Review: Allagash Little Brett
Portland, Maine-based Allagash is best known for their Belgian-inspired wheat beer, but they don’t shy from experimentation with their broad portfolio of limited releases. A good example of this is Little Brett, which relies exclusively on the uncommon (and, for some brewers, unwelcome) Brettanomyces yeast, Allagash’s 2-row barley blend, and a healthy dry hopping of…
Review: Revel Avila Blanco Agave Spirit
When is tequila not tequila? When it isn’t grown in Jalisco, for starters. Mexican law states that all tequila must come from this state (though Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas have a minor exemption). Agave spirits that come from elsewhere in Mexico are typically classified as mezcal. Until now. Revel isn’t tequila or mezcal (or sotol…
Review: Kona Brewing Co. Gold Cliff IPA
Hawaii’s Kona Brewing Co. has launched a new beer — an IPA, of course — with a distinctly Hawaiian twist. The catch? In addition to Mosaic, Chinook, Topaz, and Citra hops, pineapple is added to the mix. Pineapple is of course a natural companion to IPA, and the burst of sweet fruit is instantaneous on the…
Review: Crown Royal Noble Collection Blenders’ Mash 13 Years Old
You’ll have to pay close attention if you’re interested in the latest offering from Crown Royal. While the distillery’s Blenders’ Mash release arrived only a couple of months ago, there’s already another, with a nearly identical name — though this one is part (part 3, specifically) of Crown’s upscale Noble Collection. The catch, this one has…
Review: 2016 Mark Ryan Winery The Dissident and 2017 Viognier
Walla Walla, Washington is home to Mark Ryan Winery, which makes some of this region’s most engaging wines. Let’s taste two new offerings from its recently released bottlings. 2016 Mark Ryan Winery The Dissident Red Wine Columbia Valley – A blend of 56% cabernet sauvignon, 24% merlot, 17% cabernet franc, and 3% petit verdot. Ready…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Backyard BBQ” 2018-02
Spoiler alert: This is the most unusual — and likely polarizing — batch release of Booker’s Bourbon to date. First, the fine print: Booker’s “Backyard BBQ” is named in tribute to Booker Noe and his love for hosting good, old-fashioned cookouts for friends, family, neighbors and distillery employees in his own backyard in Bardstown, KY. Booker always made sure…
Review: Cutwater Spirits Whiskey Highball and Whiskey Lemon Tea
San Diego Cutwater Spirits, the growing spinoff of Ballast Point Brewing, has taken a cue from its originator by using its own hooch to make a pair of ready-to-drink whiskey cocktails. Both of these canned cocktails are made with Cutwater’s own Black Skimmer bourbon. We tried them both. Thoughts follow. Cutwater Spirits Whiskey Highball – A…
Recipes for National Tequila Day 2018
July 24th is National Tequila Day, so we’ve got things ready to get you through all the tequilabration. Sure you can mix up a margarita today, or take a spin with one of the more unique cocktails we’ve got for you today. Others are more intriguing riffs on traditional cocktails. In other words, a little…
