Review: Zakuska Vodka
Zakuska Vodka was pitched to me as “a simple, no-B.S. vodka served as a chilled shot.” No flavors, no gimmicks. It launched only in 2022, and despite the Baltic-sounding name, it’s actually made in Columbus, Ohio, distilled from red winter wheat and corn, and bottled — noticeably — unfiltered, rendering it slightly translucent. The label’s…
Review: Glengoyne 21 Years Old
We’ve covered the core lineup from Glengoyne, as well as the final chapter in their Legacy Series, but we have yet to dip our toe into the distillery’s rarer single malt offerings which include an age-stated lineup ranging from 21 years to a whopping 50 years old. While a sample of the 50 year is…
Review: Dogfish Head Mandarin & Mango Crush and Citrus Squall
I don’t know about your neighborhood, but the weather in my neck of the woods this spring has been all over the map. Consistently hot days will arrive in due time, however, and officially usher in outdoor beer drinking season. Dogfish Head Brewery is out with two cocktail-inspired brews that will no doubt find their…
Review: Bombay Sapphire Murcian Lemon Gin
Bombay Sapphire‘s special edition releases continue with Premier Cru Murcian Lemon, which is infused with Fino lemons from Murcia, Spain alongside additional mandarin and navel oranges to brighten up the citrus quality of the spirit. Unlike some of Bombay’s other special releases, such as East, the impact of the additional citrus here is notable and…
Review: Snowdrop Vodka
Our prior outing with Vermont’s Saxtons River Distillery saw us reviewing the operation’s top shelf Perc Coffee Liqueur, way back in 2014. Now we’re back with less exotic fare: A vodka made from a corn-based mash that’s put through a vacuum distillation process before bottling. A portion of the proceeds from sales are earmarked to…
Review: Cameron Hughes 2018 Lot 883 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley and 2020 Lot 820 Gavi Piemonte
Another pair of releases from the negociants of Cameron Hughes. For those unfamiliar with the premise behind Cameron Hughes’ operations, it’s quite simple: they (Cameron or some delegates) travel the world sourcing a wide range of wines from vineyards, bringing them to market under their own label at financially feasible price points. This time around,…
Review: Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey Batch A223 (February 2023)
With this release, Heaven Hill does what it always does to its popular whiskey lines: Releasing a barrel proof version of the product. Bernheim Barrel Proof will be released in batches — twice per year instead of three, the way Larceny and Elijah Craig are released — with proof and batch information denoted on the…
Review: Wines of La Crema, 2023 Releases
If there’s one thing you can count on in this world, it’s that a by the glass wine list will have something from La Crema available. The California giant is known for producing good wine at a good price, but in this tasting of three new bottlings, you might be surprised to discover some of…