Review: East Brother Maibock
Richmond, California’s East Brother Beer Co. is launching a new series of brews, and first out the gate is this Maibock, a high-ish-alcohol German style bock that is quite a bit lighter in color and texture. Nicely spiced, with lots of malt studded with notes of allspice, ginger, and gentle hops. Quite sweet, with orange…
Review: Brothership Irish-American Whiskey 10 Years Old
It isn’t often we encounter something truly unique in the whiskey world, but finally just such a bottle has crossed our desk. Brothership is a blend of two whiskeys from two countries: a 10-year-old Irish whiskey and a 10-year-old American whiskey, mixed together in a ratio of 52% Irish to 48% American whiskey. The whiskey is…
Review: Deschutes Brewery Passion Fruit IPA and Twilight 2018
Two new(ish) brews for Deschutes to help keep you cool for the summer… Deschutes Brewery Passion Fruit IPA – Formerly available only on tap, this one finally jumps to bottles, and you can easily see why. There’s great fruit here, right from the start, as passion fruit turns out to be a natural companion for…
Tasting Report: 2016 Vintage Port (and Beyond)
For the first time since 2011, a Vintage Port year is being widely declared for 2016. (A smattering of 2015 vintage wines were also released in limited rotation.) 2016 was a hot, hot year for the Douro — I know, because it’s the summer we were touring there — but numerous producers, who visited San…
Review: Stone Scorpion Bowl IPA
Stone’s latest is inspired by tiki culture, and was originally intended to include actual fruit in the brewing process. According to the company, once it the experimentation started, they realized no fruit was needed to give Scorpion Bowl a tiki feel. It carries its fruity character solely from the inclusion of Mosaic, Loral, and Mandarina…
Review: Stillhouse Black Bourbon
While I have trouble believing that “America’s Finest” anything is packaged in the same type of can that they sell turpentine in, I am pleased to see that Stillhouse — best known for its increasingly chaotic line of flavored moonshines (mint chip whiskey, anyone?) — is taking things upmarket. Now Stillhouse is out with a…
Review: Wines of Ironstone, 2018 Releases
Ironstone Vineyards can be found in the Gold Country town of Murphys, California, part of the Lodi appellation. Today we look at four whites and one red from this affordable producer, part of the 2018 release cycle. 2016 Ironstone Chardonnay Lodi – Very bacony, with notes of oxidized apples, lemon, and old wood. Texturally a…
Review: Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990 and 1989
Last year, Glenmorangie launched a new series of whiskies called the Bond House series, because it’s the last stocks named after the original production facility the distillery ever used. The Bond House series is open ended, and will contain whiskies aged between 25 and 30 years — with each designed to be very different from…
