Review: Oak Farm 2018 Albarino and 2017 Zinfandel
Lodi’s Oak Farm Vineyards produces a surprisingly wide range of wines, including many made with classically European varietals, one of which we cover in this two-fer review. 2018 Oak Farm Albarino Lodi – This is a surprising wine from Lodi, full of tropical fruit, Cape gooseberry, and lemon peel notes. Bursting with fruit and sweetness,…
Review: Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 Years Old Sherry Cask Finish
It’s been a minute since we last reviewed a mystery, Costco discount dram, so here’s a recent one, Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 22 Years Old. Alexander Murray, which currently bottles these bargain beauties, has occasionally deviated from the sherry-finished path (this 16-year-old from 2016, for example), but this one stays the course, finished for a…
Recipe: Manhattan Transfer
If you happen to be a whiskey drinker, like me, you probably love a good Manhattan. But as a whiskey-lover, I have a hard time sticking to just one brand or type of whiskey, and that translates to my Manhattans, too. I’m always looking for new and different variations. The Manhattan Transfer is my latest…
Review: 2017 Chalk Hill Estate Chardonnay
Chalk Hill’s (gray-label) Estate Chardonnay is one of its most classic bottlings. Bold with buttery oak, it folds in notes of fig, lemon peel, and pears, and as with other bottlings of this wine — grapes from the eponymous AVA — a slight layer of coconut peeks through. The finish hints at a mild nuttiness…
Review: High West Bourye (2019)
High West’s latest Bourye batch dropped in December 2019, technically making it a 2019 release, though few have seen it until the last couple of months. You’ll see it referred to as the 2020 release here and there — including on High West’s own website. As always, Bourye is a combination of bourbon and rye…
Review: Modified Theory Canned Cocktails
Deschutes Brewery — which we cover at length here — recently expanded its footprint into the canned cocktail market. While they’re sippable on their own as “hard bevy” ready-to-drink cocktails, Deschutes is also positioning them as mixers to which you can add a shot of alcohol for an extra kick. Three flavors are on tap,…
Review: Dear, Bear & Moose “The Gentlemen” Glentauchers 1996 23 Years Old
If you took a brief nap at the right time, you might have missed the release of The Gentlemen, a Guy Ritchie movie starring the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant getting into a lot of fights. It’s set in Britain, so naturally the movie’s brand owners got together with Flaviar to release a special…
Review: Glendalough Irish Whiskey – Pot Still, 17 Years Old, and 25 Years Old
When I stumbled upon Glendalough’s well-aged Irish whiskeys at a recent WhiskyFest, I knew that the baby sips doled out at these festivals weren’t going to do it. I named the distillery’s wholly unique 17 year old my favorite whiskey of the night, and finally we received a follow-up sample of it and the equally…
