Review: Mount Gay XO Rum – The Peat Smoke Expression
Rum and peat? Has this been done before? If not (and I think not), then why not? Barbados-based Mount Gay’s experiment is one of the most unusual I’ve seen from the rum world in years. It’s a blend of column and pot still rum, ranging in age from 8 to 15 years old. It is…
Review: Lagunitas Fall 2018 Releases
Hey, it’s a quintet of new releases from our friends up the road in Petaluma, Lagunitas Brewing. Lagunitas Born Yesterday Pale Ale 2018 – (2017 bottle pictured.) Born Yesterday is a highly limited, fresh-hopped, unfiltered pale ale that Lagunitas has put out a few times before. For 2018, this one is “a newborn version of…
Tasting with Winemaker Arnaud Hereu of Odfjell Vineyards, Chile, 2018
Recently we were invited to sit down with Arnaud Hereu, winemaker for the Chilean label Odfjell Vineyards, and taste some of their new releases over dinner. What a delight it was! Arnaud is as vivacious as his winemaking style. He’s traveled the wine world to get a hands-on oenology education, starting with his home turf…
Review: 2017 Castel Sallegg Bischofsleiten Alto Adige DOC
Not a wine you’re likely to find at your local bistro, this is a wine made from 100% schiava (aka trollinger) grapes, a grape indigenous to the Bischofsleiten sub-region in northern Italy. The nose offers plenty of spicy herbs, mint, and a rich berry profile, while the palate has a distinctly Germanic tone — meatier,…
Review: Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection American Select Oak Bourbon and Oat Grain Bourbon
For the last 13 years, Woodford Reserve and its master distiller Chris Morris have been putting out their annual, coveted Master’s Collection whiskeys. Usually bourbon, sometimes not, and always highly anticipated, Morris’s pledge to the world has always been that he would never repeat a release (though he’s come close a time or two) as he…
Review: Woodchuck Pearsecco, Rose, and Cucumber Mint Hard Cider
The cider freaks at Woodchuck never stop messing around with different ways to present fermented apples and pears, with this trio of offerings their latest on tap. As apple season arrives in full force, let’s dig in. Woodchuck Bubbly Pearsecco Dry Hard Cider – Quite dry — surprisingly so, really — this cidery recreation of…
Review: New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon
New Riff Distilling hasn’t wasted any time adding a single barrel offering to their core lineup. Most of these will enter the market as private barrel selections, so expect to see plenty of liquor store and bourbon club picks popping up in the near future. Here’s more from New Riff: At New Riff, single barrel…
Halloween Cocktails 2018
No tricks, only treats for this year’s Halloween. Today we present over a dozen cocktails plus a festive cheesecake to make tomorrow night your creepiest Hallow’s Eve ever. Enjoy! Cruzan Midnight Potion 1 part Cruzan Aged Light Rum 1 part Cruzan Aged Dark Rum 1 part Cruzan Black Strap Rum 1 parts apricot liqueur 3…
