Book Review: Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide 2010
The venerable Oz Clarke is back again with another pocket-sized guide to the entire world of wine. Naturally it’s impossible to distill everything into 350 minuscule pages, and as always it’s easier to see what Clarke has left out than what he’s decided to include in his annual guide. Organized like a dictionary, everything’s alphabetical,…
Review: Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale and Pugsley’s Smashed Pumpkin
Yes, I missed Halloween. Then I missed Thanksgiving. Now I am determined not to miss Christmas and get some reviews of these two pumpkin-flavored beers out of the way before I have to start thinking about Easter brews. Shipyard Brewing Company Pumpkinhead Ale hails from Maine. It’s a relatively light lager, with an aroma, color,…
Review: Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
Unassuming at just $45 (at most — I’ve seen if for $35 sometimes), Pierre Ferrand’s Ambre is hardly an ultra-luxe cognac. And yet for the price you pay you’re getting an exceptionally high-quality brandy that I find hard not to recommend to any cognac fan. In fact, I like it quite a bit better than…
Review: Cold River Vodka, Straight and Blueberry
This potato-based vodka hails from Maine — who knew they had potatoes in Maine? — from tubers grown on Cold River’s own farm and bottled using water from its own local aquifer. In fact, everything is done on the premises, and the results show in the finished product: This is a smooth and enchanting vodka…
What You’ll Be Drinking: Glen Park Punch
For this year’s holiday party I’m eschewing the individually-made cocktail for a punch, and even bought a punch bowl just for the occasion. If you have the luxury of attending my pad this weekend, well, here’s why you’ll be stumbling home later instead of driving. Glen Park Punch 1/2 bottle white Lillet 1 bottle vodka…
Review: 2007 ForeFront by Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Pine Ridge is a Napa winery I recommend highly, and were their wines not so expensive I’d probably drink a lot more of them. ForeFront is the company’s new second label, sourcing grapes from all over but producing some very drinkable wines for its trouble. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is a Bordeaux-style blend of 78%…
Review: Weber Haus Cachaca Silver
I don’t think it’s just me who pegs “Weber Haus” as a distinctly German name… and maybe an odd choice for a Brazilian cachaca… but no matter. Weber Haus actually makes a wide variety of cachacas for the local and export markets, including aged and various, special bottlings. This silver cachaca, which has been sitting…
Review: Sobieski Vodka – Cytron and Vanilia
Sobieski is making a name (and a bigger advertising splash) for offering reasonably good Polish, rye-based vodka at an extremely low price, and now it is moving into the natural follow-up: Flavored versions. Here’s how the first two shake out. Both are 70 proof and flavored naturally. Sobieski Cytron Vodka isn’t bad, a quite silky…
