Review: Psagot 2016 Peak and 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon
Psagot is one of the blue chip wineries of Israel, where it produces a variety of high-end wines largely made from international grape varietals. Today we look at two bottlings from Psagot, a red blend and a cabernet sauvignon. 2016 Psagot Peak Jerusalem – A blend of 47% syrah, 39% petite sirah, and 14% mourvedre.…
Review: Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Years Old Batch 1 (2019)
Hot on the heels of An Oa, Ardbeg‘s latest addition to its permanent lineup is here: Traigh Bhan (pronounced tri-van). Not only is it Ardbeg’s oldest permanent bottling, it’s got an honest-to-god age statement, a “guaranteed” 19 years old. Aging is completed in a combination of bourbon casks and oloroso sherry casks. Per the company: This…
Review: Ilegal Mezcal Joven (2019)
It’s been nearly ten years since our introduction to and first review of Ilegal Mezcal, a small-batch, Oaxaca-based brand that produces a range of mezcals, both unaged and aged in oak. We started off with a look at batch #1 in 2010. Come 2019, we find batch #80 of the joven mezcal on our desks,…
Review: Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey 7 Years Old (2019)
If you’re drinking wheat whiskey, there’s a good chance you’re drinking Bernheim Original. This brand, part of Heaven Hill, has been on the market since 2005 — we reviewed it in 2009 — and in 2014 the labeling was updated to include an age statement — 7 years old — a rejection of the more…
Tasting South African Pinotage, 2019 Releases
Pinotage (a cross between pinot noir and cinsault) is the signature grape of South Africa, and to some it remains an acquired taste, never really having caught on in the international scene. Vineyard Brands recently sent four 2019 releases of its South African pinotage imports for our review — all hailing from different regions. Does…
Review: Virginia Distillery Prelude: Courage & Conviction American Single Malt Whisky
Virginia Distillery Co. reached a milestone recently with the release of Prelude: Courage & Conviction, the first single malt whisky made entirely at the distillery in Lovingston, Virginia. Up until this point, each release was a blend of the distillery’s own young single malt and sourced stocks from Scotland. Prelude won’t be a permanent addition…
Review: Dashfire Canned Cocktails – Complete Lineup
Dashfire is best known as a purveyor of bitters, with the self-proclaimed largest selection of bitters in the world. Recently the company expanded its offerings to include a selection of six premade cocktails, each available in the cutest single-serve can you’ve ever seen — 100ml each. (750ml bottles are also available.) The cocktails are all…
Review: Popi’s Finest Rum
Popi’s Finest Rum isn’t made in the Caribbean or South America, but is rather the product of MISCellaneous Distillery (aka MISC Distillery), which can be found in Mount Airy, Maryland. MISCellaneous makes gin, whiskey, vodka, and a trio of rums, one of which — Popi’s Finest — we review here. Per the company, “Popi’s Finest…
