Review: Cascade Moon Rye 13 Years Old and Barrel Proof Spirit 15 Years Old
Cascade Moon — the upscale sub-brand of George Dickel — recently dropped two new releases. Also dropped has been the numbering system which came with its first two whiskies, dubbed No. 1 and No. 2. Going forward, Cascade Moon bottlings will be distinguished by unique labels and descriptive naming systems explaining exactly what’s in the…
Review: 2020 Hilmy Cellars Petit Verdot
Hilmy Cellars can be found in Fredericksburg in the Texas High Plains, where just 115 cases of this petit verdot are made. Petit verdot can often be slightly off-putting, and while this wine is initially daunting and aggressive, it soon settles into a groove that lets its floral character shine. Tannins roll the wine from…
Review: Ardnamurchan AD Small Batch (2022)
Adelphi is a well-known independent bottler of other people’s whiskies. After 100 years as a bottler, the company finally decided to get in on the game in earnest by building its own distillery and making its own whisky in the western Highlands of Scotland, operating under the name of Ardnamurchan. The first release, Ardnamurchan Small…
Review: Golden Road Brewing Ride On 10 Hop Hazy and West Coast IPAs
Two new IPAs from Los Angeles-based Golden Road Brewing, both canned under the brand new “Ride On” sub-label, which appears to be devoted to the peculiar culture of surfing and the VW minibus. Let’s drink. Golden Road Brewing Ride On 10 Hop Hazy IPA – Made with 10 types of hops, for Golden Road’s 10…
Review: The ImpEx Collection Secret Japan Single Grain Whisky 17 Years Old
The ImpEx Collection independent bottlings of whiskey and rum launched with much fanfare (at least for us) last year, and now the collection is expanding to offer its first Japanese whisky. This 17 year old grain whisky comes from an undisclosed distillery — hence the name — and is made from koji rice and barley.…
Review: Papalin Jamaica Rum 7 Years Old
Italy’s Velier became a well-known name in the rum world with its rare and much-loved bottlings from Caroni, a Trinidadian distillery that shuttered in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, Caroni stocks have dwindled, so Velier has shifted to other marquee producers over the years. Their Papalin brand launched in 2013 with a blend of Caroni-distilled rum…
Tasting Report: Jack Rose Premier Drams 2022
It was a terrible, no-good two years for in-person spirits events (make that in-person events of any kind), but things are finally, thankfully starting to return to normal. Chris noted (with some surprise) that Whiskies of the World held its San Francisco event last fall but at a reduced scale. Washington, D.C.’s famous Jack Rose…
Review: 2021 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc
I was surprised to discover that we haven’t done a formal review of Illumination in five long years. That’s a shame, because this wine, made by Napa’s Quintessa, remains a standout when it comes to sauvignon blanc (albeit one blended with sauvignon blanc musque and semillon, which is said to allow the wine to withstand…
