Review: Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky – Legend wWw 10th Anniversary Edition
Penderyn’s Legend bottling isn’t a new whisky, and this expression, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Women Who Whiskey, doesn’t shift its focus perceptibly, aging initially in ex-bourbon casks and finishing in Madeira barriques. Why select this whisky for a wWw collaboration? Easy: Penderyn‘s distilling and blending team in Wales is entirely female. 3000 bottles…
Review: Dos Hombres Espadin Mezcal
Celebrity spirits don’t get much cooler than last year’s launch of Dos Hombres, which was a collaboration between Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, stars of one of the coolest TV shows ever, Breaking Bad. Adding to the street cred, it wasn’t a boring tequila or a whiskey but a mezcal, which is arguably the coolest spirits category…
Review: Peat’s Beast Scotch Whisky
Young and heavily peated whisky is always a curious experience, combining the double-edged brashness of smoky peat with not-yet-matured spirit in the hopes that two balance each other out, at least to some degree. Peat’s Beast is released by an outfit called Fox Fitzgerald, and it offers no age statement or really much else in…
Review: Portofino Dry Gin
Made in Italy and distilled in a traditional copper pot still, Portofino boasts 21 botanicals, and although the full list remains secret, the bottle and their website mention juniper, lemon, lavender, rosemary, marjoram, sage, iris, and rose. Poured into a glass, the gin offers a very aromatic nose that includes perfumed notes of rose that…
Review: Los Sundays Tequila, Blanco and Reposado
There isn’t much information available about Los Sundays Tequila. It is double distilled from a blend of highland and lowland, 100% Blue Weber agave and it is said to be sustainably made, sugar free, and gluten free. That’s about it. The website provides little more data, but it does offer for sale a whole bunch…
Review: Glendalough Mizunara Cask 7 Years Old
The Irish whiskey magicians at Glendalough take a return trip to Japan (following on its previous 13, 17, and 25 year old releases) with the launch of Glendalough Mizunara Cask-Finished Whiskey, a youthful 7 year old single malt that is finished in this rare, Japanese oak. (Glendalough was the first Irish whiskey producer to use…
Review: Spanish Earl Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Spanish Earl — named for famed Spanish general Juan del Aguila (and featuring his visage) — is a product from Kinsale Spirit Co., based in County Cork, Ireland. This unusual malt spends 4 years in bourbon casks before being split into two types of finishing casks, one an Imperial stout cask, the other a Jamaican…
Review: Tequila Komos Reposado Rosa and Anejo Cristalino
Tequila Komos comprises three unusual selections — a pink reposado, an anejo cristalino, and an extra anejo — and that’s it. No blanco. Curious. “Inspired by the Mediterranean,” as the cristalino notes, these tequilas undergo unorthodox aging processes, using wine barrels across the lineup in lieu of (or in addition to) standard bourbon barrels. Other…
