Review: Casa D’Aristi Huana, Kalani, and Xtabentun
I realize that the headline of this review looks like I just hit some random letters on the keyboard, but I assure you that’s not the case. Casa D’Aristi is a Mexican liqueur brand based in the town of Merida in the Yucatan. The Aristi family produces spirits that “reflect the authentic flavors of the…
Review: Intercept 2018 Chardonnay and 2017 Red Blend
Intercept is a new wine brand with a name that has a surprising level of meaning behind it: O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a leading California producer of premium wine brands, announces the launch of a new wine brand, Intercept, in partnership with wine aficionado, television personality, retired football superstar, and one of the all-time leaders…
Review: Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011
Islay’s Bruichladdich has long been tinkering with the terroir of barley, with whiskey releases made from only Scottish barley, Islay-grown barley, and even barley grown on a single farm. With its latest addition to this lineup, the distillery returns to Islay-grown grain, specifically “Oxbridge and Publican barley varietals grown on six Islay farms in a…
Review: 2016 Garofoli Podium, Macrina, and PianCarda
Garofoli is considered to be one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Italy, dating back to 1871 when Antonio Garofoli began producing wine for the local pilgrims who came to the famous church of Loreto. Today, Garofoli, on the border of Italy’s Adriatic Sea in Marche, makes a wide range of wines. The two we…
Review: Blaum Bros. Straight Bourbon
Blaum Bros. Distilling, based in Galena, Illinois and founded by real-life brothers, has been producing craft spirits since 2013. In that short amount of time they’ve put together quite a portfolio, including vodka, gin, absinthe, and, of course, whiskey. We received the flagship product, Blaum Bros. Straight Bourbon to put to the test. We didn’t…
Review: Svol Aquavit – Danish and Swedish
Aquavit seems to be having a minor resurgence in American cocktail culture as an alternative to gin, and U.S. drinkers are now getting access to two new expressions of this Scandinavian essential: Svol, available in both “Danish” and “Swedish” styles (though both are made in Brooklyn, NY). Some details: Launching in the U.S. this month,…
A Visit to Virginia Distillery
Virginia Distillery Co. opened its doors in 2015 in Nelson County, Virginia, just south of the college town of Charlottesville. The distillery was the dream of its late founder, the Irish businessman and whisky enthusiast Dr. George G. Moore. There wasn’t any family lore inspiring its founding and Dr. Moore didn’t intend to make traditional…
A Visit to Monterey’s Holman Ranch Estate Wines
Thanks to the awesome hospitality of the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Holman Ranch to taste with father and son winemakers Greg and Chris Vita. They produce two labels of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sparkling for them: Holman Ranch and Jarman, both sourced from estate vineyards in…
