Review: Bunnahabhain Feis Ile Triple Sherry Wood Finish 23 Years Old
To mark Feis Ile — Islay’s annual whisky festival — many of the island’s top Scotch producers release commemorative expressions. It’s a time when local distilleries often pull out the stops for (or at least have quite a bit of fun with) super-premium bottlings. In 2024, Bunnahabhain — Islay’s northernmost distillery — bottled two new…
Review: Free AF Canned Non-Alcoholic Cocktails and Wine
“Free AF?” We don’t have to tell you what AF stands for in today’s hip lingo: Why, it’s alcohol-free, of course. Free AF, based in New Zealand and expanding now in the U.S., is built around non-alcoholic canned wines and cocktails, all made with its propriety alcohol substitute called Afterglow, “a 100% natural botanical extract…
Review: Nelson Bros. Whiskey Honey Cask Finish 2024
Say “honey” and I’m listening, whether we’re talking about breakfast or dessert. Or whiskey… as Nashville’s Nelson Brothers are the latest to take us into the world of honey as a finishing vessel for bourbon. Nelson Bros. Honey Cask starts with the company’s cask-strength Nelson Bros. Reserve Bourbon — a blend of sourced stock from…
Book Review: The Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey history is simply history. Due to lingering Prohibitionist sentiments, we don’t learn much about the role that alcohol has played in American and world history, but the history still exists. In 1791, the fledgling United States of America was still trying to establish an identity and was ripe with debt accrued from the Revolutionary…
Review: Russell’s Reserve Bourbon 15 Years Old 2024
The It Bourbon of the summer has quickly revealed itself as this new release from Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve line, the oldest age-stated release that the brand has ever put out. The date on the label implies that there will be future releases of this spirit, likely annually. There’s nothing particularly crazy to discuss regarding…
Review: 2021 Kenefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon Chris’s Cuvee
The Chris in question is Chris Kenefick, the winemaker at Kenefick Ranch. His 2021 cab-heavy blend is composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petit Verdot, and 6% Cabernet Franc — a heady recipe, to be sure. The wine is aged in new French oak for 18 months before bottling. Let’s give it a try. A…
Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 10 Years Old Spring 2024 Edition
After an 8 year old expression in Fall 2023 (which didn’t arrive until well into 2024), Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond wheated bourbon is back with a new 10 year old offering, distilled in the Spring of 2014. Old Fitz is almost always a corn-heavy expression and this bottling doesn’t rock the boat. Notes…
Review: Wines of Compris, 2021 Vintage
Oregon’s Compris is a new operation that produces a wide range of wines that include the standard-bearers of the Willamette Valley… plus some surprises, too. Today we look at a five-pack of wines all from the 2021 vintage, all of which are in current release and which are all fairly reasonable in price. 2021 Compris…
