Review: Cana Cachaca
Cãna is a new brand producing cachaca in Brazil from thrice-distilled sugarcane, distilled in large pot stills, then filtering it through coconut husk charcoal. No real surprises in how it’s made, so let’s dive right in to a tasting. This cachaca features a relatively mild nose, lacking the sharp petrol character you often find in…
Review: 2016 Dow’s Late Bottled Vintage Port
Dow’s latest LBV Port offering offers nothing in the way of surprises, presenting a fully expected rendition of Port at its most easygoing and approachable. Jammy, with notes of fresh, plump raisins and a slurry of milk chocolate, it’s a blunt but exuberant offering that finishes with a lightly syrupy texture that hints at oxidation.…
Review: Blade & Bow Kentucky Straight Bourbon 22 Years Old (2021)
We reviewed Blade & Bow 22 Years Old when it first arrived in 2015. Since then, there have been additional, if exceptionally limited, releases, one of which was this fall in celebration of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery’s 86th anniversary. The distillery’s posh new cocktail lounge, The Garden & Gun Club, even features a “tasting experience” centered…
Review: Shiner 1909 and Juicy Dill Pickle Straight Shooter
Texas’s Shiner has been busy lately, offering new beers and a large line of seltzers to boot. Today we’re looking at one of each, including a seltzer with a … particular … flavor. Shiner 1909 – A “heritage lager,” Shiner 1909 is made with heritage 2-row barley, Noble hops, and Shiner’s proprietary lager yeast. Quite…
Review: Eastside Distilling Burnside Buckman Rsv Bourbon 10 Years Old
Based in Portland, Oregon, Eastside Distilling produces and bottles Burnside Bourbon, which includes a number of sourced bourbons finished in casks made of quercus garryana (Oregon white oak). They’ve had some solid releases with their Double Barrel Bourbon, 4 year old Bourbon and Marionberry Whiskey in the past. They recently released a 10 year old…
Review: 2019 Metz Road Pinot Noir Riverview Vineyard Monterey
Metz Road is another label from Scheid Family Wines, a prolific producer in California. This pinot bottling hails from the sustainably farmed Riverview Vineyard in Monterey. This pinot noir could easily be mistaken for a Russian River bottling, thicker with black fruit than red, a bit gummy with notes of rhubarb and some licorice in…
Review: Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey and Rose Gin
Glendalough is a fascinating Irish distillery that offers a range of products developed with creativity and artistic abandon. Some are fantastic and some miss the mark, but we are always eager to see what they produce next. Today we are trying a new whiskey and gin from the distillery. Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey –…
Review: Wines of Alamitos, 2021 Releases
Alamitos is a Portuguese-influenced winery located at the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the Bay Area’s Santa Clara Valley. It’s a relatively obscure AVA, although considering its best-known resident is Ridge, there’s clearly some exceptional quality to be had here. Alamitos sent us three of its recent releases for consideration. Thoughts follow. 2020…
