Review: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon – Limited Edition (2018)
While Angel’s Envy has become a mainstay of the back bar, its annually-released Cask Strength expression has become a collectable darling. We’re late to covering the 2018 release of this Port-finished bourbon, but, as always, figure it’s better late than never. For the sake of comparison, here’s a look at prior coverage from 2013, 2013…
Review: Rogue Batsquatch IPA and Outta Line IPA
Oregon-based Rogue’s first new mainstream releases are here, both available in versatile 12 oz cans and both available nationally by the time you read this. We tried ’em both! Rogue Batsquatch Hazy India Pale Ale – “Batsquatch is a Hazy IPA dedicated to the half-bat half-sasquatch creature that, according to legend, resides in the woods…
Review: Malfy Gin Rosa and Gin Con Arancia
About a year ago we reviewed a gin called Malfy, which hails from Italy. Malfy’s first expression (which we haven’t actually covered) is flavored with lemons, while a more traditional “Originale” came shortly thereafter. Today we’re looking at two new expressions, Gin Rosa and Gin Con Arancia. For a little backstory and a bit more detail…
Review: Rogue Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout (2019)
In 2015, Oregon’s Rogue acquired a bunch of WWII-era coopering equipment and started making their own barrels, thus allowing them to claim the title of the only farm-brewery-distillery-cooperage in the country. The cooperage, called Rolling Thunder Barrel Works, was used to make barrels for their new line of whiskeys, and it wasn’t going to be…
Tasting Report: Napa Valley Road Trip, 2019
Winter is a wonderful time to visit Napa Valley. Even though the vines are bare and the weather is often wet, the crowds are at a minimum and it’s easy to get dinner and room reservations just about anywhere (except for the French Laundry, of course). We recently took a chilly weekend to visit four…
Review: Woodchuck 802 Collection Lil’ Dry Hard Cider
Woodchuck Hard Cider’s latest foray into boozy appledom is a planned collection of ciders called the 802 Collection. The concept: All ciders in the lineup will be made with only Vermont-grown apples. All varieties in this collection will be traditional ciders made with only fresh pressed Vermont juice from our orchard partners. One of our…
Review: Hennessy Master Blender’s Selection No. 3
In 2016, Hennessy began releasing one-off special editions called the Master Blender’s Selection. Master Blender’s Selection No. 1 and No. 2 were both well received, and now No. 3 continues the line, “a blend composed exclusively of high-quality eaux-de-vie with great potential that have been set aside specifically to be used at the Master Blender’s…
Review: 2016 Rutherford Ranch Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Two new releases from Napa’s Rutherford Ranch, one of which I can get behind, one of which I can’t… 2016 Rutherford Ranch Merlot Napa Valley – A sugar bomb, overloaded with notes of chocolate sauce and instant coffee. Any hint of the floral delicacy of merlot is absent here, in a wine that feels closer…
