Review: Guillotine Vodka – Straight and Heritage Edition
Guillotine Vodka hails from France (where else?) where it produces two versions of the spirit. The standard vodka is, like many French vodkas, distilled from grapes, while the Heritage Edition is “aged” (their quotation marks) in Cognac and Armagnac barrels “made from very special Limousin oak.” We tried both. Let’s dig in. Mind the price…
Review: Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2019
A 12 year old version of Lagavulin is invariably a part of the Diageo Special Releases, though this one isn’t going to be available in the U.S. There are no big surprises in this release, aged in refill bourbon barrels, and that’s probably for the best. The nose is heavy on the smoke, the usual…
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.…
