Review: 2008 Big House Red and Monthaven Chardonnay
Boxed wine continues to tiptoe toward improvement, with the folks at Octavin offering some decent wines in considerably more handsome packaging. These three-liter boxes fit more easily into your fridge but still promise to store your vino without it breaking down for up to six weeks. 2008 Monthaven Chardonnay is not a big success. Thin…
Review: Amp Energy Juice – Orange and Mixed Berry
You’ve undoubtedly heard the radio commercials by now. AMP is billed as “the spark that ignites and kick-starts the day,” 100 percent juice with added caffeine and other pick-me-ups. Basically a way to drink Red Bull in the morning without the embarassment. Amp comes in two flavors, both featuring 100% juice plus taurine, guarana, caffeine,…
Review: PaQui Silvera Tequila Blanco
Cinco de Mayo is nearly upon us, and that means Drinkhacker HQ is now flooded with tequila, so we’re now getting crackin’ on the stuff. Let’s start with a simple, and pretty good, one, a new tequila brand called PaQui. Fans of smooth tequilas will immediately dig PaQui’s body, at least once they get the…
Review: Bowmore 15 Years Old “Darkest” (2010)
A bit harder to come by than the ubiquitous 12 Year Old Bowmore, this expression of Bowmore’s single malt is 15 years old and is denoted as “Darkest” due to its distinct color, owing to its sherry finishing. This whisky has a wonderful balance of all the elements that make good single malts great. The…
Review: 2004 Ruffino Romitorio di Santedame Toscana
Ruffino is a name loaded with history — but most people probably know it from seeing it on the shelves of their local supermarket, where Ruffino is invariably one of the few Chiantis available. But Ruffino makes some fancier bottlings too, including this Romitorio di Santedame. What is it? It’s a blend of colorino (60%)…
Review: Eric Kent 2008 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Two hot-off-the-bottling-line wines from long-time favorite Eric Kent Wine Cellars. 2008 Eric Kent Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a wonderful Chardonnay for the non-Chardonnay drinker. Crisp on the attack but with a big and buttery body, it keeps the oak level to a minimum and lets lots of apple and grapefruit character come forth instead.…
Review: Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
Pears are a tricky beast. Who eats pears on their own? Or even in a recipe? And yet here we have pear flavored vodka from the mammoth success that is Grey Goose. What exactly does one do with it? I’ve been toying with Grey Goose La Poire for a few weeks now and I’m still…
Review: Mount Everest Whisky
Chances are you’ll never encounter Mount Everest Whisky*, lest you decide to hike to Base Camp 1 by yourself. I certainly didn’t, but somehow this bottle made it back despite my laziness, and it’s sat unopened in a Marin cottage for years undisturbed. Naturally when I encountered it over Easter weekend I had to crack…
