Review: SelvaRey Rum – White, Chocolate, and Owner’s Reserve (2021)
Remember Selvarey, the rum company Bruno Mars has been running since 2014? It’s back, with a new (and quite heavy) bottle design, new expressions, and even a new intercapped R, turning the brand formally into SelvaRey. The gorilla is gone from the bottle. Now there’s a toucan — which seems to be a lot more…
Review: 2013 San Felice Vigorello Toscana IGT
This curious super-Tuscan blend combines cabernet sauvignon (30%), merlot (30%), petit verdot (5%), and pugnitello (35%), an ancient native Italian grape variety that was revived by San Felice. Vigorello — seen here in a somewhat older vintage, 2013 — was the very first super-Tuscan to be made in the Chianti Classico area, and one of…
Review: Paddy’s Irish Whiskey
Most salesmen just get to pick something out of catalogue when they meet their quota, but Paddy Flaherty got a whiskey named after him. As the story goes, Paddy’s Old Irish Whiskey is named for Patrick J. O’Flaherty, a Cork Distilleries salesman for more than four decades over 100 years ago. In 1913, after his…
Review: Rock N Roll Tequila – Complete Lineup (2021)
Back in 2017 we reviewed two bottlings from Rock N Roll Tequila, distinguished by its extremely heavy bottles shaped like electric guitars. Three expressions are offered: a standard blanco, a cristalino, and a mango-flavored liqueur. Since that time, the brand has changed ownership, though the same distillery, operated by Master Distiller Jose Aceves, is still…
Review: 2020 Gotas de Mar Albarino Rias Baixas
In America we’ve become spoiled in recent years with the exceptional quality of Rias Baixas albarino wines that have made it to our shores. This 2020 bottling from Gotas de Mar (“sea drops”) isn’t the most vibrant wine I’ve encountered from this iconic Spanish region, but it follows reasonably closely with expectations, showing off restrained…
Review: Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No. 1 Limited Edition Bourbon (2021)
Wyoming Whiskey’s latest release is a charity-focused bottling, launched to support the National Park Foundation. The brand launched the release with a virtual auction featuring four one-of-a-kind bottles in the so-called Wide Open Spaces – By Air collection, with all proceeds directly benefiting the National Park Foundation. The first in the brand’s annual production of…
Review: Sun King Brewery Polynesian Passion and Hop Tickler
Two new seasonal beers from Indianapolis-based Sun King Brewery. Who’s ready? Sun King Brewery Polynesian Passion – This is a monstrous Belgian tripel, barrel-aged and spiced with tiki elements that include pineapple, orange, and coconut. You can taste all of the above on the ultra-sweet and extremely spicy palate, which runs from pineapple candy to…
Review: 2019 Sonoma-Cutrer Winemaker’s Release 40th Anniversary Chardonnay
Celebrating 40 years of operations, Sonoma-Cutrer has released a special edition of its Russian River Valley-grown chardonnay, complete with a wax-covered enclosure. The wine “represents a final collaboration between its founding and current winemakers.” There’s quite a story behind it, too: In its four decades, Sonoma-Cutrer has consistently brought together top-tier talent whose winemaking talents…
