Review: Rodney Strong Reserve Wines, 2024 Releases
Today we look at a trio of wines from Sonoma’s Rodney Strong — all part of its Reserve line. (You’ll recognize them by the black labels embossed with gold script.) 2021 Rodney Strong Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – Hearty and rich, with bold notes of black cherry, cola, and black tea, it’s a…
The Top 10 Gins of 2023
As the weather warms up, a young man’s fancy turns of course to lighter fare, with gin one of the most essential pieces of the springtime cocktail puzzle. We sampled plenty of outstanding gins over the last year, and with this feature we profile the greatest hits of 2023. Need more picks? Check our top…
Review: Khor Vodka – Ice and De Luxe (2024)
Ukraine’s Khortytsa (we reviewed the Platinum expression in 2016) is now just “Khor” — presumably an attempt to make the name easier to pronounce. Not a bad idea; I have trouble typing it, too. But Khortytsa, er, Khor, actually has three expressions, the other two of which we are finally reviewing today. Both are 80…
Review: Creador Mezcal, 2023 Releases
In the widening world of mezcal, artisanal expressions made by hand with traditional methods are increasingly the best places to find unique flavors and superior quality. And it doesn’t get more handmade than Creador which dropped their second set of bottlings late last fall. The deets: Each of the six new expressions is milled by…
Review: 2021 Lovatelli Barbera d’Asti DOCG
This is our first time out with Lovatelli, a producer of both barbera and primitivo wines. This 2021 release is a pretty, clean, and approachable barbera, heavy on the nose with its notes of rosemary and white pepper. Balanced on the palate — though a bit weedy — the cherry-focused fruit elements keep the wine…
Review: Mash & Mallow S’mores Whiskey
Mash & Mallow looks on the surface like any old industrial flavored booze product, right? I mean… s’mores whiskey? Come on. Turns out the product is made by none other than Kaveh Zamanian, the man behind Rabbit Hole Bourbon and no slouch when it comes to quality spirits. So maybe there’s something to this after…
Review: Daviess County Bourbon Medium Toasted Barrel Finish
In 2023, Lux Row’s Daviess County brand launched a new series of whiskeys built around toasted barrel finishing. The first, with a Lightly Toasted Barrel Finish, didn’t make a huge impact on us. But the series trudges forward all the same with, of course, a Medium Toasted Barrel Finish expression. Like its Lightly Toasted predecessor,…
Review: 4 Wines from Vouvray, 2024 Releases
Tucked away in France’s Loire Valley, Vouvray is a relatively undersung white wine composed entirely of chenin blanc grapes. While most drinkers have experience with dry table wines from the area, you may not realize that Vouvray also producers sweeter wines, in both the demi-sec and fully sweet styles, the latter akin to Sauternes. (Vouvray…
