Review: Calisaya Liqueur
A bittersweet amaro-style liqueur, Calisaya is made in an Italian style, but not in Italy — rather, in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Not nearly as dark as most amaros, Calisaya is a deep orange, in keeping with its orange-inflected flavor. But the base of Calisaya is not distinctly orange but rather cinchona bark, a tree which…
Review: McAfee’s Benchmark Old No. 8 Bourbon
Benchmark Old No. 8 (from our friends at Buffalo Trace) has been winning awards right and left of late — and it’s easy to see why. At about $14 a bottle, it offers outstanding quality for a pittance. Benchmark, made with a fair amount of rye, has a deep amber color, and the nose is…
Tasting Report: Ministry of Rum Festival 2010
With the popularity (and quality) of rum rising, the Ministry of Rum continues its mission of exposing the world to great rums and rum cocktails. Recently I had the opportunity to sample numerous hard-to-find, new, and very old rums at the Ministry’s event in Alameda. Ratings and some brief thoughts on everything tasted follow. Bear…
Review: Landy VSOP Cognac
Despite the Snoop Dogg endorsement (or, perhaps, because of it), the VSOP expression of Landy’s cognac is pretty pedestrian stuff. Harshly earthly and woody on the nose, it tastes strongly of apple with a finish that veers toward bitter. The finish is on the hard side, a reminder that this cognac is awfully young. (The…
Review: Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum
The problem with cherry flavored spirits, of course, is the cough syrup connection. Cherry flavoring is so endemic in over-the-counter throat and lung remedies that most drinkers immediately want to climb back in bed once a cherry liquor hits their lips. Bacardi bypasses that problem with its new cherry rum by “torching” it — now,…
Tasting Report: Wines of Madonna Estate, 2010 Releases
Madonna Estate is very centrally located between Sonoma and Napa — it’s one of those wineries you pass by a thousand times when you’re driving through the wine country, but you never stop there. I finally did on a recent drive in the area and tasted their wines, the vast majority of which are grown…
Review: Riazul Tequila, Complete Lineup
This new line of tequilas comes from the Jalisco Highlands — said to be harvested from land held by a single family for more than 200 years — and is imported into and distributed from Houston, Texas. All three expressions are of course 100 percent agave and 80 proof. Riazul Silver Tequila – This blanco…
Review: Reál Sangria White Sangria
Most of us know red sangria — with fruit a-bobbing in the pitcher — all too well. Reál Sangria is now offering a pre-mixed white sangria, a relatively obscure spin on the classic, which uses white wine instead of red to achieve a lighter, fruitier taste. This white sangria is relatively simple, but quite refreshing.…
