Review: 2016 McCay Cellars Rose Lodi
This rose of grenache is extremely dry, showing mild fruit and lots of herbs. The fruit exudes more of a gentle cherry tone than a strawberry one, all leading to a surprisingly tannic finish. Fans of bone dry whites who eschew headache-inducing sweetness in any form should give this a spin. B / $18 / mccaycellars.com Related…
Review: The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Years Old 2003
Much like Shark Week, Peat Week is proving to be an annual affair at The Balvenie. If you don’t remember the story, Peat Week is a special release from this Speyside distillery, made from barley that is dried with smoked peat, a production run that is undertaken for only one week each year. Peated whisky…
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…
