Review: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Cafe De Olla Stout
Here’s another unique offering from Goose Island’s Barrel House line. Café De Olla Stout was crafted in partnership with Intelligentsia Coffee and inspired by the traditional Mexican spiced coffee. It takes the Original Bourbon County Stout, ages it with coffee beans and cold coffee, and enhances things further with cassia bark, orange peel, and panela…
Review: Hanson of Sonoma Double Barrel Single Malt Whiskey
Hanson of Sonoma is increasingly well known for its top-shelf, organic vodkas, but recently the company branched out with its first whiskey, a single malt the company describes as “a blend of tradition and technique from both Scottish and Japanese whiskeys — in a uniquely Sonoma style.” This is not sourced and repackaged whiskey but…
Review: Dogfish Head Bourbon Barrel-Aged World Wide Stout
Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery is best known for lighter, brighter ales, most notably their 60 Minute and insanely hoppy 120 Minute India Pale Ale. There are, however, darker beers in their expansive portfolio. Their World Wide Stout, made with what the brewery describes as “a ridiculous amount of barley,” debuted forever ago, back in 1999…
Review: Rock Rose Gin Original and Navy Strength
Dunnet Bay Distillers’ Rock Rose Gin is the latest entry into the increasingly crowded Scottish gin market — where more than 170 different gins are currently in production. The brand dates back to 2014, the result of 55 experiments to find the right botanical blend. The final recipe is an exotic mix that includes juniper, rose…
Review: Firestone Walker XXIII Anniversary Ale
Another year and another Anniversary Ale from Firestone Walker. The info sheet for this one (nicely tucked inside the packaging) reminds the drinker that it was Firestone’s tenth anniversary ale, X, that actually introduced the world to their first spirits barrel-aged beer. And boy have they come a long way since then with the Proprietor’s…
Review: Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Special Release #2 (2020)
We reviewed Murray Hill Club, one of three core whiskey expressions from Jos. A. Magnus Distillery, back in 2017. In 2018, the brand got an extension with a small Special Release line to showcase the exceptional blending and finishing abilities of Magnus’s Master Blender and long-time industry maven, Nancy Fraley. The first release, which we…
Review: Wines of Oda al Vino & Am, 2020 Releases
Oda al Vino and Am are Chilean wine brands owned by St. Stephen Organic Vineyards, which is co-located in Chile’s Colchagua Valley and San Jose, California. St. Stephen produces only organic wines and is so devoted to sustainability that it recently addressed the United Nations Climate Change Division on the matter. We tried the most…
Review: New Riff Single Barrel Rye
When we reviewed New Riff’s rye whiskey release last spring, we mentioned that, like its bourbon, a single barrel program wouldn’t be far behind. Well, sure enough, New Riff single barrel rye started popping up last summer, although private barrels don’t seem to be quite as prevalent as the bourbon. On a recent trip to…
