Review: Anderson Valley Brewing Company Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale
It is admittedly a little early in the season — we’ve had record heat this week — for a beer this Christmasy, but soldier on we must as holiday brews start arriving in force. Anderson Valley’s Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale fits its name well, an amber lager that’s loaded to the gills with hot cocoa,…
Review: Springbank CV
Springbank is one of those whisky gems that serious Scotch fans love — myself included — but which is sadly underrepresented in the U.S. at bars and liquor stores. Springbank appears to be on the rise, though, and the Campbeltown-located distillery has put out its first new spirit in years. Like standard Springbank expressions, CV…
Review: Steinlager Pure Lager
The enviro craze has been slow to get to the beer world, but with Steinlager Pure it lands with a vengeance. An organic, touchy-feely vengeance, I mean. This rendition of the classic New Zealand brew Steinlager is all about sustainability. No additives or preservatives. Just, as the label notes, water, hops, malted barley, and yeast,…
Review: Sence Rose Nectar
I’ll admit: This stuff has been sitting on my kitchen counter for nearly nine months. Why? Because I’m a little scared of drinking flowers: 48 rose petals go into each 250ml bottle of Sence Rose Nectar, so Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too. But finally I’m doing it. Wasn’t so scary, really. Sence is exactly…
Review: Wines of Hogue Cellars, 2010 Releases
Hogue may be Washington’s best-known winery. We checked out four bottles from the producer, including two from Hogue’s second-label Genesis. Prices are about the same between the two brands. 2008 Genesis Chardonnay Columbia Valley – A fresh, young, and alive Chardonnay. Why is it so fresh? Because it’s completely unoaked, letting the wine highlight a…
Review: 2009 Big House White and Bodegas Osborne Seven Boxed Wines
Don’t need 130 glasses of wine at once? Octavin’s 3-liter boxes will get you about 20, while saving considerable space through the elimination of glass. We’ve reviewed lots of these boxed wines in the past — with generally awful results — but these two are surprisingly not bad. 2009 Big House White California – The…
Review: Silvertap Keg Wines, 2010 Releases
The world of wine has a lot of mystery and ceremony in it: Dusty old bottles. Corkscrews and sniffed enclosures. Fancy labels with cursive on them. Never mind all that, says Silvertap. This company is putting wine into kegs, much like those that beer is served from, and selling said kegs to restaurants and bars…
Review: Cazadores Reposado Tequila
A common tequila where 100% agave quality is desired but money is tight, Cazadores is a solid choice among budget tequilas, though it’s hardly anything out of the ordinary. Cazadores Reposado is a pungent tequila, with intense agave notes. The two months of aging (in new oak barrels) give it a just a light color,…
