiced Belgian wheat brew, which is harmless enough with a bit of coriander…
Tasting Report: Wines of Howell Mountain 2012
The northernmost section of the Napa Valley AVA, Howell Mountain is literally the top of a mountain due east of St. Helena. (The AVA starts at 1400 feet, where the fog breaks, and goes on up to the top. Like most mountain AVAs, Howell Mountain is sunny and cool, with a level climate. The vast…
Review: Karlsson’s Gold Gammel Svensk Rod 2008 Single Vintage, Single Potato Vodka
I say Celina, Solist, and Sankta Thora. What comes to mind? If you said Nordic maritime vessels, you are unfortunately incorrect. The answer: They are all white potato varieties grown in Sweden – and used in the production of Karlsson’s Gold vodka. I reviewed Karlsson’s Gold early in my Drinkhacking career, and found it a…
Review: Milagro Tequila UNICO
Aiming to “redefine” the tequila world, Milagro is releasing a new joven tequila with an outrageous price tag. Just 1,200 bottles of UNICO have been made, starting with a “kitchen-distilled” base of white spirit produced with 13 kilos of agave per liter. This base is blended with aged stock (the details of which aren’t released),…
Review: Greenhook Ginsmiths American Dry Gin
Brooklyn’s Greenhook Ginsmiths is drawing acclaim for this new product, an “American Dry Gin” distilled in a specially-engineered alembic still that’s outfit with a vacuum to enable distillation at lower temperatures, designed to keep the spirit “magically” purer by keeping the botanicals from being destroyed by boiling. (Vacuum distillation isn’t unique to Greenhook, but it’s…
Review: Malbecs from Trivento and Concha y Toro, 2012 Releases
These new Argentinean Malbecs come from Trivento and Concha y Toro, the latter of which is best known for its Chilean wines. Here’s how a bumper crop of the fruit of Mendoza shakes out. 2011 Concha y Toro Frontera Malbec Cuyo – Surprisingly tart and slightly sweet, jammy, with strawberry/raspberry jelly character muted by some…
