Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selections – Barrel Proof Rye
The fourth release in Jack Daniel’s experimental Tennessee Tasters’ Selection series has arrived, and it’s a cask strength expression of its Tennessee Rye bottling. So, not too experimental… but as flavor profiles go, this one’s a huge step away for Jack. Made from a mashbill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley, this rye…
Review: Paquera Mezcal Espadin (2019)
Paquera is a new brand of mezcal that spans three different varieties, three blends that are variously composed of 100% Espadin agave, 80% Espadin/20% Barril, and 100% Barril agave. Each is blended to offer a different level of smoke as well as a unique sense of the terroir of the agave used Today we look…
Review: Speyburn 18 Years Old
A tag on the neck of this new whisky reveals that its an “Anniversary Edition.” The anniversary of what? Well, it’s Distillery Manager Bobby Anderson’s 18th year on the job at Speyburn, so the distillery is launching an 18 year old version of this whisky in his honor. Always an incredible value, it’s nice to…
Review: Copper & Kings Brandy – A Song For You and Way Up West
The American brandy mavens at Copper & Kings have recently launched two new expressions, both in limited release. Thoughts on both bottlings follow. Copper & Kings A Song For You American Brandy – This limited, anniversary release comes from the distillery’s earliest sourced American brandies, dubbed “DNA1,” which were procured five years ago. Aged in…
Review: 2016 Hard Row to Hoe Burning Desire Cabernet Franc
Lake Chelan, Washington-based Hard Row to Hoe offers an interesting name for a vineyard. Burning Desire is an interesting name for a wine. A bed with flames erupting from it is an interesting image to put on your bottle. I had hoped therefore that Burning Desire would be an incredibly interesting wine, too, but as…
Review: Destillare Chocolat Liqueur and Cafe Liqueur
Destillare is a sub-brand of the increasingly busy Copper & Kings distillery in Louisville. While the primary brand focuses on brandy and gin, Destillare is where C&K is dropping its liqueurs, including this new duo, which feature chocolate and coffee. Both are aged brandy-based liqueurs, flavored with real ingredients and sweetened not with sugar but…
Review: Upshot 2018 White and 2017 Red Wine Blend
Upshot is an offshoot of Sonoma-based Rodney Strong Vineyards, a new brand focused on blending, well, all sorts of things. The results of the inaugural release of the wine — including a white and a red — show some promise to the concept. Let’s dive in. 2018 Upshot White Wine Blend California – A wild…
Review: Col. E.H. Taylor Amaranth Bourbon
Buffalo Trace’s tenth installment in the vaunted Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr. line is here, and it’s perhaps the most unusual in the collection to date, using amaranth as a flavoring grain instead of rye. (The remainder of the mash is corn and barley, made in the same proportions as Buffalo Trace’s Mashbill #1, and…
