Review: Telson Tequila Blanco
Multi-brand beverage startup Romero Brands launched a new tequila last year called Telsón, made from 100% Highlands agave. Per the company, “Each 750-ml bottle features the geographic coordinates (20°40’18.4”N, 102°36’55.6″W) on the neck label that corresponds to the location of Hacienda Capellania, the farm in San José de Gracia, Jalisco, Mexico, where the first crop…
Review: Glenfiddich Sherry Cask Finish 12 Years Old
Recently, Glenfiddich launched a curious special edition — a 12 year old single malt finished in Amontillado sherry casks after initial aging in both American and French oak. While single malt Scotch finished in Amontillado is virtually unheard of, here’s the weirdest part of the release: It’s available only in California and Florida. The rest…
Review: Frey Ranch Single Barrel Rye Barrel #260
Frey Ranch recently launched a single barrel bourbon line. Naturally a single barrel rye was up next: “Our Straight Rye Whiskey has really been a hit for Frey Ranch, racking up awards and recognition from our fans – in fact, both our Straight Rye and our new Single Barrel Rye received Double Platinum recognition from…
Review: 2020 Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
This “soil specific” from Aperture hails from Sonoma County and is composed of a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 1% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine presents a somewhat jammy construction that gives time to notes of almond and a mixed baking spice note before delving back into more traditional…
Let’s Talk Turkey: An Interview With Rare Bird 101’s David Jennings
Author David Jennings is widely regarded as the most prominent Wild Turkey historian in the whiskey world. After spending years among the ranks of bourbon enthusiasts on Reddit, David’s insight on obscure laser codes and his methodical approach to identifying the characteristics of “Dusty Turkey” was rewarded with recognition in major publications. From there he…
Review: Hidden Barn Bourbon Series 2
To call Jackie Zykan‘s first release of Hidden Barn Bourbon a blunder would be a charitable understatement, as the whiskey — all seven barrels of it — proved underdeveloped and mostly uninteresting. The 4 to 5 year old whiskey, sourced from a Kentucky operation called Neeley Family Distillery in Kentucky, was “Made the Hard Way,”…
Review: 2019 Scarlet Vine Cabernet Sauvignon
This Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from Chile’s Maipo Valley and bottled by California’s Delicato Family Wines corporation, is estate-grown and aged for an average of 6 months in French Oak barrels. As the story goes, the grapes were grown halfway up a mountain at a century-old vineyard that had been forgotten for some time. Nature,…
Review: Sagamore Spirit Rye Sherry Finish
Hot on the heels of their enjoyable Rum Cask Finish, Maryland’s Sagamore Spirit Distillery is out with another addition to their Reserve Series line, and it sure sounds tailormade for the holiday season. The distillery first released a Pedro Ximenez sherry-finished rye whiskey as a much more limited Distillery Exclusive way back in 2019, and…
