Review: Three Chord Blended Bourbon
Musicians making whiskey has become the in thing to do in recent years, and much to my surprise, a lot of this has been pretty good. (Some, however, has not.) Three Chord Blended Bourbon is a project from musician/producer Neil Giraldo (he’s also married to Pat Benatar and produced “Love is a Battlefield”). If you like…
Review: Harpoon MacGuffin Wee Heavy and Catamount Bourbon Barrel Aged Porter
Boston’s Harpoon Brewery has a pair of new special editions out. Let’s dig in to the seasonal duo. Harpoon MacGuffin Wee Heavy – The Hitchcockian mystery alluded to in the name of Harpoon’s latest could very well apply to its alcohol level. MacGuffin (#67 in the operation’s 100 Barrel Series) drinks at first like an approachable…
Review: Tequila Bribon, Complete Lineup
Tequila Bribon is best known as a budget tequila brand that nonetheless offers 100% spirits (though it’s unclear from what region Bribon harvests its agaves). Today we look at the brand’s complete lineup, which lays claim to combining old world heritage with high tech, new world techniques. (One of those is a double distillation that…
Review: Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai Sake
“Tokubetsu,” which translates to “special selection,” is a vague term much like “reserve” in the wine world. More often than not it refers to a sake with non-ginjo attributes but polished to a ginjo level. Confused? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Consider this: Fruity aromas such as honeydew melon define ginjo styles, yet these aromas…
Review: Aultmore 21 Years Old (2019)
Speyside-based Aultmore came under Bacardi’s Dewars brand ownership in 1998, and like its sister brand Craigellachie, most of its production is pumped into Dewars blends. Here’s an outlier: A 21 year old single malt, a reprise of a release of the same age that dropped in 2014. Curious how things have changed in the last…
Review: Craigellachie 33 Years Old
In the center of Speyside you’ll find the Craigellachie Distillery, which for years has been a primary contributor to Dewar’s blended whiskies. Lately, a few single malts bearing the Craigellachie name have been trickling onto the market and now we’re witnessing the oldest one in the modern era, a whopping 33 years of age. This travel retail…
Review: Pyramid Yeah Baby! Cryo Hop IPA
We’re living in the future, folks. Pyramid’s latest IPA is made with “CRYO-Hops,” which is what, exactly? “CRYO-Hops are made from the concentrated lupulin of whole-leaf hops. By using liquid nitrogen to lower the temperature of the hops during processing, the resulting resins and aromatic oils provide a more intense hop experience.” So says Pyramid. It sounds…
Review: Sugarlands Shine Cole Swindell’s Pre-Show Punch
Sometimes things surprise you. Here’s a flavored moonshine, endorsed by a celebrity, and when the bottle arrived I was surprised to see it was only 50 proof. This is moonshine? As the writer of songs like “Just a Sip,” “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey,” and “Beer in the Headlights,” country singer Cole Swindell clearly has more…
