Is Duty Free Ever a Good Deal?
International travelers, you know the drill: You can bring in up to one liter of booze without paying the duty on it. And if they have a special name for it (“the duty!”), that must be a lot of cash, right? Hence the existence of duty free shops in every international airport on earth. But…
Tasting the Wines of Bolgheri, 2010 Releases
During my visit to Ornellaia, I also had the chance to sample three other wines from the neighborhood, comparing them in the relatively controlled environment of a local wine and salumi joint. Some thoughts follow: 2007 Ornellaia – I’ve covered this one extensively here, but noted more rich chocolate character in this tasting of a…
Visiting Tuscany’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia
Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is a major and increasingly important name in super-Tuscan wines. With its neighbor Sassicaia right down the street, these two define the Bolgheri area of Italy and own completely the bragging rights as this region’s top wine producers. Mere miles from the Mediterranean Sea, Ornellaia began its life in 1981 and now produces…
Review: The Lash Spiced Rum
For some reason, Drinkhacker readers adore spiced rum. They drink it, they comment, they debate it. They love this stuff. And yet there aren’t that many spiced rums on the market, so when a new one arrives, they pounce on the stuff like phony handbag salesmen on tourists. The Lash is a rum with a…
Review: 2006 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT
In Italy, Modus is everywhere. Seriously, you can’t escape it. I even encountered a kiosk at the airport in Florence where a guy was offering samples of the stuff. What’s the fuss all about? This Sangiovese (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%) blend has a hefty Bordeaux character, offering moderate and dusty earthiness that interplays…
Review: Deschutes Brewery Twilight Summer Ale (2010)
Is it summer already? Well, no, but it’s close enough, at least for summer beer. Deschutes’ Twilight is considerably more hoppy than I thought it would be — the summer tagline said sweet and crisp to me, but this is a more bitter, full-bodied experience. The result is a more complex brew than you might…
Tasting Report: Riesling World Tour 2010
Riesling remains underrated and largely under-consumed in the U.S., and recently two dozen German Riesling producers and importers descended on San Francisco to offer tastes of (primarily) their 2008 and 2009 vintages. One of the reasons why German Riesling is so ignored here is likely due to its complicated categorization system, which puts wines into…
Review: Coruba Mango and Coconut Flavored Rum
Coruba is Jamaican rum (imported to New Zealand and sold from there). These two new bottlings are flavored rums that have been considerably doctored not just with flavoring agents but lightened down to just 42 proof. Coruba Mango Rum is an intensely sweet experience, and mango is really only hinted at in the finish. It’s…
