Review: Garofoli 2015 Podium and 2017 Macrina

Garofoli is the oldest family-owned winery in the Marche region of Italy, where it’s been producing wines since 1871. Today we look at its best-known wine — verdicchio — in two expressions (and from two different vintages). 2015 Garofoli Podium Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore DOC – 100% single vineyard verdicchio, all stainless.…

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Review: Cihuatan Rum Reserva Especial 12

El Salvador isn’t a country one typically associates with rum, but it turns out they’re making some interesting stuff here, at Cihuatan Ron de El Salvador. Cihuatan, which was established in 2004, focuses on solera aged rum, and though this bottle notes it was “aged in bourbon casks for 12 years,” as with most solera…

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Review: Beers of New Belgium, 2018 Releases

Today we present four new beers from the ever-cranking innovators of New Belgium Brewing. Probably safe to say you’ll see plenty more from these guys later in the year. New Belgium The Hemperor HPA – The wildest brew in this lineup, this “world’s dankest ale” is an IPA brewed with both hops and hemp hearts…

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Review: Don Q Double Aged Rum Vermouth Cask Finish

Puerto Rico’s Don Q continues to show itself as one of the most innovative producers of rum in the business. Its latest is this almost bizarre bottling, a blend of rums aged 5 to 8 years in bourbon barrels, then finished in Mancino Vermouth Vecchio wine casks. (Mancio Vecchio is a sweet vermouth barrel-aged in Italian…

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Review: 2015 Kay Brothers Basket Pressed Grenache McLaren Vale

Imagine plump currants juiced into a glass and you have this wine, an incredibly sweet and, well, very fruity experience from Australia’s Kay Brothers. Some time in glass isn’t a bad thing to help bring out some complexity. While still quite sweet, it settles down a bit on the finish after a spell, showing some…

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Review: Brenne Ten French Single Malt Whiskey

Brenne is perhaps the best known single malt whiskey made in France, unique thanks to its finishing in Cognac barrels. While regular Brenne doesn’t carry an age statement (it’s typically about 7 years old), Brenne Ten, obviously, does, spending a guaranteed 10 years in a combination of virgin French Limousin oak barrels and barrels previously used…

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Review: 2016 Lusco Albarino Rias Baixas

Very tart for albarino, this Spanish white from Adega Pazos de Lusco exudes lime zest and grapefruit rind, built atop a core of lemon and pear fruit. Racy with acidity, it’s almost sour at times, puckering the lips on the intense finish while clinging to the back of the throat. If you’re looking for a…

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Review: 2016 Luca Bosio Arneis Langhe DOCG

From the southeast of Piedmont in the Roero region comes this Arneis wine, a tropical affair with a touch of anise and a slight greenness around the edges. A slightly vegetal character eventually gives way to some savory spices, though the notes of both fresh and dried mango are tough to tamp out. B+ /…

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