Review: 2019 Tangent Sauvignon Blanc Paragon Vineyard
Edna Valley, where this sauvignon blanc is produced, is just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean in the San Luis Obispo area. While this is a cool climate sauvignon blanc, the bottling is more effusive with the trappings of what warmer California terroirs bring to the grape: instant notes of ammonia and overwhelming floral…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey 11 Years Old (2021)
The 15th round of Parker’s Heritage Collection is here, and for the second time it’s a wheat whiskey, which the series first did in 2014 as a 13 year old. This 2021 release is 11 years old, but it also draws on a trick used for the last two years of the Heritage Collection: heavy…
Review: Rias Baixas Albarino Wines, 2021 Releases
The Rias Baixas region of Spain is known for one wine almost exclusively: Albarino, the crisp (and affordable) white wine that is defined by the cool breezes that come off the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Today we look at a trio of new albarino releases, all hailing from Rias Baixas. 2020 Mar de Vinas Albarino Val…
Review: Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #5 and Discovery Series #5
The fall release of Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s Fusion and Discovery Series bourbons has hit the shelves, people. Even though the company provides its own perfectly adequate tasting notes right there on its website, I’ve got my own thoughts on these two. Read on for my unbiased ramblings. Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #5 – For the fifth…
Review: NV Gazela Vinho Verde (Canned)
You can find Gazela in bottles, but now this low-abv wine is also available in 250ml cans. At just 9% abv, the whole thing will cost you all of 87 calories. It’s a curious expression of Portugal’s vinho verde, a lightly fizzy and decidedly fleet-footed experience, heavy on notes of fresh apple with a spritz…
Review: Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Raceking Bourbon
Kentucky’s Rabbit Hole Distillery is back with yet another cask strength limited edition from their Founder’s Collection series. For those counting at home, this is the third such release since fall of 2020. This release, named in honor of Kentucky’s horse racing tradition, showcases a unique five-grain recipe that includes chocolate wheat from Germany and…
Bar Review: Izzy’s Steakhouse, San Francisco
Izzy’s may be foremost a steakhouse, but it’s also got a thriving bar operation that includes seasonal cocktails and — surprisingly — one of the best by-the-glass wine programs in San Francisco. You can enjoy your libations here alongside a slab of beef outdoors in its extensive parklet or at the sizeable indoor bar. Both…
Review: R.L. Seale’s Barbados Rum 12 Years Old
R.L. Seale & Co. is a Barbados rum business that dates back to 1926 and which is still in operation by Richard Seale, the fourth generation of the Seale family. Today Seale is best known as the master distiller and master blender of Foursquare Rum Distillery, which the company reopened in 1996. This 12 year…
