Review: American Anthem Vodka
Diageo’s latest vodka is American Anthem, and with this spirit, the company says it will donate $1 for each bottle produced to support military personnel and families. The spirit is 5-times distilled but other production details are undisclosed, including any data about the base for the distillate. All told, this is a fairly modern vodka,…
Review: W.B. Saffell Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
In 2017, Campari introduced its Whiskey Barons Collection with mountains of history and backstory in tow, no doubt in hopes of propelling these obscure Wild Turkey-made whiskeys to new heights of collectability. We found the inaugural releases, Bond & Lillard and Old Ripy, to have enough character and quality to stand on their own, but…
Review: 34 North Sneaky Pucker and Whiskey Thief
34 North is a new sub-brand from Wheeler’s Raid, a Tennessee-based craft distillery. 34 North focuses on ready-to-drink canned cocktails — and with a considerably higher alcohol level than the typical RTD offering. Let’s crack open the first two products in this lineup. 34 North Sneaky Pucker – A tart concoction consisting of vodka, lavender…
Tasting the Wines of Jose Maria da Fonseca, 2019 Releases
Jose Maria da Fonseca is one of those rarities we don’t see enough of in the U.S.: A Portuguese wine producer that makes red table wines (in addition to some sweet stuff). Established in 1834, J.M. da Fonseca now has vineyard holdings all across the country, and recently its head winemaker, Domingos Soares Franco, came…
Review: Avery Brewing Uncle Jacob’s Bourbon Barrel Stout (2018)
Uncle Jacob’s Stout is the name given to Avery Brewing’s bourbon barrel-aged stout, released yearly as part of their Annual Barrel Series. It gets its name from Kentucky distiller Jacob Spears, a distant relative of the brewery’s founders who, according to some, was the first to label his whiskey “Bourbon.” In his honor, Avery created…
Review: Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat Gin
A playful spin on “Old Tom” gin, Barr Hill’s Tom Cat takes its standard Barr Hill Gin and ages it in bourbon barrels for six months. For those unfamiliar, the Barr Hill brand is part of Caledonia Spirits, based in Hardwick, Vermont. Like Barr Hill’s other spirits, a touch of local honey is used in…
Review: Stone Enjoy By 07.04.19 Unfiltered IPA
Stone Brewing is back with another unfiltered IPA with a patriotic expiration date: The Fourth of July, 2019. It’s a big double IPA, typical of Stone’s Enjoy By series, made with a dozen types of hops that push it to 90 IBUs. While this expression often showcases a strong tropical fruit bent, this year the…
Review: Barrell Dovetail
Barrell Craft Spirits, best known for its periodic cask strength releases of bourbon, whiskey, and rye, have added to its portfolio in the last year or so with offerings outside of these traditional batch releases. Dovetail, the first whiskey to actually get a name from Barrell, is one of its most unique projects to date.…
