Review: Bladnoch Pure Scot Signature, Samsara, and Adela
Now more than 200 years old, the Lowlands-located Bladnoch recently revamped its core range, adding a variety of new spirits to its permanent catalog along with numerous special editions. Today we’re looking at a trio of these whiskies, including one of the distillery’s two new mass-market blends, bottled under the Pure Scot label. Bladnoch Pure Scot…
Review: Wines of Ancient Peaks, 2022 Releases
We’re back with Paso Robles’ Ancient Peaks, with a pair of newly released reds, each intended for wintertime sipping. Let’s dig in. 2019 Ancient Peaks Merlot Paso Robles Santa Margarita Ranch – Very dry, the fruit on this wine feels like a shadow of what it should be. Notes of green herbs and fresh grass are…
Review: Belvedere Organic Infusions Vodka, Complete Lineup
In case you missed it, the big trend in vodka today is more complex infusions that eschew artificial flavors for real botanicals. In the case of Belvedere, it recently dropped a trio of Organic Infusions, each made with “100% organic fruits, spices and botanicals for flavor extraction, relying on the beauty of natural, simple ingredients…
Review: 2017 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT
Hard to believe we haven’t reviewed this wine since its 2006 vintage, but here we are. Modus is eternal, seemingly unchanging: This year the Super Tuscan is a blend of 37% sangiovese, 32% merlot, and 31% cabernet sauvignon, and the wine is a showcase of black fruit and woody bramble, a touch of currant evident…
Review: Alfred Giraud Voyage French Malt Whisky
In late 2020, the Giraud family made its move from Cognac to whisky, dropping two expressions that proved that France can work with grains (almost) as well as it can with grapes. Now Alfred Giraud is back with a third French malt whisky expression, Voyage. Voyage is the first release in the Exploratory Blends Range,…
Review: Hanson of Sonoma Pink Grapefruit Vodka
Hanson of Sonoma’s latest vodka flavor is a natural (and seasonal) one — grapefruit, made much like its other spirits, starting with a distillate of organic grapes and infusing it with real, organic, hand-peeled grapefruit. (It’s no joke: You can see the pulp floating in the bottle here.) It’s usually hard to get excited about…
Review: Batiste Rhum Silver and Gold
To start, what is the difference between rum and rhum? Rum is the larger category and includes all distilled spirits that use sugarcane as the source material. Most rums, however, are made by distilling molasses. Rhum is generally short for “rhum agricole” (French for “agricultural rum”) refers exclusively to rums made by distilling fresh juice…
Review: 2019 Landmark Vineyards Pinot Noir – Overlook and Grand Detour
Two new pinot noirs from Landmark — one from Paso Robles, one from the Sonoma Coast — both from the 2019 vintage. Ready or not: 2019 Landmark Vineyards Overlook Pinot Noir – Classic Paso Robles pinot, rich with notes of macerated cherries, fresh currants, and an herbal quality that sprinkles in notes of rosemary and thyme…
