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…
Review: Flying Tumbler Irish Whiskey “The Bird”
More Irish whiskey is headed our way, folks. The Flying Tumbler brand — named for a local pigeon — isn’t quite 2 years old. Here’s what we know: Flying Tumbler, an Irish Whiskey brand created and launched by the Walsh family, is available in the U.S. market rolling out first in the North Eastern portion…
Review: Waterford Distillery Biodynamic Luna 1.1
In their quest to create the perfect “natural” whisky, Waterford Distillery is leaving no stone unturned. From an obsession with terroir, culminating in their recent The Cuvee bottling, to a focus on organic practices, Waterford is taking an almost winemaker-like approach to the typically conservative craft of whisky-making. Last fall, the distillery released a whisky…
Review: Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum Trinidad 2012
A recent night out in Austin provided me the good fortune to meet Eric Kaye, founder of the top-shelf Holmes Cay rum brand, in person. (Fun fact: Holmes is his middle name, and then there’s “Kaye” and “Cay.”) A lively education session and tasting reminded me that I had a small sample of Holmes Cay’s…
Review: Hardin’s Creek Bourbons – Jacob’s Well and Colonel James B. Beam
It’s unicorn launch time — again — as Beam (now formally known as the James B. Beam Distilling Company) launches Hardin’s Creek, a brand that will offer “unique and rare, limited-edition whiskeys rooted in the Beam family legacy. These new whiskeys have been crafted by Freddie Noe, recently announced as master distiller of the new…
Review: 2017 Banfi Brunello di Montalcino
Earlier this month, Robert took an in-depth look at three recent offerings from Banfi, an Italian producer offering a variety of wines at a wide range of price points and styles. For an encore, we’re pouring a glass of the 2017 Banfi Brunello. Bright and lively, the nose provides a perfect balance of earthy and…
Review: Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Voyage 26 Double Barrel Rye
With 25 different “voyages” across the globe, Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea has varied from release to release due likely as much to the different mashbills, proofs, and sources of the whiskey in each release as to the extreme fluctuations in temperature and motion experienced while plying the seven seas. The one thing they all…
