Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Apple
Following up on expressions like its Tennessee Fire and Tennessee Honey, Jack Daniel’s continues to tinker with adding flavored expressions to its repertoire. The latest: Tennessee Apple, which is exactly what you think it is, a heavily flavored mix of JD and apple liqueur. It tastes exactly like you’d expect, too, starting with a nose…
Review: Guinness Stock Ale Aged in Bulleit Bourbon Barrels
Ready for more magic from our pals at Guinness? The latest expression from the outfit (produced at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore) is this: Guinness Stock Ale Aged in Bulleit Bourbon Barrels. So says the company: The newest beer is the endgame of a Guinness Barleywine and a Guinness Imperial Stout – both…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Booker’s Country Ham” 2019-03 and “Beaten Biscuits” 2019-04
Lately the Booker’s special edition bourbon releases have hit us faster than we can keep up. Our overload is your gain, as we take the opportunity to do a head to head of the two most recent whiskeys in this burgeoning collection, both of which dropped in the latter months of 2019. Booker’s Bourbon “Booker’s…
Review: 2017 Tornatore Etna Bianco DOC
This wine, hailing from the slopes of Mt. Etna, is made from 100% carricante, a grape indigenous to Sicily. Fans of pinot grigio and other floral/fruity wines will find this agreeable. Boldly acidic, the wine kicks off with notes of grapefruit and fresh lemon and orange notes, before finding a groove that runs to mineral,…
Review: El Mayor Tequila Cristalino
El Mayor has been on a tear lately, with two special edition tequilas landing spots in our Top 10 Tequilas of 2019 list. Up next for the brand is an on-trend Cristalino bottling, taking its anejo tequila (aged 12 months) and filtering the color out using charcoal. Let’s take it for a spin. The nose…
Tasting Persedo’s “Polished” Spirits
Persedo isn’t a spirit brand you can go out and buy. Rather, it’s a technology, known in full as Persedo Polishing Technology, which spirits producers can use to improve their finished product — the proverbial Philosopher’s Stone that can take rotgut and turn it into top shelf hooch. The proprietary system is not an accelerated…
Review: Aberlour A’bunadh Alba
Pro tip: When a distillery puts “Alba” in the name of a product, you can presume you’re getting into an ex-bourbon barrel-aged whiskey. American oak’s scientific name is quercus alba, and “alba” just sounds nice. Aberlour is the latest to go wild for Alba, having released a U.S.-exclusive version of its popular, full-proof A’bunadh single malt:…
Review: Founder’s Brewing Underground Mountain Brown Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale
Founders Brewing is best known for their commendable Kentucky Breakfast Stout, but their Barrel Aged series aims to push the envelope beyond just one type of beer. Brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki is a firm believer that if “you put the right beer in the right barrel… you’re going to create some pretty interesting flavors.” Enter their…
