Review: Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Signature Blend
Cedar Ridge is an Iowa-based producer of whiskey, specifically, well, what kind of whiskey doesn’t Cedar Ridge make (and brandy, and wine, and… everything)? With The QuintEssential, Cedar Ridge takes its 2-row barley single malt whiskey, ages it in bourbon casks for two years, then finishes it in up to 20 different types of wine…
Review: Golden Rule Margarita and Old Fashioned
It’s hard to resist those tiny, 4 oz cans that offer a single serving cocktail, ready to pour into glass and knock back, no mixing required. San Francisco-based Golden Rule Spirits offers two such offerings, both made with authentic ingredients (no malt liquor here) and coming in at 80 to 100 calories per serving. (Though…
The Top 10 Gins of 2021
For the third year, we enter spring with gin on our mind, excited to break out the tonic and cool down with the season’s most essential cocktail. That said, if you can’t shake those wintry Negronis yet, we won’t judge you. Either way, we’ve got you covered, with a look at our ten favorite gin…
Review: Ferment Brewing Nitro Dry Stout
A relatively new brewery, Ferment Brewing Company opened in 2018 in Hood River, Oregon. They offer a range of beers in various styles, including ales and lagers. Today we’ll be trying their Nitro Dry Stout, brewed in the tradition of Irish stouts. Ferment also brews an Imperial stout which boasts 11% abv – much heavier…
Review: Westward Single Malt Cask Strength
Portland’s Westward Whiskey — nee House Spirits — has recently added a new whiskey to its permanent lineup, the fourth expression now on offer. Westward Single Malt Cask Strength is a full-proof expression of its original American Single Malt, which we last reviewed under its old House Spirits branding (a two year old whiskey at…
Review: Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Limited Edition Bourbon
Kentucky Owl jumped into 2021 with a bit of an odd holiday-themed release, Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Edition. Before you get too befuddled about being persuaded to substitute a Kentucky bourbon for the Irish whiskey typically used to celebrate the occasion, allow Kentucky Owl to explain: For this special release, Kentucky Owl Master Blender John…
Review: Brandy Sainte Louise
Brandy Sainte Louise hit the scene in 2018, designed for bartenders as “a classic, Old-World style brandy with a balanced, fruit-forward flavor profile.” It’s made in France by a Cognac cellarmaster but most of its grapes (classic ugni blanc) come from just outside the Cognac AOC region. The spirit is pot distilled and aged in…
Review: Five Brothers Bourbon
The five brothers in question are the Shapira brothers, one of whose son is now the president of Heaven Hill, which is making this under-the-radar bottling. Max Shapira’s father and his brothers started Heaven Hill back in 1935 — the date’s on the label of the bottle — and this new release is produced in…
