Review: 2 Roses from Etude, 2018 Vintage
Etude is based in Napa, but it sources grapes from all over California for various wines — with a focus on pinot noir and chardonnay. Today we look at two summery roses, both made from pinot noir (or mostly pinot noir), with very different heritages. 2018 Etude Rose Santa Barbara County – (White label.) A…
Review: Port Askaig 10th Anniversary, 25 Years Old, and 45 Years Old
It’s time for a trilogy of new releases from Port Askaig — the negociant bottler of Islay single malt whiskies from various distilleries on the island — including the company’s oldest release yet, a 45 year old expression. We got (small) samples of each. Let’s give ’em a try. Port Askaig 10th Anniversary 10 Years…
Review: 1220 Artisan Spirits Canned Cocktails
St. Louis’s 1220 (a spinoff 4 Hands Brewing) hit us early this year with its first distilled product — a gin — and now it’s back with something totally new, a series of six ready-to-drink cocktails, all available in tote-able 12 oz cans. We got the entire lineup to sample. Thoughts on each installment in…
Review: Wilderness Trail Distillery Single Barrel Rye, Single Barrel Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond, and Small Batch Bourbon Bottled-in-Bond
In recent years, there’s been no shortage of new distilleries opening in Kentucky, but Wilderness Trail is probably one of the more unique. There’s no family bourbon lore or grandpappy’s recipe in their About section, and the distillery, located in Danville, Kentucky, isn’t the easiest stop on the Bourbon Trail. Although they’ve been distilling since…
Review: Old Charter Oak French Oak Bourbon
Remember Buffalo Trace’s launch of the Old Charter Oak line late last year? This revived brand heralded the limited release of a series of bourbons, each to be aged in different types of oak barrels, so drinkers could really explore the impact of wood on whiskey. The series kicked off to great acclaim with an…
Review: Wines of Maple Creek Winery/Artevino, 2019 Releases
Mendocino-based Maple Creek Winery releases many of its wines under a second label, Artevino, which winemaker (and artist) Tom Rodrigues uses to showcase “French style wine” made in California. Today we look at a sextet of Artevino bottlings in current release, as well as one wine bottled under the Maple Creek brand (which seems to…
Review: New Riff Kentucky Wild Gin
There’s been plenty of buzz about the brown spirits coming out of Kentucky’s New Riff Distillery. We’ve reviewed their bottled-in-bond bourbon and single barrel bourbon, as well as the more recent rye release. While their whiskey gets the lion’s share of attention, New Riff actually has a clear spirit in their portfolio, Kentucky Wild Gin.…
Review: The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish 16 Years Old
The Tyrconnell Irish whiskey brand has been on a tear of late, with a pair of fantastic single malts hitting in the last couple of years. Now the brand is stepping up the game again with another well-aged rarity from the emerald isle: The Tyrconnell 16 Year Old Oloroso & Moscatel Cask Finish. Per the…
