Review: Spirit of Liberty American Cream Liqueur
If we strictly reviewed packaging here, well, we’d have some choice words about the bottle for Spirit of Liberty, which is mostly comprised of a plastic Statue of Liberty atop a small vial of bourbon cream liqueur. I’m not sure what those words might be yet, but I will note that it’s available in larger…
Review: Laphroaig 25 Years Old (2009)
As promised, we’re back with another ridiculously expensive, very rare Scotch whisky — Laphroaig’s 25-year-old limited edition, weighing in at $500 even. I have to say, I’ve always wondered what old Laphroaig would taste like, and my curiosity is now sated: It’s amazing. With this 25-year Islay whisky, all that harsh, oil-fire phenol that’s part…
Review: Big Sky Brewing Montana Trout Slayer Ale
Does one really “slay” a trout? I’m not much of a fisherman (and it turns out “Trout Slayer” has a long history which I’m not going to begin to go into), but this is indeed as close to a “gone fishin’” brew as I can fathom. It’s a very light wheat ale, starting out with…
Review: 2007 High Note Malbec
Judging by the amount of malbec that rolls in here, it really is the fastest growing wine varietal in the U.S. Oftentimes, malbec is weedy, green, and super-tannic, but sometimes a really nice bottle rolls around, like High Note’s 2007, which also happens to bear a rock-bottom price This Argentinian wine from Mendoza is lightly…
Review: Ardmore 30 Years Old
It’s not every day a $450 Scotch lands on the doorstep. Today we got two (though Laphroaig’s 25 Year Old, to be reviewed tomorrow, is actually $500). Ardmore’s 30-year Highland (Speyside) Scotch (I believe there’s only been one other 30-year-old Ardmore released to date) is an amazing treat. Here we have everything malt whisky should…
Review: Dumante Verdenoce Pistachio Liqueur
Now is not a good time for the pistachio, what with the salmonella and the recall and such. But pistachio lovers can still get their fix — in alcoholic liquid form — thanks to Dumante Verdenoce, an intriguing and quite addictive new liqueur. Dumante is a sweet nut liqueur in the vein of Frangelico or…
Review: Koruna Absinthe
I pity the bartender that sells both Koruna and Corona, but after a glass or two of this top-notch absinthe, I expect the drinker won’t have much of a problem making his requests known. Koruna, a “bohemian absinth” — using the alternate spelling — from the Czech Republic, makes its intentions well-known from the label,…
Tasting Report: Honig Vineyard & Winery, 2009 Releases
Spent a lovely couple of hours at Honig Vineyard & Winery yesterday, where we toured the estate and heard about how the company approaches winemaking from a sustainability standpoint. Everything at Honig is powered by its solar panel array, which sits right amidst the vines behind the tasting room, cellars, and production building. And while…
