Review: 2015 Santa Ema Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Maipo Valley
This affordable Chilean cabernet offers a credible, fruit-forward construction, with tart, red berries on the nose and hints of cinnamon. The palate follows suit, layering in some orange peel alongside a grippy, tannic character. There’s nothing fancy here, and the wine’s wood profile feels underdeveloped, but for a ten-spot you can do far, far worse.…
Review: Anchor Distilling Old Potrero Straight Malt Whiskey – Stout and Port Finished – and Hotaling’s 11 Years Old
In August 2017, San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing was acquired by Sapporo. Though many assumed that meant its small distilling operation next door was going with it, that’s not the case. Anchor Distilling was effectively spun off and remains an independent operation today. Anchor’s been busy in the distilling department, and today we look at three…
Review: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout and Bourbon County Brand Barleywine (2017)
The beer-loving world breathed a sigh of relief with the quality of the 2016 Goose Island Bourbon County series after the lactic souring issues that plagued some of the 2015 releases. To make things even better, in 2017, the series officially expanded to six offerings: Original, Barleywine, Coffee, Proprietor’s, Northwoods, and Knob Creek Reserve. There…
Review: Few Spirits Single Malt Whisky, Italia Bourbon, Copper & Kings Bourbon, and Copper & Kings Rye
Evanston, Illinois-based Few Spirits recently dropped a pile of new whiskeys, all limited editions (with some of them single barrel releases). Stylistically, they’re all over the map, so pay close attention here — and nuzzle up with your local spirits merchant if they sound enticing — to get the lowdown on each of the quartet. Few…
Review: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
Weihenstephaner’s Bavarian wheat beer — the U.S. label spells it is as two words, Hefe Weissbier — is a traditional take on the hefeweizen style. Notes of coriander and orange peel attack the palate first, but the malt does the heavy lifting, its burly, nutty body smacked with spices but rounded with sweetness and a…
Review: Tom’s Town McElroy’s Corruption Gin
You’ll find Tom’s Town Distilling Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, where the founders say it “draws its name and inspiration from the country’s most polarizing and corrupt political boss, Tom Pendergast.” That’s right, folks, now you can happily name your business after a corrupt politician. We really are living in the future! Tom’s Town produces…
Review: Tanqueray No. Ten Gin (2018)
You might not be old enough to remember the moment when gin went upscale. In the era of Gordon’s and Seagram’s, gin was a perfectly acceptable tipple, but hardly something one spent a whole lot of money on. Gin was basically just cheap vodka, the point of the strong flavoring was, in part, to drown…
Review: Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2017
After its perfectly acceptable — but relatively straightforward — 2016 limited edition bourbon, Limestone Branch is out with another special edition of Yellowstone for 2017. This year, the company takes things in quite a different direction, with a few surprises under its cap. The big news: This is the first time Yellowstone is using its…
