Review: 2020 Hampton Water Rose (Plus Candy)
Introduced in 2017, Hampton Water Rosé was conceived by rocker Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse Bongiovi, who brought the idea to French winemaker Gerard Bertrand. Learning the wine’s origin, I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics to the Bon Jovi hit “Wanted Dead or Alive”: “Sometimes you tell the day by the…
Review: Sion Kolsch
Cologne, Germany’s Radeberger makes this Kolsch, and it’s a great example of the style. Cracker crisp with a pleasant maltiness, the clean beer evokes gentle notes of sesame oil, fresh-cut grass, and just a hint of orange peel. This is a simple review but it’s a simple beer, and one that goes down with delightful…
Review: Artisan Craft Cocktails, Complete Lineup
As a company, Artisan Craft Cocktails is perhaps misnamed: All it makes are dessert cocktails, pre-mixed, bottled, and ready-to drink when poured over ice. These are all unabashedly sweet and uniquely designed for sipping after dinner, not at cocktail hour — and their premium price telegraphs premium ingredients in the mix. Let’s give the four products…
Review: Melvin Brewing Juice Theorem IPA
Melvin‘s latest is a mostly clear IPA that’s supposed to be “just as juicy” as a hazy IPA. On that front, it’s mission sort-of accomplished. This is nowhere near as flavorful as the best hazy IPAs on the market, coming across with a rather heavy muddiness and more of a vegetal note than a fruity,…
Review: Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey Pact 7 2021
The always intriguing Blood Oath series continues with this, its seventh annual release: Blood Oath Pact 7 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. As has been the case in previous years, it’s a blend of Kentucky bourbons, all rye-heavy recipes, including a 14-year old bourbon, an 8-year old bourbon, and (the twist for 2021) an 8-year old…
Review: 2019 Poggio Anima Belial and Uriel
Poggio Anima is “a collection of various Italian native varietals representing four regions in Italy, typifying the cultural heartbeat of each area. The brand name translates to ‘Hill of Soul’ and personifies the individual vineyards cultivated for each bottle,” each of which are personified as crazy, pagan demons. (The white wines are named after archangels…
Review: Booker Wines 2018 My Favorite Neighbor and 2019 Harvey & Harriet
Based in Paso Robles, Booker Wines is a top-shelf operator with a quirky sensibility. Under the leadership of owner-winemaker Eric Jensen, the winery produces unusual bottlings that bear the winery’s name only in fine print on the back label. Evocative branding positions each of the two wines we’re looking at as unique bottlings, and as…
Review: Chairman’s Reserve Legacy Rum
The latest edition in the St. Lucia-based Chairman’s Reserve Rum series is this, simply called Legacy, a blend of rums from Chairman’s two pot stills from John Dore and Vendome as well as its Coffey column still. It includes both traditional molasses-based rums and sugarcane juice rum made entirely from its Roseau estate and fermented…
