Review: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 11 Years Old Fall 2021 Edition
Old Fitzgerald bonded release #2 for 2021 has arrived, dropping as an 11 year old expression this time out. Distilled in spring 2010, it was bottled earlier this year and has been sitting idle as it awaits release this month. Fans of the series may wish to compare it to the Spring 2018 release (we…
Review: Elijah Craig Private Selections – Dry 85 and Love Point Deli
We’ve covered a lot of private barrel picks over the years, from the likes of Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, and even Jefferson’s, but one brand we haven’t yet sampled a private barrel of is Elijah Craig. Heaven Hill first got into the private barrel game a few years back (with any real seriousness, at least).…
Review: Harahorn Gin
Norway’s Harahorn makes four different gins, but this is the flagship, made in small batches and including some usual botanical suspects — juniper berries, angelica root — and some unusual additions — wild blueberries, rhubarb, seaweed, wild marjoram, and over dozen additional Norse herbs. Let’s give this unique Scandinavian gin a try. The nose is…
Review: Madre Mezcal Espadin y Cuishe
Made with espadin and madrecuishe (aka cuishe) agave, Madre Mezcal was formerly billed as an ensamble, but now carries the identities of both of its primary agave varieties on its label. The Oaxaca-made product shows promise right away. Initially rather sweet on the nose, with notes of overripe fruit, it finds balance in its smoky…
Review: Select Aperitivo
The bright red color can mean only one thing — presuming it’s not maraschino, of course — you’re looking at a bitter Campari clone, one of the kings of the amaro world. Select was born in Venice (Campari hails from Milan), where it was originally created in 1920, using 30 botanicals (including rhubarb and juniper)…
Review: Stinson Vineyards 2017 Meritage and 2019 Merlot
We’ve covered a lot of wines from Virginia in recent years, but none from Stinson Vineyards, which hails from the Monticello AVA. (Jefferson’s historic home is worth a visit, btw.) Today we look at two bottlings from the winery, both revolving in same way around merlot. 2017 Stinson Vineyards Meritage Monticello – 50% merlot, 20%…
Review: Four Gate Batch 11 and 12
Four Gate continues to crank out whiskeys, and today we’re looking at two new releases — a rye and a bourbon, both quite different — from the Louisville-based operation. Four Gate Rye Batch 11 Ruby Rye Springs – This is the third representation of the same MGP rye from Four Gate, still 7 years old…
Review: 2019 Vento di Mare Grillo Sicilia DOC
Once exclusively a blending grape for Madeira wine due to its high sugar content, grillo has since come into its own, and it’s common now as a Sicilian table wine. This offering from Vento di Mare is organic — and quite affordable. Kicking things off on the (perhaps unsurprisingly) sweet side, this wine starts with…
