Review: Old Elk Rye, Wheat Whiskey, and Wheated Bourbon (2020)
Last year, Old Elk — the Colorado-based operation run by former MGP master distiller Greg Metze — launched a pair of new whiskey expressions that were sold exclusively in Old Elk’s tasting room. This year, distribution of those releases has expanded nationally, and there’s a new whiskey in the mix, too: a wheated bourbon. (Old…
Recipe (and Kit): Honeycomb Highball
Joji is musician seen in the photo above, and you can tell he’s an awfully happy fellow. Why the long face? Because he hasn’t started sipping on the Honeycomb Highball, a cocktail developed in collaboration with Johnnie Walker and Cocktail Courier, which is selling a kit with all the ingredients you need. The most challenging…
Review: Elysian Contact Haze, Rolling Stone Lager, and Salute the Sun
Today we’re freshening up our coverage of Seattle’s Elysian Brewing, with a look at three beers — two permanent editions, one seasonal. Elysian Contact Haze – This is a very light take on the hazy IPA formula — both in fruit (a touch of mango and a squeeze of pineapple) and in body, which is…
Review: Rhum J.M 10 Years Old Vintage 2008
At the top of Rhum J.M’s Martinique-based lineup stands this infrequent bottling, a vintage-dated rum that spends 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels before bottling. This expression (still column-distilled rhum agricole from estate-grown sugarcane, with no sugar added) hails from the 2008 vintage; you’ll find various other vintages on the market (including 2001, 2003, and 2006).…
Review: Pricklee Superfruit Water
The latest plant to lay claim on the “superfruit” moniker is the cactus fruit, aka prickly pear. Pricklee is a line of non-alcoholic beverages which compete in a vague sense with coconut water. Non-carbonated and sugar free, they’re made with water and prickly pear puree, and are sweetened with agave nectar. “Crafted by pharmacists” as…
Review: Hirsch The Horizon Bourbon
The return of the Hirsch brand to liquor store shelves continues with The Horizon, another MGP-sourced that’s made from a blend of two mashbills, and while it doesn’t carry an official age statement, it’s effectively a 5 year old bottling. Here’s the minutiae: The Horizon combines two straight bourbons distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN, and is…
Review: Cragganmore 12 Years Old
We’ve had the privilege of reviewing numerous special releases from Cragganmore in recent years. The humble and unassuming Speyside distillery was one of the original six in Diageo’s Classic Malts series, and has yet to receive low marks from us: a testament to both quality and consistency. So it stands to reason the flagship expression…
Review: Islay Storm Peated Single Malt
Everyone enjoys a good bargain, and Trader Joe’s has a reputation in the United States for selling tasty things at reasonable prices. Islay Storm could possibly be an exclusive to Trader Joe’s in the United States, as I haven’t seen it available at any other retail outlet or chain shop of note. This line of…
