Review: Damrak Virgin Non-Alcoholic Gin
When is a gin not a gin? Try this one, a non-alcoholic offering from Damrak. We tried Damrak’s standard, Amsterdam-based gin in 2018 and enjoyed its citrus-heavy palate. Damrak Virgin is distilled from 10 (different) botanicals, including Valencia and Curacao orange peels, juniper, ginger, lavender, cinnamon, and lemon peel — before the alcohol is stripped…
Review: Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Rye and Port Cask Finish Rye
Earlier this month, we reviewed the reborn Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon, which died an untimely death, along with the standard Old Scout Bourbon, when the distillery ran out of sourced MGP stock in 2016. That wasn’t the only casualty of Smooth Ambler’s shortage. There was also an Old Scout Rye (MGP’s beloved 95/5 mashbill)…
Review: Smith-Madrone 2017 Riesling and 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon
Two new releases from our friends at Smith-Madrone, situated in the rugged Spring Mountain District in Napa Valley. 2017 Smith-Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain District – Bright and semi-sweet, this wine shows off layers of honey, floral notes, and a gentle current of citrus, propping up a healthy acidity on the finish. The conclusion evokes apricot…
Review: Nashville Barrel Co. Single Barrel Rye, Bourbon, and Rum
Earlier this year, David introduced you to Nashville Barrel Co., a new, non-distilling producer based out of Nashville’s Railyard District that offers an impressive portfolio of single barrel whiskeys and rum, as well as a small batch rye, the second batch of which thoroughly impressed us over at Drinkhacker HQ. In addition to their own…
Review: 2019 Echolands Cabernet Franc
The Walla Walla AVA encompasses both Oregon and Washington wineries, where the days are warm and sunny and the nights are cool. Overall, this climate is a great recipe for grape growing. Cabernet franc is a finicky grape and can show itself quite differently depending on the climate in which it is cultivated, vineyard sites,…
Review: Compass Box Artist Blend, Glasgow Blend, and Orchard House (2021)
Compass Box never seems to slow down its efforts, and when it’s not releasing new spirits, it’s revamping old ones. The Great King Street collection dropped between 2011 and 2014, launched to celebrate the preferred whisky styles of the people of Edinburgh and Glasgow (at least according to a book published in 1930). In 2021,…
Review: Wines of The Vice, 2021 Releases
The Vice is a new wine brand that focuses on Napa Valley — almost all of it, bottling wines representing (at least) 16 different varietals from 14 of Napa’s 16 AVAs, including some truly odd, even unique offerings. We received a smattering of current releases for review, five in total. Thoughts follow. 2020 The Vice…
Review: Future Gin
Future Gin hails from Southern California, where four women distilled a spirit that combines typical gin botanicals with a few particular to California, some of which are grown in their own backyards. In total, 14 botanicals flavor this gin: juniper, coriander, angelica, black pepper, cassia, fennel, orris, avocado leaves, elderflower, honeysuckle flowers, Meyer lemon peel,…
