Review: Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001
This new special edition bourbon from Bulleit is named Blenders’ Select (surely mislabeled as Blender’s Select in more than one location), as it was personally crafted by Eboni Major, the brand’s blender. Wait, doesn’t Major blend all the whiskeys there? Yes, but this takes the juice in a different direction, using just three of the…
Review: Schlafly Summer Lager and Topical Saison
Two summertime releases from St. Louis’s Schlafly. Let’s go! Schlafly Summer Lager – A Helles-style lager from Schlafly, brewed with German Mittelfrüh hops. Malty and bready, it has that unmistakably German kick — slightly vegetal, slightly woody — and a finish that calls out for a pretzel with mustard. A bit light on its feel…
Review: RumChata Limon Liqueur
If you had asked me what I thought the first line extension from RumChata — the horchata liqueur — would be, “lemon” would not have been at the top of that list. But here we are, staring down RumChata Limon to see how sweet and sour come together in cream liqueur fashion. As a refresher,…
Review: 2018 Archery Summit Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
A pair of new releases, summer-friendly, from Oregon’s well-known Archery Summit. 2018 Archery Summit Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills – Surprisingly tight and a little sour up front, this wine exudes notes of lime and unripe apple, both unexpected. The wine does open up as it develops in the glass, with notes of vanilla, coconut, and baked…
Review: Kilbeggan Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Venerable Kilbeggan turns its attention to single pot still whiskey with this a limited edition release that follows the classic recipe of blending malted and unmalted barley — plus 2.5% oats — in the mash before distilling in a pot still. Why oats? Per the company, “In the late 1800s, oats were grown across the…
Review: Gin Lane 1751 London Dry Royal Strength Gin
This is round 3 (of 4 products in total) with Gin Lane 1751, as we turn our attention to the brand’s “royal strength” — in lieu of navy strength — offering. Pot-distilled and made in the London Dry style, as the name suggests, it is flavored with eight botanicals: juniper, star anise, Seville orange, orris…
Review: West Cork Small Batch Irish Whiskey 8 Years Old
We’ve reviewed quite a few Irish whiskey bottlings from West Cork Distillers, but this 8 year old single malt may be its best release yet. Some deets: The 8-Year Single Malt is a non-chill filtered whiskey distilled in hand-built copper pot stills from 100% local-grown Irish Barley and spring water sourced within 5km of the…
Review: Cardamaro
Cardamaro is a unique amaro that is made not from grain neutral spirits or grappa but rather from wine. The Milan-based producer, Giovanni Bosca, calls this “a predecessor to the now common styles of amari.” While the name may have you presuming it is flavored with cardamom, that’s not the case. Cardamaro starts with Bosca’s…
