Review: Hampden Rums – “Great House” 2023, Pagos, and 8 Years Old
There’s little we like more than checking out goodies from Jamaica’s Hampden Estate, which only began releasing its stock under its own name in 2018. Here’s a peek at three new(ish) releases from the iconic operation. Hampden “Great House” Rum Distillery Edition 2023 – This is the fifth edition of Great House, and these are…
Review: 2022 Love Is Wine Chardonnay
If you’ve missed the Netflix series Love Is Blind, well, good news — it’s streaming, so you can catch up right away. (Pro tip: Don’t miss Love Is Blind Japan.) One of the curious things about this dating show — where the participants have to propose without ever seeing the other person — is that they are…
Review: Laws Bourbon – Honey Cask and Cognac Foeder Finishes (2023)
Late last year, Denver’s Laws Whiskey House dropped two new installments in its Special Finish Series, and they couldn’t be more different. Both start with Laws Four Grain Bourbon (60% corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, and 10% heirloom malted barley) … and then down the rabbit hole we go. Laws Four Grain Bourbon…
Review: Renegade Pre-Cask Single Farm Origin Rums – Lake Antoine Lower Crater and Nursery
Mark Reynier’s terroir-focused rum line, Renegade, has been pumping out new offerings since we last tasted a pair of pre-cask selections in early 2023. As with Waterford, his similarly soil-obsessed Irish whiskey project, the Renegade portfolio focuses on single farm origin bottlings, mostly unaged, that reflect the characteristics of a small piece of land on…
Review: Union Horse Distilling Rivalist Single Malt and Reunion Rye
You’ll find Union Horse Distilling in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City), where it’s been putting out whiskeys of all stripes — bourbon, rye, single malt, and more — for 14 years (plus vodka). This is our first encounter with the operation; today we look at two of the company’s current five releases. Bottles are hand-numbered…
Review: El Tesoro Mundial Collection – Knob Creek Rye and Laphroaig
Late last year, El Tesoro launched a new line of tequilas called The Mundial Collection, which will be built around various whiskey cask finishes. “Mundial” translates to “world” in Spanish — a cue that you’re going to see finishes from all over the place used in this lineup. The first two releases are build around…
Review: Banfi 2017 SummuS and 2019 Magna Cum Laude
Castello Banfi is one of the most notable and widely available producers in Tuscany, and today we dive in to a pair of new releases from the storied operation, both luxe, “super-Tuscan” wines that are far from the usual construction found in Chianti. 2017 Banfi SummuS Toscana IGT – “SummuS, Latin for “highest.” is a…
Maker’s Mark Embraced Regenerative Agriculture. Will It Change Its Bourbon?
Maker’s Mark had a busy 2023, releasing its first age-stated bourbon and celebrating 70 years of operation. In addition, the Beam Suntory-owned distillery also announced their move toward regenerative agriculture, becoming the first whiskey producer to be third-party certified by Regenified. The Tier 2 certification — there are five possible levels, and brands have three…
