Review: 2019 Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Vineyard
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 9 years since we’ve reviewed Don Melchor, a semi-cult wine from Chile’s Concha y Toro empire, a wine which launched in 1987. This vintage is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot. One can generate few complaints in tasting Don…
Review: 10 Barrel Brewing Club Tread and Rock Hop
Two new brews from 10 Barrel Brewing, including our first look at the “It” beer of 2022, a Cold IPA. 10 Barrel Brewing Club Tread Mandarin IPA – IPA and orange are natural bedfellows, and here they work together fitfully, imbuing the fairly low-abv beer with a bright orange quality. It’s not particularly identifiable as…
Review: Hendrick’s Neptunia Gin
The latest special edition from Hendrick’s is called Neptunia, “unmistakably Hendrick’s at its core and inspired by the magic of the sea,” with a “blend of coastal botanicals” used in its creation. There’s not a lot of information about the identity of said botanicals — the only stuff I ever see growing at the beach…
Book Review: Dressed to Swill: Runway Ready Cocktails Inspired by Fashion Icons
The extent to which I actively participate in the fashion universe typically begins and ends with songs from David Bowie and the Kinks. So, while I am most certainly not the target audience for Dressed to Swill, author/editor Jennifer Croll and illustrator Daiana Ruiz do an excellent job inventing cocktail recipes inspired by fashion icons…
Review: Egan’s Irish Whiskeys – Conviction and Legacy Reserve IV 18 Years Old
Two new whiskeys from Ireland’s Egan’s, each with quite the different approach. Conviction is a 10 year old blend that joins the Egan’s permanent collection, while Legacy Reserve IV a limited edition single malt, the final release in this four-year-long series. We tried them both. Here goes. Both are 92 proof. Egan’s Conviction Irish Whiskey…
Book Review: The Art of Whisky: The Vanishing Spirits of Single Malt Scotch
When photographer Charles Button named this book, he could not have been more literal. The Art of Whisky does not speak to the chemical construction and craft of spirits, nor does it consider bottles or label artwork, as each already enjoys numerous volumes of published commentary. Instead, it presents the patterns of various whiskies as…
Review: Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut Gin 2021
Our second look at Monkey 47’s limited release “Distiller’s Cut” gin reminds us of how it’s made: 47 ingredients go into the standard Monkey 47. The Distiller’s Cut adds a 48th, in this case Scarlet Monarda, an aromatic flower that’s largely grown for decorative purposes. The aroma is said to be similar to a bergamot…
Review: Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke
Producer Jim Beam has introduced a range of new Basil Hayden products in recent years, including creative approaches to bourbon and rye, and now it is offering something completely different by creating a bourbon with a distinctly smoky character. Unusually, it isn’t made with peat. They explain the unique process for creating a very subtle…
