Tasting the Single Malts of BenRiach with Stewart Buchanan (2019)
Louisville, Kentucky is a rather unusual place to host a single malt Scotch tasting. With the luxury of an abundance of bourbon readily available, making market headway into the Bluegrass could prove to be a daunting challenge. Thankfully, Brown-Forman (parent company to Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester, among others) is up to the…
Review: 56 Brewing Solarama Crush
Solarama Crush is a new, limited release from the Northeast Minneapolis-based 56 Brewing Company, a double dry-hopped IPA made with honey. On their website, the brewery notes their commitment to engaging their community by using locally sourced ingredients, local collaborations, local gardens, and more. They describe Solarama Crush thusly: In true Garden to Growler fashion,…
Review: Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Edition Six
We first explored Sugarlands Distilling’s Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey back before the holidays last year with our review of Edition Four. It was a very limited release, as all of the Roaming Man releases have been and continue to be. The Seventh Edition sold out on its release day in February and the…
Book Review: The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze
Ever wonder how they drink in Panama? Finland? West Africa? Jeff Cioletti’s book The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze is the atlas you never knew you needed, a surprisingly thick guidebook that takes you on a fairly deep dive into spirits both familiar and wholly obscure. The book is…
Review: Hendrick’s Orbium Gin
Not content with being the self-described oddest gin on the block, Hendrick’s has upped the ante with a new, limited-edition expression that “reinterprets” its unique style. Hendrick’s Orbium is infused with additional extracts of quinine, wormwood and lotus blossom, giving it a significantly unusual character. “Orbium, the first-ever new Hendrick’s expression, is available in the…
Review: Veramonte 2017 Chardonnay and 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
Two new wines from Chile’s Veramonte, both summery whites, both very affordable. 2017 Veramonte Chardonnay Casablanca Valley – A surprisingly bright and well-rounded wine, this chardonnay features notes of lemon and peach, with a hint of apricot and some unusual, intriguing blood orange notes on the finish. It’s got a bounty of fresh fruit, with…
Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection – Barrel Reunion #1
Last November Jack Daniel’s introduced its first experimental whiskey releases — ever. The two Tennessee Tasters’ Selection releases were both solid but unusual (to varying degrees), and a third release was promised to come down the pike in the near future. Now that third release is here, Barrel Reunion #1 (or Reunion Barrel #1, depending…
Review: Firestone Walker XXII Anniversary Ale
We’ve been fans of Firestone Walker’s Proprietor’s Vintage Series for a while now, but only recently did we get the chance to sample their Anniversary Ale. We’re clearly late to this party because they’ve already released thirteen of them! In 2006, on the occasion of their 10th anniversary, they started the tradition with the appropriately…
