Review: Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon Batch 1 and 2 and Restoration Rye 2022 Batch 1
Now for the moment some of us have been waiting for since first signs of re-awakening appeared at the abandoned Taylor distillery off McCracken Pike. After several years of patience, time, and change, the inaugural batches of Castle & Key’s bourbon have been delivered. The first round of Restoration Rye went live in early 2021,…
Review: Wines of Thacher, 2022 Releases
Thacher is one of the wineries leading the charge of “Paso Robles’ new school” — lower alcohol, higher acidity, new types of grapes not often found in this region. We recently received a quartet of wines from the operation for review, all new releases. 2020 Thacher Own-Rooted Chenin Blanc Shell Creek Vineyard – Approachable and…
Review: Bushmills Single Malt Irish Whiskey 12 Years Old
Bushmills — the Irish operation which proudly boasts being the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world — has added a new whiskey to its permanent lineup. Bushmills Single Malt Whiskey 12 Years Old takes two single malts that are fully matured separately for at least 11 years in Oloroso sherry and bourbon barrels, then…
Review: 4 Devils Backbone IPAs, 2022 Relaunch
Devils Backbone, based in Roseland, Virginia, has relaunched its family of four IPAs, “with both re-released classics and new favorites with a new face.” That face includes DB’s new IPA mascot: “Buck Tradition,” which is a cartoon deer that wears sunglasses and a visor. Let’s dig in to the full lineup, which is also available…
Review: Drumshanbo with Sardinian Citrus Gunpowder Irish Gin
The formal product name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but this new expression of Drumshanbo‘s top-shelf “Gunpowder” Irish gin takes the original formula and spins it just so. Again it’s a grain neutral gin that starts with the same eight botanicals as Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin: juniper, angelica root, orris root, caraway seed, coriander…
Review: 2021 Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Red and Sparkling White
It’s been twelve years since we last reviewed Banfi’s delightful dessert wine Rosa Regali Sparkling Red, and it deserves another visit, particularly since it is joined this year by a new Sparkling White. Both are lightly fizzy, sweet dessert wines and both show particularly low abv: 7%. Let’s see how the Sparkling Red compares to…
Review: Old Line Spirits Single Malt Bottled-in-Bond
We’ve reviewed Old Line Spirits American Single Malt Whiskeys before, but their new Bottled-in-Bond represents their first offering that was distilled, aged, and bottled at their Baltimore home. This release is a 5-year-old single malt that was double copper pot still distilled and aged in #4 char virgin American Oak barrels. Let’s give it a…
Review: Suyo Pisco Single Origin No. 1
Suyo Pisco No. 1 is a new Peruvian pisco made entirely from Quebranta grapes drawn from the Mala Valley. Its claim of “single origin” isn’t absolutely clear since the grapes are purchased from a variety of vineyards, but they all seem to be drawn from this one district in Lima, Peru. The brand was introduced…
