Review: Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon
Next January (yes, 2011), the iconic Knob Creek will be releasing a new whiskey, expanding a line that, like Maker’s Mark before it, has resolutely stuck to one single product for all its life — 20 long years. That product is Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve — a single barrel, higher-proof version of its incredibly…
Tasting Four 2006 Cabernets from the Stags Leap District
Our friends at the Stags Leap District in Napa, California, were kind enough to send a smattering of Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the 2006 vintage. We tried them all together to see how this vintage is shaping up. Overall, these Cabs are ready to drink but could stand a little more age. Common threads are…
Review: Wines of Blackbird, 2010 Releases
Blackbird operates out of Napa Valley’s Yountville area, where it makes Merlot-heavy wines that are inspired by those of Pomerol, Bordeaux. We tasted through six new releases from the winery’s top-notch portfolio. Samples were via Tastingroom.com, from 50ml bottles. 2009 Blackbird Arriviste Napa Valley Rose – A very crisp and easy rose of Merlot (58%),…
Review: Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila (2010)
Don’t go a-hunting for Olmeca Altos tomorrow. Until now this tequila has only been available outside of the U.S. — and in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, it’s a pretty popular brand. Try hard and you’ll be able to find it stateside — and cheap, too — but the search just might undo you.…
Review: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010 Edition
The old bourbon masters at Old Forester never get tired of celebrating their birthday, and each year for the last eight years they’ve release a “Birthday Bourbon” in honor of the September 2 birth of George Brown (the namesake of Brown-Forman). This edition of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon went into barrels in October 1997, making…
Tasting Report: The Tasting Panel Double Gold Winners 2010
Of all the events I attend, The Tasting Panel Magazine’s get-together of its Double Gold Medal winners is the only one that mixes wine with spirits. Nowhere else do I expect to sample a Turkish rose next to peaty Scotch. Somehow it works, and while the selections here were all over the map, some standouts…
Review: Vesica Vodka
Math time. .75 liters + 1 liter = what? 1.75 liters, that’s right. And here’s the gimmick with Vesica Vodka: Take the .75 liter bottle and the 1 liter bottle of the vodka and put them together and you get the 1.75 liter bottle — not just in volume, but in bottle shape, too. How…
Review: 2006 Twomey Merlot Napa Valley
You heard it here first, people: Merlot is the “IT” wine of the decade. Yes, forget what you know from Sideways: If you want a quality California red wine at a reasonable price, your best bet is going to be the Merlot for the foreseeable future. Why is this? Because demand for Merlot has been…
