Review: Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon
It’s been a few years since we last checked in with West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler, one of the best-known and longest-lived craft whiskey producers in the U.S. (And now owned by Pernod Ricard.) Smooth Ambler’s latest is a wholly new product called Big Level, a wheated bourbon made entirely on site (with no sourced whiskey…
Tasting Report: WhiskyFest Washington DC 2018
As with each of DC’s past three WhiskyFests, everyone in the room looked like they could use a few drinks. Thankfully, there was no shortage of unique whiskey options, from Knob Creek Single Barrel samples that were pulled directly from the barrel(!) to a young Tennessee whiskey whose distillery still doesn’t have a name. I…
Review: Bogart’s Irish Whiskey
John Wayne got a posthumous whiskey named after him, why not Bogie, too? Humphrey Bogart gets not just a whiskey, but a gin, vodka, and rum, so the man can totally dominate your bar. The whiskey, the only spirit we’re reviewing here, is Irish in origin — even though from what I can tell Bogart’s…
Review: Hotaling & Co. Genevieve Genever and Barrel Finished Genever
Those who say “genever isn’t gin” need to let the folks at San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling — now known as Hotaling & Co. — know. Here, their Genevieve is formally known as “genever-style gin,” and for good reason. While this genever is made from a mash of wheat, barley, and rye malts, distilled in a traditional…
Review: One Eight Distilling District Made Straight Bourbon
We reviewed a handful of products from Washington, D.C.-based One Eight Distilling late last year, including Rock Creek Rye, which was the first whiskey to be distilled, aged, and bottled in the District since Prohibition. But the distillery hasn’t let off the gas, delivering D.C.’s first straight bourbon not long after those reviews. Now with…
Review: Tequila Corralejo Anejo
We’ve covered both blanco and reposado expressions from Highlands-area Corralejo, as well as the rare Corralejo 1821 extra anejo expression, in the past. Today we finally fill in the final gap with Tequila Corralejo Anejo, which spends 12 months in oak before bottling. Very light in color, this anejo is equally light in aroma, offering…
Review: Pyramid Outburst Berry Tart IPA
The name’s a bit misleading: Pyramid Outburst Berry Tart is not particularly tart (aka sour) at all. Rather, this beer takes Pyramid’s Outburst Imperial IPA and adds in hibiscus, cranberries, and black currants to give it a fruity kick. While designed to be “adventurous,” Outburst Berry Tart is surprisingly tame, with an initial rush of earthy/piney…
Review: 4 Mezcals from Craft Distillers – Mezcalero #18 and #19, Mezcalero Special #3, and Los Nahaules Metodo Antiguo
A full quartet of special mezcals from our friends at Craft Distillers, each with its own special provenance. We’ll discuss the particulars of each one in turn. Mezcalero Release #18 – “Don Valente’s masterful blend of Espadin with three wild/semi-wild agaves — Bicuishe, Madrecuishe, and Mexicano. This beauty spent 4 years in tank.” Savory, peppery, almost…
