Review: American Harvest Organic Spirit (2011)
The folks at Sidney Frank — the company that made billions by giving us Grey Goose — is back at it. Its new vodka is a bit of a curiosity: It doesn’t actually say “vodka” on the label, it says “organic spirit.” What is an “organic spirit?” It’s organic vodka (column distilled from organic winter…
Review: 2006 Antinori Agricola Bramasole La Braccesca Syrah Cortona
Syrah is traditionally considered a New World grape, but here Antinori has found a plot of the stuff in Tuscany. Old World Italian Syrah? For real, folks, and it’s a bracing change of pace from traditional Italian reds and, more strikingly, the Syrah and Shiraz to which you’re likely accustomed. The character is distinctly Italian,…
Review: Wemyss Malts Smooth Gentleman 8 Years Old and Peat Chimney 8 Years Old
Wemyss (pronounced “weems”) is well known for its blended (aka vatted) malts and its aggressive approach to picking a variety of single malt casks to reach various specified outcomes. Wemyss even names its malts — which are not blended Scotch, by the way, since they contain no grain spirit, just malted barley — to give…
Review: 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Kentucky Bourbon
1792 (a reference to the year that Kentucky became a state) comes from the Barton Distilling Company, which ages this small batch whiskey for 8 years before releasing it as a 93.7 proof finished product. That product is ready-made for any sweet tooth: 1792 is one of the most sugary, dessert-friendly bourbons I’ve ever had.…
Review: The King’s Ginger Liqueur
Can you feel the Royal Wedding excitement yet? It’s palpable, I know, as mere days away a new princess will be crowned. To celebrate the nuptials, Berry Bros. is reminding everyone of The King’s Ginger, a liqueur it created in 1903 for King Edward VII, “to stimulate and revivify His Majesty during morning rides.” It’s…
Tasting Report: Red Wines of Chile, 2011 Releases
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a live, online tasting event featuring the red wines of Chile. While Chile is primarily known as Cabernet country, I was surprised to find that it is home to several other widely-planted grapes. Its Pinot Noirs shocked me with their sophistication and quality. Its Syrahs, however, were another…
Tasting Report: Wines of Roessler, 2011 Releases
Sonoma’s Roessler is a hidden gem in the region, but it’s no small fry: The winery bottles nearly 20 wines with fruit sourced from all over California — and Oregon. Specializing in Pinot Noir, the winery employs hands-off winemaking techniques and the results speak for themselves. We tasted seven recent vintages stretching from its southern…
Review: Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver Tequila (2011)
Some years ago, Jose Cuervo launched a tequila that was unique for its time: 100% agave, affordable, and available everywhere. For a nation that grew up on the cheap mixto that is Cuervo Gold, this was something else. But Cuervo Tradicional was available only as a reposado. No blanco, no anejo. Just the middle, lightly…
