Review: Bacardi Tropical Rum
This limited edition rum from Bacardi dropped last summer, but, hey, warmer weather will be here before you know it — with National Pina Colada Day hitting on July 10. (Now you know!) Bacardi Tropical is, well, exactly what it sounds like: white rum (from one of Bacardi’s big factories in Mexico or Puerto Rico,…
Review: Mico Tequila and Seltzers, Complete Lineup
Mico is a new tequila brand, the name translating to “monkey” in Spanish — which seems to have little to do with the brand aside from the mascot, which is a suited man with a monkey’s face. The tequilas are 100% agave (source unknown), double distilled, and, in the case of the aged renditions, double-barreled with…
Review: 2020 Castel Sallegg Bischofsleiten DOC
Wines from northern Italy and the mountainous region of Alto Adige are often light to medium bodied, high in acid, and fruit forward, which in general is a result of growing grapes in high altitude vineyards. And they are delightful. The black grape used to make the 2020 “Bischofsleiten” from Castel Sallegg is called Schiava…
Review: Single Cask Nation Invergordon Single Grain Scotch Whisky 46 Years Old
Scottish grain whiskies, distilled typically from wheat or corn on columns stills, don’t get much love in the Scotch world. Pot-distilled barley contributes more flavor and texture, or so the argument goes, and thus grain whisky is rarely bottled on its own. Instead, it serves as the workhorse for most blended Scotch, contributing sweetness and…
Review: Wines of Markham, 2022 Releases
The venerable Markham Vineyards presents a trio of wines for us today, two of its District Series merlots and the latest offering of The Altruist, a “right bank” style Bordeaux blend sourced from all over Napa. 2018 Markham Merlot Yountville – Surprisingly tannic for a merlot, I sipped and sipped at this bottling waiting for…
Review: Glenmorangie Cognac Cask Finish 13 Years Old
The “Barrel Select” releases appear to have become an annual event from Glenmorangie, although there’s still no trace of them anywhere on the distillery’s website that I can find. Using my impressive deductive skills, I’m assuming these are limited offerings focusing on special cask finishes apart from those associated with the core lineup and other…
Review: Ardbeg Twenty-Something 22 Years Old (2018)
A lot of people may not know it, what with their constant stream of special releases and a devoted Committee of adoring fans, but Islay’s Ardbeg Distillery almost closed up shop in the 1990s. The operation had fallen on hard times and was run for years only sparingly by its previous owners until the Glenmorangie…
Review: A Smith. Bowman Abraham Bowman Rum Finished Bourbon
We’ve skipped a few beats recently with A. Smith Bowman’s annual Abraham Bowman experimental releases. The 2019 bottling was reportedly even more limited than usual (which is really limited) and last year’s release, an intriguing sounding bourbon finished in Virginia Port wine and Sauternes casks, managed to also elude us. But not this year (err,…
