Review: The Glenlivet Cellar Collection 1973
This new, limited release whisky has spent 36 long years in cask (one sherry cask and two American oak barrels have been blended together), waiting for just the right amount of time to get from oak into the bottle and from there into your belly. This is a whisky that feels just about perfect, cooled…
Review: Ron Barcelo Rum – Anejo, Gran Anejo, and Imperial
From the land of the Dominican Republic comes Ron Barcelo, an 80-year-old blender which takes various rums from the island and mixes up these concoctions. The company uses old bourbon barrels to age its spirit, and bottles them all at 80 proof. Here’s how they stack up. Ron Barcelo Anejo – A blend of rums…
Review: Karma Tequila Silver
This new Highland tequila is made with no additives, a blend of double- and triple-distilled spirit and mixed with well water from the estate on which the agave is grown. Available only in blanco/silver form for now (reposado and anejo are aging now), Karma has a mild nose and a medium body. The initial rush…
Review: Newcastle DraughtKeg
Want fresh, foamy beer without having to haul your ass down to your local watering hole or deal with the hassles of a home kegerator? Thanks to Newcastle, anyone can tap a pint-sized keg in the comfort of their own kitchen. This five-liter metal canister contains pure Newcastle, complete with an internal CO2 pressure system…
Review: 2008 Olson Ogden Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Mendocino
This Mendocino pinot noir has a very light body, but it’s balanced by a little smoke, some nice wood notes, and a jammy finish, giving it more complexity than you might think. A little subdued at first blush, it opens up nicely with some time exposed to air. Easy to drink now, if you can…
Review: Glengoyne 10, 17, 12 Cask Strength, and 16 Years Old Shiraz Finished (2010)
I’ve had limited encounters with Glengoyne, a Highland Scotch producer just a dozen miles from Glasgow, and today had the opportunity to sample four of the company’s most worthwhile expressions. Here are some thoughts on each. As a house style, Glengoyne does not peat its whisky, but rather air dries the barley, so sweetness and…
Review: The Perfect Puree Beverage Artistry Mixers
The Perfect Puree has recently added a series of pre-blended mixes of primarily fruit juice, simple syrup, and other goodies to its pre-squeezed fruit juice base offerings, a collection which ranges from banana to strawberry. Beverage Artistry’s “Premium Blends” offer eight bases you can use to make high-end cocktails without having to buy, cut, squeeze,…
Tasting Report: Taste of Mendocino 2010
Who knew there was this much wine in Mendocino? When I strolled into this event 45 minutes before it was set to end, I expected to see maybe a dozen winemakers pouring, not 58 producers, some with a dozen wines on their table. Is Mendocino really this big? I guess so, and it also produces…
