Review: Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout (2017)
Firestone Walker is nothing if not creative with the names for their beers, especially when it comes to the much sought after Proprietor’s Vintage Series, which includes such gems as Helldorado and Sucaba (Abacus spelled backwards). Perhaps the most unique and risqué, however, is the Velvet Merkin Oatmeal Stout. What is a Velvet Merkin you…
Review: Townshend’s Bluebird Alpine Liqueur and Kashmiri Amaro
Portland-based Townshend’s Distillery is one hell of a unique craft producer. How so? They’re the only distillery (in the world, perhaps) to make spirits from alcohol produced by the fermentation of tea for kombucha. You can buy the kombucha, but what’s really interesting are the spirits, which include various liqueurs and gins, but which are heavily…
Review: NV Moet Imperial Rose Festive Bottle
For sparkling holiday sipping you can’t really go wrong with a bottle of Moet, and this rendition of Moet’s classic Imperial Rose also does double duty, packaged in both a “festive bottle,” per the name, and a holiday-friendly gift box. The nonvintage Champagne itself is also a delight, creamy and round on the palate with…
Review: Hopsy Home Draft Beer System
It doesn’t matter that Benjamin Franklin’s widely misquoted assertion that the existence of beer is evidence that God loves us isn’t about beer (it’s about wine). What does matter is that beer has a long history in the United States that began prior to the founding of the country. Jefferson famously loved his wines, his…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project Rhetoric Bourbon 25 Years Old
Good or bad, all things come to an end, and after 6 years of annual releases, Diageo’s popular Orphan Barrel Project release, Rhetoric, has reached a terminus. Rhetoric 20 arrived back in 2014, and now Rhetoric 25 is about to hit shelves. (As a reminder, all of these bourbons were brought in from Louisville’s Bernheim…
Book Review: Cocktail Chameleon
Mark Addison’s Cocktail Chameleon certainly spares no expense in its presentation. Clothbound, oversized, and filled with glossy pages and loads of full-color photos, it looks absolutely marvelous. The concept of the book is to take 12 classic cocktails and provide 12 twists on each, for a total of 144 variations on a dozen themes. Take the…
Review: Bear Republic Thru the Haze and Drift Racer
Bear Republic finally gets on the hazy bandwagon with these two brews, both variations on the hazy theme. Bear Republic Thru the Haze IPA – This more straightforward offering features Vic Secret, Citra, and Hallertau Blanc hops. Less tropical than the typical expression of this style, Thru the Haze leans on its west coast heritage…
Review: Caol Ila 35 Years Old Limited Edition 2018
With no Port Ellen or Brora in the mix in this year’s Diageo Special Releases, the most-prized award goes to this, a 35 year old whisky from Islay’s Caol Ila. This one was distilled in 1982 and was aged in a hodgepodge of refill American oak hogsheads and refill American and European oak butts. Old Islay…
