Review: Barrell Bourbon Batch 28
Even though Barrell has been busy building an entire new line of whiskeys (more on that in a future review), that hasn’t put even a slight pause in the schedule of periodic bourbon batch releases. The first for 2021 is Batch 28, another blend of straight whiskeys sourced from distilleries in Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky.…
Review: Justin 2018 Justification and 2020 Sauvignon Blanc
Two new wines from our friends at Paso Robles’ Justin Winery — and they’re as different as could be. 2018 Justin Justification – 66% cabernet franc, 34% merlot. There’s lots to love here, a rich and delightful wine that’s loaded with both currant and brighter cherry notes. A gentle floral element emerges on the finish,…
Review: Raasay While We Wait 2018 Release
Raasay Distillery (aka Isle of Raasay Distillery) is the first legal whisky distillery on the Isle of Raasay, which is a tiny island just north of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Operations formally began in 2017, and while the distillery just dropped its first formal bottling, we recently discovered a bottle of While We Wait,…
Review: Jose Cuervo Playamar Sparkling Tequila – Mango, Grapefruit, and Lime
Along with a pandemic and general global turmoil, the last few years have also brought us the sparkling, ready-to-drink craze that seems to be in full bloom with no foreseeable end in sight. Never one to miss an opportunity, the powers that be at Cuervo have jumped in, and the results are pleasantly surprising. The…
Review: Corkcicle Rifle Paper Co. Hydrangea Collection
As you peruse the local stores and websites for Mother’s Day gift ideas, perhaps you have also asked yourself, Can Mom have too many travel mugs? (Asking for a friend.) Let’s be realistic. We live in the age of zero-waste consciousness, life on-the-go, and Covid obsession. Travel mugs, water bottles, and similar accoutrements have joined…
Review: Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky
Abasolo isn’t just corn whiskey, it’s whiskey — or whisky, as it seems they say in some parts down south — made from Mexican Cacahuazintle corn, an ancient “ancestral” grain. The bulk of the corn used in the whisky is nixtamalized, a process used to turn corn into masa (which is used for tortillas and…
Review: Deeper Roots Kula PB (Papa New Guinea) Coffee
The last time I tasted coffee from the Sigri Estate in Papa New Guinea, it was a roast from Michigan-based Hyperion Coffee Company that was sensational. So when word reached my inbox that Deeper Roots Coffee in Cincinnati would be offering up a Sigri roast, it made perfect sense to hop in the car for…
Review: 2017 Sosie Red Blend Cavedale Vineyard
This Bordeaux-esque blend is a single vineyard offering from Sonoma County, composed of 45% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot, and 10% cabernet franc. This is a rich wine, though it still hits the palate as quite youthful, offering an attack of raspberries and rhubarb, layered with tons of tannins. Notes of graphite and forest floor give the…
