Review: Whiskeys of Starlight Distillery: Carl T. Huber’s Bourbon and Old Rickhouse Whiskeys
Starlight Distillery in Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville, is one of the more unique craft distilleries I’ve encountered. It’s the latest innovation to emerge from Huber’s Orchard, Winery, and Vineyards, a 600-acre farm now in its 7th generation. If you looked up “agritourism” in the dictionary (remember those?), I imagine there’s a…
Review: Fire & Ice Vodka Original
This Swiss vodka is made from organic wheat and is proofed with local water, yet it hits the shelf for $20 a bottle or less. To be sure, there’s not a hell of a lot to it. The nose is clean but moderately medicinal and lightly earthy, with notes of Band-Aids mixing with hints of…
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…
