Review: Aberfeldy 12, 16, and 21 Years Old
Aberfeldy is best known for its significant contributions to Dewar’s Scotch blends (Dewar’s being the distillery’s corporate owner), but it’s also the home to its own line of single malts, with bottlings reaching as old as 40 years of age. Situated uniquely between the Highlands and the Lowlands region of Scotland — technically either the…
Review: 2017 Clos Mogador Priorat Gratallops
Spain’s Priorat region has a reputation for being one of the inkiest, deepest, most intense wines on the planet. What a surprise then to tuck into this Gratallops-grown red (a blend of 46% garnacha, 29% cariñena, 15% syrah, and 10% cabernet sauvignon) and find such a fruity, lively delicacy. The wine is bursting up front…
Review: Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B520 (May 2020)
Earlier this year, Heaven Hill dropped a barrel proof version of Larceny, and now those barrels are charging ahead in the same vein as Elijah Craig, with a rotating series of ultra-proofed whiskeys coming out 2-4 times a year. Larceny is right on the heels of Mr. Craig with its 2nd release of 2020 (Elijah…
Best Summer & 4th of July Cocktails for 2020
Summer is here, and sunny days mean basking outdoors and sipping on refreshing quaffers. Berries and fresh herbs are begging for harvest, and what better way to incorporate summer’s bounty than into your 4th of July cocktails! From classics and their riffs to sangria and fruit-forward flavors, these recipes can be enjoyed whether you’re staying…
Review: Rums of Rhum Clement – Cask Collection, VSOP, Creole Shrubb, and Coconut Liqueur (2020)
A recent virtual road show from Spiribam — the corporate owner of Rhum J.M, Bounty, Chairman’s, and Admiral Rodney rums — brought a number of its brands into the limelight. While we’ll have coverage of a couple of additional ones soon, we first look at one of the company’s most prized operations, Rhum Clement, an…
Review: 2019 Mateus Dry Rose
Mateus? Mateus. The wine your parents dranks when Lancer’s, Blue Nun, and Black Tower weren’t available is making a push back into the zeitgeist, and — surprise — it’s better than you might think. The brand lays claim as being the first Portuguese rose ever created, and while the original Mateus was slightly sparkling and…
Review: Headwind Vodka
Formally “Headwind Craft FWD Vodka,” this spirit hails from Portland, Oregon, where a “high-quality, gluten-free, corn-based grain is six times distilled and filtered through Pacific Northwest timber.” A thin label made of birch wood, bearing batch and bottle number, reinforces the lumberjack connection. Do outdoorsy types drink vodka? The nose presents itself as a fairly…
Review: Catoctin Creek Infinity Barrel #InThisTogether Rye
Breweries and distilleries are doing their best to acknowledge our trying times, and Virginia’s Catoctin Creek recently dropped its own charity-focused whiskey, a 100% rye aged in leftover casks from its barrel select program, with profits going to support struggling restaurants and bars. The barrels used represent a hodgepodge of stuff, including an American chardonnay…
