Review: The Glenrothes 1994, 1998, and John Ramsay Legacy Edition

In the Scotch whisky world, The Glenrothes (correct pronunciation: glen-ROTH-ess) is unusual to the point of being unique. It doesn’t offer age statements on its products, but rather vintage dates them from the point of distillation. You can figure out the age by reading the fine print — the typical Glenrothes vintage-dated whisky is 10…

Read More about Review: The Glenrothes 1994, 1998, and John Ramsay Legacy Edition

Review: Amigo bf4e Tequila Reposado

You’re not crazy. Someone really did put “best friends forever” in the name of their tequila. That someone is Amigo, and the best friends in question are this bottle of tequila and you. But let’s put the name aside and see where we get. 100% agave, with no chemical additives, Amigo bf4e comes only in…

Read More about Review: Amigo bf4e Tequila Reposado

Review: Karl Strauss Oktoberfest

San Diego’s Karl Strauss Brewing Company offers this brew for the traditional October celebration of all things beer. But Karl Strauss’s Oktoberfest is a bit of an oddity. The nose screams cocoa powder, with a malty, lightly hoppy character. That cocoa continues on the palate, but the body isn’t a good match. Watery and thin,…

Read More about Review: Karl Strauss Oktoberfest

Review: Hope Family Winery Westside Red Troublemaker

Hope Family Winery, under its Westside Red label, is releasing this oddity, a Paso Robles-based blend of 53% Syrah, 37% Mourvedre, and 10% Grenache… from three different vintages: 2007, 2008, and 2009. The result is a wine so intensely earthy that I had first suspected it had a Pinot Noir influence. But its spicy Syrah…

Read More about Review: Hope Family Winery Westside Red Troublemaker

Review: Ardbeg Supernova SN2010

There are peaty Scotches, and there is Ardbeg Supernova. Ardbeg’s standard malt is, to this writer’s knowledge, the peatiest Scotch in regular production. Supernova takes that and ramps it up even further. Listen, they don’t exactly call it Supernova because it’s subtle. The original Supernova was released last year to massive acclaim, with a ridiculous…

Read More about Review: Ardbeg Supernova SN2010

Review: Stevens Point Whole Hog Raspberry Saison

Fruit + beer often = trouble. Stevens Point’s latest entry into its Whole Hog line is a raspberry-flavored saison — a rustic, seasonal ale designed to be refreshing and reinvigorating after a long day of work. The spectre of a jammy, over-sweetened beer is worrisome, but Stevens has done right in this recipe. On first…

Read More about Review: Stevens Point Whole Hog Raspberry Saison

Review: Crown Royal Black

They say three of anything is a trend. Well, by my count, we’re at five. I’m talking about whiskeys with extra oak aging, particularly with the word “Black” added to the name. Crown Royal Black is, as you may expect, an added-oak version of the venerable Crown Royal Canadian whisky. In this case, “black” is…

Read More about Review: Crown Royal Black

Review: Botran Solera 1893 and Reserva Rum (2010)

Botran Rum, aka Ron Botran or Casa Botran, hails from Guatemala and is distilled by the same outfit that makes the fantastic Ron Zacapa, Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala. Located about a mile and a half above sea level, Botran’s rums are matured in a very cool warehouse compared to most of the industry, where the…

Read More about Review: Botran Solera 1893 and Reserva Rum (2010)