Review: Tequila Don Julio Reposado Double Cask – Lagavulin Barrel
Don Julio’s first experimental Double Cask release — which saw reposado tequila finished for 30 days in Buchanan’s Scotch whisky barrels — wasn’t a one-off. Now the brand is back with a second Double Barrel release, this one finished in Lagavulin whisky casks. With Lagavulin the Ron Swanson-approved It Whisky of the moment, I expect…
Review: NV Vipra Rosso Dolce Sweet Red
Stop me when I’ve gone too far. Here’s a wine that’s: Lightly fizzy. Sweet. Low alcohol. Designed to be served chilled. And red. Vipra’s Dolce Sweet Red was designed for millennials who have a sweet tooth and an aversion to alcohol: At 7% abv, this is pretty much soda for grown-ups. (It’s also being used…
Review: Bower Hill Bourbon Barrel Strength, Single Barrel, and Barrel Reserve
Bower Hill is one of many small, non-distilling producers that have been showing up on the whiskey shelves with greater frequency lately. But unlike most NDPs, this isn’t the typical MGP juice. Their four different bourbons are all sourced from an unnamed Kentucky distillery. Each release is made from a mashbill of 70% corn, 25%…
Review: Chalk Hill 2017 Sonoma Chardonnay and 2016 Estate Chardonnay
Chalk Hill and chardonnay go so iconically hand in hand that many drinkers probably don’t realize the Sonoma-based operation makes other types of wine. And yes, it does, but… er, here’s a review of two current release chardonnays all the same. 2017 Chalk Hill Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – A straightforward but sweeter version of chardonnay,…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Heavy Char Rye Whiskey 8 Years Old (2019)
For the 13th edition of Heaven Hill’s resoundingly popular Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Edition bottling, the distillery is releasing a rye — surprisingly the first appearance of rye in the entire series. What’s distinguished here is that the rye spends its eight years of aging time in level 5 charred barrels — a very heavy…
Review: Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale (2019) and Bel Air Sour
Uber-hot Brooklyn Brewery has two new offerings on the table, including a summer seasonal and a year-round sour. Thoughts on both follow. Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale (2019) – A “sunny pale ale” per the label, Brooklyn’s seasonal Summer Ale is as simple, light, and approachable as the name suggests. Lots of lemon lights the path,…
Review: Single Cask Nation Clynelish 9, Ledaig 13, Ledaig 15, Glenburgie 20, Clynelish 23, and Cameronbridge 26
Our fourth round of independent bottlings from new Scotch whisky producer Single Cask Nation starts now, with a sextet of releases just now hitting the market. (A pair of releases that were part of this outturn, from Imperial and Port Dundas, were unfortunately not available for review.) Single Cask Nation Clynelish 9 Years Old –…
Review: Stirrings Simple Margarita Mix and Margarita Rimmer
Stirrings was one of the first companies to make a splash in the burgeoning premade mixer business, and the brand now dominates shelf space on the mixer aisle. While Stirrings has 13 mixers at present along with a host of other syrups, rimmers, and other nonalcoholic products, today we look at the flagship: Stirrings Simple…
