Review: George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey Bottled in Bond 13 Years Old (2022)
Dickel’s well-priced, top-shelf Bottled in Bond release has become an annual affair, now in its fourth edition. For two of the first three years, the BiB bottling has been a 13 year old, as it is once again for 2022. Dickel’s 2020 is the lone outlier, a whiskey distilled in fall 2008 and bottled at…
Review: 2021 Grochau Cellars Melon de Bourgogne
Melon de Bourgogne is a grape varietal rarely grown in the U.S. It is much more common in the Loire Valley where it is used to make Muscadet wine. But Grochau Cellars grows it successfully in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. They use sur lie aging (aging the wine on the lees) for 8 months…
Review: GlenAllachie Virgin Oak Series, 2022 Lineup
GlenAllachie continues to expand an already expansive portfolio of single malts. Not only does the newly revitalized Speyside distillery offer an impressively broad core range (8 years all the way up to 30!), but they have also embarked on a robust single cask program, myriad different finishes, and now this line, the Virgin Oak Series.…
Review: Traverse City Whiskey Lakeside Peach
Michigan’s Traverse City makes a wide range of whiskeys which we’ve covered in depth in the past. Now there’s a limited edition offering on the table: Traverse City’s bourbon infused with Michigan peaches (and natural flavor, natch). Let’s put it through its paces. The big question with a product like this isn’t whether it smells…
Review: Bardstown Bourbon Plantation Rum Finish and Chateau de Laubade II
We’re back today with even more Bardstown Bourbon Co.: Two different releases, in fact, from their Collaborative Series. For those who have trouble keeping up with all of the BBCo. releases, the Collaborative Series showcases the distillery’s various finished whiskeys produced in partnership with breweries, wineries, Cognac houses – pretty much anyone who puts a…
Review: Mile High Spirits Fireside Bourbon Bottled in Bond
Last summer, we tasted Fireside Single Barrel Bourbon from the irreverent and innovative Colorado craft distillery Mile High Spirits. Today, we’re digging into the oldest whiskey offering under their Fireside label, a Bottled in Bond Bourbon. As far as I can tell, it’s essentially the same rye bourbon as the single barrel but bottled in…
Review: Montagave Tequila Blanco “Heritage” (Lot 237)
Montagave comes to us from the Cascahuin distillery in Jalisco, by way of Aspen, Colorado. The agave for this spirit, a second edition known formally as “‘Héritage’ (Lot 237),” is grown in the Lowlands region. It’s sold as a blanco but is actually rested for 57 days in barrels — specifically Grand Cru Bordeaux barrels…
Review: 2018 Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch
Napa-based Etude recently dropped this new pinot, designed with holiday celebrations firmly in mind. A rich and sultry pinot, the wine finds cherry and chocolate notes melding into a dense, enveloping experience, dusted with notes of ground coffee, thyme, and sassafras. Modest tannins are tempered by plenty of fruit, a moderated acidity ultimately giving the wine…
