Reviews: Wines of Elk Cove, 2023 Releases
Oregon’s Elk Cove offers the classic expressions endemic to the region, and today we look at a trio of current releases from the brand. 2019 Elk Cove Chardonnay Goodrich Yamhill-Carlton AVA – Refreshing, with vibrant notes of green apple and quince flavoring a creamy, lemon-infused custard palate. There’s ample vanilla in the mix, but enough…
Review: La Purisma Fiero Habanero Tequila
Boldly staking its claim as “the spiciest infused tequila in the U.S.,” this is 100% agave blanco tequila blended with fresh (not dried) American habanero peppers that are clearly designed to burn you from the inside out. Results? Well, mission accomplished. The scorching experience is closer to sipping hot sauce — roasting every part of…
Review: Amara Amaro D’Arancia Rossa
This Sicilian amaro is distinctly unique, thanks to blood orange peel being one of its primary ingredients. A pale orange in color, there’s quite a medicinal aroma here that immediately evokes the orange-flavored cough syrup we used to choke down as kids. (Delsym seems to be the modern equivalent.) It’s a tough thing to get…
Review: Ferrand 10 Generations Cognac Port Cask Year of the Rabbit
The Year of the Rabbit officially began on January 22, and to mark the occasion our friends at Maison Ferrand have put together a special edition of Ferrand’s 10 Generations Cognac bottling. This one — which features a dramatic, red label — undergoes a second round of aging in Port wine casks (for an undetermined…
Review: The Magi Blended Rye Whiskey
Based in Bettendorf, Iowa, Cat’s Eye Distillery has built their brand name largely on the back of sourced spirits — notably bourbon, rye, and light whiskey — from the United States, Canada, and several European countries. Bottled under the Obtainium or Nassif Family Reserve labels, their sourced whiskeys have also grown in popularity as cask…
Review: Convite Mezcal Espadin-Madrecuishe
We’ve covered two of Convite‘s mezcals previously — I now count nine on the market — and today we’re back with a third expression, made from a blend of espadin and madrecuishe agave. There’s a tiny hint of color on this spirit, but it otherwise hits quite a few familiar mezcal notes. Intently beefy up…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Pinkie’s Batch” 2022-04
For Booker’s Bourbon fans, 2022 was a year of both creativity and consistency, at least for the first three releases. A lineup of “Ronnie’s Batch,” “The Lumberyard Batch,” and “Kentucky Tea” gives plenty of classic Beam notes with a couple curve ball tasting notes thrown in. (Stewed tomatoes, anyone?) And while there was a good…
Review: 2018 Kenefick Ranch Pickett Road Red
Kenefick Ranch’s Pickett Road Red is a curious blend of 63% petit verdot, 25% merlot, and 12% cabernet franc — all estate grown in Calistoga, California, and aged for 18 months. A dense wine, there’s a dark and dusty quality up front that evokes licorice and dark chocolate amidst a brooding, tannic core. A slightly…
