Review: Tangent 2018 Albarino and NV Canned Rose
Tangent is a brand that is “an exploration of alternative white varietals which thrive in cool climate environments.” The Edna Valley operation lays claim to one of the largest Albarino vineyards outside of Spain. Thoughts on two new releases follow. 2018 Tangent Albarino Paragon Vineyard Edna Valley – Bright and fruity, this wine is a…
Review: Wines of Sonoma-Cutrer and Pt. Reyes Cheese, 2020 Tasting
“Wine and cheese” go together so well it’s almost a cliche. Recently, Sonoma’s Sonoma-Cutrer Winery got together with one of northern California’s most noteworthy cheesemakers, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, to arrange a side-by-side tasting of both of their most iconic products. Three wines were tasted alongside four cheeses — Original Blue, Bay Blue (a mild,…
Review: Sierra Nevada Flipside Red IPA
As we all look forward to a mercifully cooler fall, here’s a beer supposedly tailor-made for the next season. Sierra Nevada’s Flipside Red IPA was introduced in 2013 as a seasonal, cooler-weather contrast to the brighter, summery beers that comprise the brewery’s core line-up. It leans heavy on the tropical fruit and citrus from a…
Review: Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey (2019)
We’ve covered the core lineup from Michter’s pretty thoroughly and even some of the rarer unicorns like Michter’s 20 Year, but a pair of whiskeys are on annual offer from the distillery that you may have not even heard of. And for good reason. Known as the Legacy Series, Shenk’s Homestead and Bomberger’s Declaration have…
Review: Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka
Behind the opaque, black bottle of Blood x Sweat x Tears (aka Blood, Sweat, and Tears, aka BST) you’ll find a craft vodka from Eugene, Oregon-based Wolf Spirit Distillery. I don’t have a lot of production information about this spirit, except that its made from local wheat and water and is freeze filtered before bottling.…
Review: Q Kola and GuS Cola
When looking for a cola mixer it’s far too easy to reach for the usual suspects, especially in the grocery store where the big names occupy most of the aisle. However, most of the big names use obesity-inducing high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. HFCS is a cheap sweetener made from corn, and has…
Review: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon (Batch 27)
We first reviewed Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend back in 2017. At that time, our sample was only the second release of what has since become the distillery’s most premium offering and a coveted, cult whiskey amongst bourbon lovers. In June, the distillery released six different batches of Cigar Blend, which was a bit unusual as…
Review: St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Allspice dram, often referred to as pimento dram, was for many years a “lost” cocktail ingredient that one would see in books — primarily of the tiki variety — and merely dream wistfully about what it might taste like. Some years back, our friends at Haus Alpenz began producing St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, “the tradition…
