Review: Jura American Rye Cask 14 Years Old
Smell that whisky: Sherry, amirite? As a matter of fact, no: This exciting new release from Jura is a 14 year old that is aged in a combination of American bourbon and rye whiskey casks — the latter being a twist that is a rarity in Scotland. The nose immediately threw me for a loop:…
Review: Redemption Sur Lee Rye
In the realm of non-distilling producers, Redemption has built its reputation on taking MGP juice and bottling it into accessibly priced basics, a variety of cask finishes, and ultra-rare halo releases (including an oft-heralded 18 year rye). Around 2022, Redemption began promoting a new addition to its core lineup: Redemption Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey.…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Malt Whiskey Finished in Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels 14 Years Old (2024)
This year’s Parker’s Heritage Collection release, its 18th edition, is a bit of a mouthful. In fact, what you see in the headline isn’t even the full name. That monster of a name is: Parker’s Heritage Collection Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Reconstructed Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels 14 Years Old. Parker’s has done malt…
Review: Bardstown Bourbon Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon
Break out the cigars. Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin family is welcoming a new addition. High Wheat is the latest in the distillery’s house-distilled core range, and it is distinguished by, unsurprisingly, a whole lot of wheat. In fact, at 39%, it’s one of the highest percentages of wheat in any mashbill across the industry. This…
Review: Wines of Carpineto, 2019 Vintage
Carpineto is a relative newcomer in Tuscan wine production, dating back to “just” 1967. The winery produces all the classics — Chianti, Brunello, and the like — plus a super-affordable Super Tuscan called Dogajolo, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. We didn’t get any Dogajolo, but we did get three more readily identifiable releases from…
Review: Siempre Tequila, (Near) Complete Lineup (2024)
Our first experience with Siempre Tequila was not wholly memorable — and that fact was perhaps not lost on its Canadian brand owners, which, since that 2019 review, dumped its original distillery and upgraded to a new NOM, the well-regarded but fairly busy NOM 1414, Feliciano Vivanco. The new expressions also carry “vintage” production information…
Tasting Sagrantino Wines, Fall 2024
Montefalco is not a city commonly invoked when discussing red wine destinations. Umbria is not a region immediately surfacing to top of mind when thinking about Italian wines, and Sagrantino is certainly not a wine frequently discussed here in the United States. But this dense, fairly disease-resistant grape is starting to quietly make waves, with…
Talking Rebirth and Barley with Bruichladdich’s Frazer Matthews
Bruichladdich is arguably the poster child for the renaissance in Islay single malt over the last two decades. It caught the whisky world’s attention in 2001 after a group of investors led by Mark Reynier resurrected the mothballed distillery and gave an eager Jim McEwan in the prime of his career free rein to push…
