Review: Southern Star Reserve Bourbon 10 Years Old
Early last year, we reviewed the bulk of the portfolio at Southern Distilling Company in Statesville, NC. One bottle that slipped through the cracks on us was this Reserve Straight Bourbon, the only age-stated whiskey in the entire lineup. It’s a healthy 10 years old and presumably made of the same high-rye mashbill as their…
Review: Cazadores Tequila – Blanco and Extra Anejo
The Cazadores Distillery is in the town of Arandas in the highlands of Jalisco in Mexico, and of their range of tequilas we’ve only reviewed their Reposado to date. While it’s definitely at the budget end of the tequila market, it’s a reliable choice if you want a 100% agave tequila for margaritas or palomas,…
Review: Disaronno Velvet Cream Liqueur
It only took about 500 years, but iconic amaretto brand Disaronno has its first line extension: Disaronno Velvet, a cream liqueur. Velvet is, put simply, a cream version of standard Disaronno. It has that same brisk and sweet almond aroma that immediately evokes Disaronno liqueur, well-sugared but otherwise straightforwared. The palate comes across as a…
Review: 2019 Rodney Strong Rose of Pinot Noir and Charlotte’s Home Sauvignon Blanc
While it’s tough to go out wine tasting these days, Rodney Strong did the next best thing and put winemaker Justin Seidenfeld on a Zoom call with media to taste through a couple of summery wines virtually and talk about Rodney Strong’s history. (Did you know that Strong, the man, was a professional dancer who…
Review: Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon 10 Years Old (2019)
For a long while, Henry McKenna was a fairly obscure brand of bourbon in the Heaven Hill empire. Most notable for being a 10 year old bottled in bond whiskey — most bonded releases are considerably younger — it was an outstanding value for what was in the bottle. And then in 2019 it won…
Review: Crook & Marker Spiked Teas
Spiked seltzers are trendy right now, but in our experience many of them aren’t exactly packed with flavor. Crook & Marker, a health-conscious alcohol brand from Bai founder Ben Weiss, is trying to address that with their own spin on the original ready-to-drink classics, spiked tea and lemonade. But Twisted Tea or Mike’s Hard Lemonade…
Review: Dano’s Dangerous Tequila, Complete Lineup
Made at what is reportedly the second oldest tequila distillery in the world, the Dano’s Dangerous Tequila brand is based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and dates back to just 2018. While it started with its pineapple/jalapeno infused tequila (see below), it has since extended the brand to the standard trio of unflavored varieties. The operation…
Review: Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon 4 Years Old
Kentucky’s Willett Distillery has assumed almost Pappy-like status in today’s bourbon world, helped in large part by their first releases of exceedingly rare, well-aged single barrel bourbon. Those Willett Family Estate bottlings were initially sourced and often pushing 20 years old. Such unicorn bottles complemented a slew of other, more readily available brands like Rowan’s…
