Review: 2019 Rombauer Merlot Napa Valley
Merlot gets a bad rap — sometimes deserved — but Napa’s Rombauer effectively showcases the best qualities of the style with this 2019 bottling… albeit in a roundabout fashion. Notes of fresh cherries, mint tea, and mixed florals all come to bear on a palate that offers ample complexity, though never much comes across in…
Review: GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 11
It’s been three years since we saw one of Highlands-based GlenDronach’s Cask Strength bottlings — not to be confused with its Cask Bottlings — with Batch 11 of the lineup now on the market. This release draws on both Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks and is bottled at full proof — though it carries…
Review: 4 Reservas of La Rioja Alta, 2022 Releases
La Rioja Alta sounds like a region but it’s actually a broad brand which spans three different labels, all of course focused on classic Spanish Rioja. Today we take a look at four high-end wines from the brand — three with a different name on the label, and from three different vintages. Let’s drink! 2015…
Review: Kings County Blended Bourbon
Having launched in 2010, Kings County is one of the oldest craft distilleries in the U.S. — and today it’s the largest distillery in New York City. Kings County has pumped out a vast array of spirits over the last 13 years, but bizarrely we’ve never formally reviewed them. Today however we’re taking a deeper…
Review: 6 Beers from Sun King Brewery (2023 Releases)
Our friends at Indiana-based Sun King are back with a huge load of new beers, this round heavy on IPAs and, oddly, beers built around caramel of some sort. You’ll see what we mean as we dip into the specifics. Let’s crack open some cans. Sun King Surf Lessons IPA – Sweet, almost syrupy at times,…
Review: Expresiones del Corazon Barrel-Aged Tequila (Eagle Rare Anejo & Thomas H. Handy Anejo) 2022
Corazon’s always exciting Expresiones del Corazón Collection — featuing tequilas aged in barrels previously containing various high-end Buffalo Trace products — arrive just about every year, right at the tail end. For 2022, two bottlings were released: one aged in barrels used to age Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon and one containing Thomas H. Handy Sazerac…
Review: Landmark Vineyards 2020 Damaris Chardonnay and 2019 Hop Kiln Pinot Noir
Landmark is a perennial favorite around here, and today we’re back with two fresh 2023 releases, a chardonnay and a pinot noir. 2020 Landmark Vineyards Damaris Reserve Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – A classic expression of Landmark at its best. Bright notes of lemon and honey create a soothing attack that evokes lemon tea, with a…
A Visit to Garrison Brothers Distillery
Garrison Brothers may not be the largest distillery in the world (or even in Texas), but damn if it isn’t one of the friendliest. Pull into Garrison Brothers’ Hye-based facility and you’ll find yourself immediately immersed in something more akin to a bourbon-soaked playground than a stuffy distillery experience. Wholly unserious, your experience begins on…
