Review: Point Brewing 2012 Black Ale
The End of Days is coming, folks, but at least we’ll be well lubricated when they arrive. Point Brewing Company’s latest beer is named for the now-unavoidable year 2012, when the Mayan “Long Count” comes to an end and, depending on your credo, possibly takes the world along with it. The ale is indeed dark,…
Review: 2006 Hall Merlot Napa Valley
This newly released merlot needs lots — and I mean lots — of time to open up. Young and incredibly tannic for merlot on first blush, after some breathing room (hours if you can spare it), the 2006 Hall becomes quite the lush experience. Fragrant with violet-inflected raspberry and black cherry, the body offers milk…
What’s the Best Booze for Cocktail X?
So you want to drink a martini. Congrats on making up your mind. Now comes the hard part: Which gin do you use? Or what do you put in your Manhattan? Or your Mojito? The answers, according to a contest, now in its first year, called the Ultimate Cocktail Challenge, are Tanqueray, Rittenhouse Rye, and…
Review: 2008 Chateau Roquefort Bordeaux Blanc
White Bordeaux is one of the wine world’s most poorly understood wines. Primarily planted sauvignon blanc and semillon grapes (with some muscadelle here and there), virtually all Bordeaux blanc is a blend, while the whites of most of the rest of the world are composed of a single varietal. This blanc from Chateau Roquefort is…
Book Review: Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch 6th Edition
There are two major schools of thoughts in whiskey review compendiums: You can get Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible, which features digest reviews of every whiskey known to man in birdseed type, or you can go for Michael Jackson’s less thorough (and covering single malt Scotch only) Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch, which features quite…
Review: 2007 Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet Sauvignon
We’ve reviewed several vintages of Robert Craig’s Bordeaux-styled Affinity, but the 2007 is one of the best yet. This year’s blend is heavier on the petit verdot, with a composition of 79% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petit verdot, 8% merlot, 2% cabernet franc, and 1% malbec. The result is impressive, a deep, cherry-infused wine with coffee…
Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel and Royal Canadian Small Batch Canadian Whiskies
Two new whiskies from our friends at Sazerac and their compatriots north of the border. Both limited edition bottlings with unique pedigrees, these Canadian spirits are just now hitting the market. Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky is a deceivingly light orange color, belying the amount of rich flavor it has inside. Big orange and…
Review: Rum Jumbie Rums and Liqueur
Rum Jumbie (the name refers to spirits allegedly trapped inside the caves of the Caribbean who would possess the souls of rum drinkers) makes several light, flavored rums plus a rum liqueur. The flavored rums are all uncolored, are sourced from Panama, and are bottled at a scant 48 proof. Flavors are natural but otherwise…
