Review: 2017 Quintessenz Kalterersee Classico Superiore DOC
Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost wine region, bordering the Austrian alps on their southern side. The wines here are predominately white, yet there is a significant red wine production as well. Wines from the Alto Adige region usually have high acidity levels, resulting from grapes grown in vineyards of 1500 meters altitude and up. The…
Review: Baker’s Bourbon Exclusive Selection 2021
Baker’s Bourbon made a big shift in 2019, becoming a single barrel offering available as a 7 year old or a (very rare) 13 year old. Today we are checking out a very limited release that falls in between, dubbed Baker’s Exclusive Selection, bottled at the age of 11 years, 8 months. Like both of the…
Review: Wines of Justin, 2021 Releases
We’ve long been fans of Paso Robles’ Justin Winery, so naturally we jumped at the chance to join a wine and chocolate truffle tasting the winery recently organized. Three of its most popular wines were tasted along with five different truffles, which are made on site and are sold and served at the winery’s restaurant…
Review: Woodford Reserve Distillery Series – Chocolate Malt Whisper Bourbon
It’s been two years since we saw anything from the ultra-limited Woodford Reserve Distillery Series, but we’re happy to be back with its latest release: Chocolate Malt Whisper. Normally I would advise against the use of the word “whisper” in any product — whiskey or otherwise — but let’s make an exception for the Woodford…
Review: NV Valdo Cuvee 1926 Prosecco Superiore
In a saturated market, choosing the right Prosecco can be challenging, especially when you’re just looking for a wine to enjoy as is, and not mask it with other beverages like orange juice to make mimosas or Aperol for a Spritz. Hidden in Italy’s large Prosecco and Pinot Grigio region of Veneto, the smaller geographical…
Review: Whiskeys of Hudson Whiskey NY, 2021 Releases
Gardiner, New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits is one of the old guard of craft distilling, having been on the scene since 2005 with its Hudson Whiskey brand. The brand’s squat bottles and quirky production techniques — which pioneered miniature barrels and the use of loud music to vibrate barrels in the warehouse — are legendary. Like…
Review: NV Ficklin Vineyards Old Vine Tinta Port California
Madera County’s Ficklin Vineyards is not just America’s oldest Port winery (established in 1946), it also seems to be the most highly awarded Port winery in the country, too, amassing a large collection of medals and stellar ratings. The company sent its most recent bottling of Old Vine Tinta Port, one of its most affordable…
Review: Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Elderflower Gin, and Barrel Finished Gin (2021)
We first reviewed Bluecoat Gin in 2008, two years after it was first released, when American distilled gins were far less common. Today we return to the brand to see how it stands up thirteen years later and also to try two newer gin expressions produced by the Philadelphia based distillery. The distillers of Bluecoat…
