Review: Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy Bottled in Bond
The bottled in bond trend — which specifies that a spirit must be distilled in a single season, aged for at least four years, and bottled at 100 proof — has made its way to apple brandy. Laird’s is the latest brand to jump on the train, relaunching a bonded version of its iconic applejack…
Review: Iron Hill Brewery Crusher and Pumpkin Ale
Iron Hill Brewery, based in Wilmington, Delaware, seems to be crushing it, now operating three brewpubs in the area while selling canned versions of its products regionally. Iron Hill beer is hard to find outside of the immediate region, but we were lucky to receive a care package with two of its latest releases. Wilmingtonians, take…
Review: Old Forester Whiskey Row Series – 1910 Old Fine Whiskey
Old Forester’s Whiskey Row Series, which celebrates America’s bourbon heritage, has come to an end. Three expressions have previously been released — 1870 Original Batch, 1897 Bottled in Bond, and 1920 Prohibition Style — and now the final expression, 1910 Old Fine Whiskey, has arrived. Astute readers will recall that 1920 was our top bourbon pick…
Review: 2015 Tenuta Sant’Antonio Valpolicella and Amarone
Tenuta Sant’Antonio produces traditional wines in Italy’s Veneto region. Officially established in 1995 by the Castagnedi brothers, the winery’s focus is on Amarone, a wine unique to this region made through the appassimento method, which involves partially drying of grapes (boosting their intensity) before refermenting them on the lees (or skins) of a previous wine production. We…
A Visit to Sonoma’s Belden Barns
Winery visits are fun and all, but they tend to follow a predictable routine. Walk around the vines. See the barrels in the cellar. Eat some cheese. Taste some wine. Lots of talking but often in the service of a familiar story. Belden Barns is something else. I’ve been following Belden Barns since first encountering…
Review: 2015 Ferme de Romilly Cidre Brut and Demi-Sec
November 18 is National Cider Day — and that means recognizing that not every cider has to come in a brightly colored can or in a bottle featuring an animal or a pun on the label. Ferme de Romilly (“Romilly Farm”) is real cider — “cidre” — from Normandy, France, one of the world’s most…
Review: Equality Vodka
I know more about the politics of Equality vodka — which gives a portion of its proceeds to more than 30 non-profit organizations that support the LGBT community — than I do about the vodka itself. Equality for all (that is the name of the product, of course) and giving back is nice and all, but…
Review: Wines of William Chris, 2018 Releases
I never would have thought I’d say this (and I’m originally from Texas!), but I really enjoyed these Texas wines. How? Because the guys at William Chris obviously know what the hell — nay, the tarnation — that they’re doing. Today we look at four wines from this Hye-based operation, all from the 2018 passel…
