Review: Kilchoman Am Bùrach
The question remains unanswered: Is the accidental mixing of barrels/distillates more commonplace than public originally were made aware? Is it a new thing in an effort to reduce distillery waste? Is it something marketing and “innovation specialists” have preyed upon as a new best practice and are trying to make commonplace? All of the above?…
Recipe: Algonquin Cocktail
Some say the Algonquin was created at New York’s famous hotel — in the era of Dorothy Parker — others say it was merely inspired by the famous “round table” there. Either way, I doubt Ms. Parker drank this concoction. Surely she would have eschewed something as jejune as pineapple juice in her drink. (She…
Review: Bruichladdich Port Charlotte OLC:01 2010
Normally around these parts the domain of consideration for Bruichladdich rests in the hands of our intrepid editor-in-chief/fearless leader. So when there is a Laddie not covered in our portfolio, one jumps at the opportunity to make their feelings known. This time around we have Port Charlotte OLC:01, a member of the distillery’s venerable Cask…
Review: Whiskeys of Ragged Branch
Virginia-based Ragged Branch is a craft distillery that makes bourbon — and lots of it: The brand has five different bourbon expressions — and one rye — all produced in house and aged for at least four years (though no formal age statements appear on its bottles). Aside from that, there’s limited available information about…
Review: Clown Shoes Rainbows Are Real
This is our first encounter with Clown Shoes, a Boston/Vermont-based craft producer of unusual brews, and one of our first experiences with terpenes, those “aromatic oils found in natural botanical sources (including cannabis and hops) that are said to have therapeutic benefits.” There’s no cannabis in Rainbows Are Real, but the brew does include Beta-Pinene…
What Makes up a Vegan-Friendly Wine, and How Do You Find One?
ADVERTISEMENT Do you love wine and your vegan lifestyle? No problem, you can be both a wine lover and a vegan. It’s easy if you know where to look. But wine is just grape juice, why would it not be vegan friendly? Winemakers and wine drinkers prefer their wines clear. Young wine is hazy due…
Review: Appleton Estate Rum 8 Years Old Reserve
Recently, Appleton — the pride of Jamaica — announced a new permanent addition to its lineup of rums. The new 8 Year Old Reserve, from Master Blender Joy Spence, is designed to be “Appleton Estate’s most versatile expression of aged rum.” It also coincides with a relaunch of the entire brand, which features new bottle…
Review: Pyramid Brewing Blazing Bright and Outburst
If you see a bolder, more eye-catching pyramid on the stacks next time you’re in the beer aisle, don’t be alarmed: Seattle’s Pyramid Brewing has revamped the packaging in its entire lineup, with more iconography-driven graphics in lieu of its older, more traditional illustrations. Neither of the beers we review here today are ultra-new releases,…
