Review: Wines of Left Coast Cellars, Late 2019 Releases
This review marks our third go-round with Oregon’s Left Coast in the last year. This quartet of wines were all released at the tail end of 2019 and are designed for cooler weather sipping — including the first sparkling wine from Left Coast we’ve encountered. As always, all wines hail from the Van Duzer Corridor,…
Review: Compoveda Tequila Extra Anejo
SipTequila is an online tequila shop specializing in high-end bottlings, and recently it pulled a trick that not even the whiskey merchants are doing: It launched its own private label brand (not a barrel pick) called Compoveda. Compoveda exists solely as an extra anejo. It is crafted from 100% blue weber agave (source unknown), then…
Review: Petal Sparkling Botanical Blend Mixers
Who doesn’t love a good Gin & Tonic, Vodka Soda, or Dark & Stormy? While premium sodas from Fever Tree and Top Note have elevated the classics, perhaps there’s room for a newcomer to offer original flavors that taste just as great when mixed with a spirit as they do on their own. Enter Petal,…
Review: Dalwhinnie 30 Years Old Limited Edition 2019
Central Highlands-based Dalwhinnie has shown up a few times in the Diageo Special Releases, but this 30 year old, aged in a variety of casks, is its oldest to date. It’s quite a treat, too. The nose is pretty and floral, lightly perfumed with notes of sandalwood making for an instantly evocative aroma. The palate…
Review: King Floyd’s Bitters – Scorched Pear & Ginger, Grapefruit Rosemary, and Cherry Cacao
Today we’re dipping back into the bitters of Novato, California-based King Floyd’s, catching up on a few expressions we missed the first time around. Let’s dive in. King Floyd’s Scorched Pear & Ginger Bitters – Heavy on the notes of fresh, pungent ginger, if only because “scorched pear” just doesn’t pack nearly as much punch.…
Review: Cragganmore 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2019
Round 2 with Diageo’s 2019 Special Releases is this “medium-peated” Cragganmore, distilled as an experiment in 2006 and aged in refill bourbon casks. (Despite being a Speyside distillery, Cragganmore is normally made with a slight level of peat, which is already unusual for this region.) I’d say the medium-peat designation is fairly spot on here.…
Review: 2018 Malene Rose Central Coast
This Provençal-style rosé actually hails from California’s Central Coast. It’s made from grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, vermentino and syrah. Pretty and approachable, the wine blends floral and strawberry elements, pushed through a filter of minerals and fresh steel. The notes of white flowers and white peaches linger for quite some time on the fresh and lively…
Review: Baker’s Single Barrel Bourbon 7 Years Old and 13 Years Old (2019)
As the unofficial champion of Baker’s Bourbon, I was nervous to receive news that the brand, now 27 years old, was being revamped and relaunched in late 2019. The concept: Baker’s classic 7 year old would maintain its age and proof level but would become a single barrel offering, and a new (limited edition) 13…
