Review: Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis-Alexandre
Grand Marnier’s latest expression launched quietly earlier this year. Cuvée Louis-Alexandre is an ode to the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, “whose audacious and grand idea to blend a fine cognac with a rare, bitter orange liqueur disrupted the status quo more than a century ago.” This newest expression blends VSOP Cognac with…
Review: Wines of Famille Perrin, 2019 Releases
We’re back to the Rhone Valley with an exploration of the wines of Famille Perrin, seven bottlings from low-end table wines to higher-end offerings from some of the region’s finest growing areas. Let’s dive in. 2018 Famille Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve (Rose) – A seldom-seen Rhone rose, this grenache, mourvedre, syrah, and cinsault blend…
Review: Woodford Reserve Wheat Whiskey
Without too much fanfare or forewarning, Woodford Reserve recently introduced a new addition to its permanent lineup. Woodford Reserve Wheat is the fifth whiskey in its full-time portfolio and a rare offering out of Kentucky. The only other majority wheat mashbill that I’m aware of is Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey, and like Bernheim,…
Book Review: Wild Winemaking
Did you know you can make wine from store-bought raisins? Tomatoes? Butternut squash? The very thought of drinking many of the wines in Richard Bender’s Wild Winemaking (aka Wild Wine Making) are alone worth the price of admission, even though I will fully confess I don’t plan on actually whipping up any plum champagne or limequat-kung…
Review: WhistlePig FarmStock Rye Whiskey Crop 003
The final edition of WhistlePig’s FarmStock series — its first whiskeys that include spirit distilled from grain grown on its own farm — has arrived. Crop 003 is, as all WhistlePig releases, a 100% rye release, and it’s comprised of 52% of WhistlePig’s own 3-year-old rye whiskey which is blended with 31% 6-year aged whiskey…
Review: Lagunitas Hazy Memory IPA
Big and juicy, Lagunitas’ latest IPA is made with Loral 291, Hallertau Blanc, Galaxy, and Citra hops — and it’s only going to be available during the month of September, so best hop on it as soon as possible. The appropriately hazy brew is less pineapple and more papaya, with a greener, more melon-oriented edge…
Review: Ambros Banana Whiskey
Day-O! Who’s ready for banana flavored whiskey? Ambros bills itself as “the first shelf-stable, flavored liquor infused with only 100% real fruit.” I’m assuming they mean bananas, not all fruit, but that’s still an intriguing concept. Here’s what we know about what’s in the bottle: The process: Each batch is infused with 50,000 bananas (no…
Review: 2018 Flora Springs Soliloquy
Flora Springs’ top-end white wine is this, Soliloquy, a blend that’s composed (this year) of 44% sauvignon blanc, 41% chardonnay, 10% malvasia, and 5% pinot gris. It’s a bold wine, heavy with perfume up front, featuring notes of jasmine, honeysuckle, and cedar chest notes. The palate grows sweeter and fruitier, growing in complexity while tempering…
