Review: Collingwood Canadian Whisky
Never mind what’s inside Collingwood: You don’t get very far without admiring the bottle. I know I’m a sucker for a nice decanter, but this thing is ridiculous, like an overgrown Chanel bottle or a glass, whisky-filled Zippo. But on to the spirit within: This whisky is, to be blunt, unlike any I’ve ever tasted.…
Book Review: Whiskey & Philosophy
It is try that whiskey has a tendency to make philosophers out of all of us, but I didn’t know that would lead anyone to actually write a book on the topic. Truth be told, Whiskey & Philosophy is not really a study of drinking dogma but an anthology (written by 20 different authors or…
Review: Martini & Rossi Rosato Vermouth
Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a new kind of vermouth to contend with. Joining Dry, Sweet, and the rarely-seen Bianco, Martini & Rossi has launched another expression: Rosato. Rosato falls somewhere between the red and white spectrum — indeed it’s a blend of red and white wines, plus a lot of spice. The pink…
I Took the Cachaca Challenge
There is nothing more fun – or terrifying – than doing a blind head-to-head tasting of wine or spirits. What if everything you thought you knew was wrong? What if it turns out you like Gallo from a jug better than Screaming Eagle? (Answer: Well, then, you’re lucky. You’ll save a lot of money down…
Review: 2007 DiamAndes Gran Reserva Mendoza Argentina
This Mendoza wine is a blend of 70% Malbec and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. The result: Though now four years old, it still feels young. A light, reserved nose gives way to a lot of grip on the palate, an almost chalky, dusty wine. There is a solid fruit core here, but it’s tight and not…
Review: Chopin Rye Vodka
This could be a first for vodka makers: A company releases a second, unflavored vodka, different only because it was produced with a different base grain. Chopin is a relatively uninspired potato vodka, and now the company is back with a vodka made from rye. Chopin “Red Label” is crafted from 100% Polish rye and…
Tasting Report: 2011 Good Eats Zinfandel & Food Pairing
Rarely is a bottle of wine consumed on its own, and the folks at ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers) know this. A smaller part of the monumental ZAP event is this annual shindig, an event that pairs every winery exhibiting with an area restaurant, the idea being to show off how well Zinfandel wines go…
Review: PreToxx Hangover Remedy
PreToxx — now reformulated and repackaged since our 2009 review and featuring a capital T instead of a lowercase one — still has one great thing going for it: It’s a pill, so choking it down is easy. Designed to be consumed before you drink, one PreToxx pill contains the following: Vitamins B1, B6, B12,…
