Review: The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
After a sleepy decade with no new products, The Kraken has suddenly awoken from its slumber. A coffee-and-spice flavored rum hit in 2020. Now a new gold spiced rum has arrived. The concept seems pretty obvious: Spiced rums from the likes of Sailor Jerry and Captain Morgan are lighter in color and perhaps less daunting…
Review: 2021 Flora Springs Soliloquy Napa Valley
Flora Springs‘ sauvignon blanc-heavy blend Soliloquy returns for another round, again hitting the ground with its unique blend of acidity and fruit, this year showcasing peaches and tropical notes, heavy on the pineapple. A touch of hospital character evokes a bit of petrol, though gratings of lime zest and a curious touch of kiwi offer…
Review: 2020 Graffinga Glorious Selection Malbec
No matter the subject, anytime “glorious” is interjected into a product’s brand name, hopes are elevated rather highly that it will live up to its intended promise. What’s more accurate, however, is the label on this wine’s declaration that it is a “wine of character for those who embrace their own.” You’ll find no argument…
Review: Kentucky Peerless High Rye Bourbon
Kentucky Peerless has released its share of specialty finishes and single barrels over the years, but the Louisville-based distillery hasn’t added a new recipe to the portfolio since its first small batch bourbon debuted in the summer of 2019. Kentucky Peerless High Rye Bourbon is, as the name implies, a higher rye version of their…
Review: Yeti Rambler Beverage Bucket
Coolers. Those bulky, heavy, unattractive things that get loaded into and out of trunks and boats and backyards everywhere this time of year. We love them and yet we hate them. Sometimes our party is so popular or our thirst so insatiable that only a big cooler, or multiple big coolers, will do. Yeti has…
Review: 2018 Bodegas Valdemar Conde Valdemar Crianza
With Father’s Day right around the bend, some fatherly types might indulge in a nice snifter of bourbon from Kentucky, a dram of from Islay, or just a plain old beer from the craft brewery or gas station around the corner. However, if you’re looking for something for the dad who likes a bit of…
Fire Up the BBQ, It’s Whiskey Time! Flaviar’s Grilled & Distilled Summer Box Pairs Barbecue and Whiskey
Flaviar has partnered with award-winning American pitmaster, chef, and restaurateur George “Tuffy” Stone to launch its exclusive Grilled & Distilled Summer Box. Known as “The Professor,” Stone is a five-time world barbecue champion who owns the Virginia-based restaurant chain Q Barbeque. This ultimate BBQ & Whiskey tasting set includes a whoppping 10 whiskey samples and…
Review: 2XO The Innkeeper’s Blend
Following up on a critically-acclaimed debut, Dixon Dedman is back with the second release from his new brand 2XO, and this one is called The Innkeeper’s Blend. It’s a fitting name because Dedman himself is the former operator of the oldest continuously family-operated inn in the United States, the Beaumont Inn in Kentucky. He began…
