Review: Ilegal Mezcal, Complete Lineup (2010)
Puritans, be advised: Two Ls or three, Ilegal Mezcal is certainly legal, although the rustic labels and wax-sealed cork stoppers may make you think otherwise. This small batch mezcal from the Oaxaca region of Mexico is hand numbered and produced in very small lots (typically under 2,000 bottles per lot). All 100 percent agave, of…
Tasting Report: Madeira Wine 2010
To call Madeira poorly understood would be charitable. This truly ancient fortified wine from an eponymous island off the coast of (and part of) Portugal dates back to the 1400s and comes in infinite varieties. Sadly, the only one most drinkers are likely to have ever encountered is the cheap bottle carried by the local…
Review: Samuel Adams Pint Glass
There are nearly as many types of beer glasses out there as there are wine glasses. A few years back Samuel Adams created this custom glass — designed specifically for its Boston Lager — and unlike any other beer glass in my collection. I’ll let the company explain: “The brewers worked with a team of…
Review: Whipahol Whipped Lightning
Sadly we don’t have a category for this: Alcohol-infused, flavored whipped cream. That crazy conjecture is what Whipahol’s Whipped Lightning is: Flavored cream (and it is cream, not non-dairy topping), injected with alcohol and compressed air to fluff it up. It’s available in nine flavors, none of which are “whipped cream.” That’s because you need…
Tasting Dom Perignon with Winemaker Richard Geoffrey, 2010 Releases
Few brands enjoy the status that Dom Perignon has — and has had, literally for centuries. I had the good fortune to meet the Champagne house’s Chef de Cave Richard Geoffrey, who flew in to San Francisco to give us a guided tour of his latest releases — cracking open a few thousand dollars worth…
Tequila: It’s What’s For Dinner?
Try this experiment: Next time you have a fine meal in front of you, open up a bottle of tequila and see how well it goes with dinner. I had the chance to do this, courtesy of an event put on at San Francisco’s Jardiniere restaurant, thrown by Partida Tequila and Folio Fine Wine Partners,…
Review: Danny Boy Irish Whiskey
The name is not entirely politically correct (see also here), but Danny Boy is nonetheless Irish Whiskey true and true. Give Danny Boy — distilled by Cooley Distillery — a little time in the glass before you dig in: It’s got some heat that mellows after a few minutes with exposure to air. Your patience…
Tasting the Wines of Bodegas Terras Gauda with Winemaker Emilio Rodriguez, 2010 Releases
Meet Emilio Rodriguez. He makes wine at Bodegas Terras Gauda — primarily white Albarino — and Pittacum — primarily from the red Mencia grape. Together, these two Spanish wineries (“bodegas” to those in the know) pack a one-two punch, representing two exceptional, crisp whites plus one of the best Spanish reds I’ve ever tasted. If…
