Review: Glencadam The Re-awakening 13 Years Old
The story of Glencadam gets its start in 1825, when the distillery was opened in the Scottish Highlands. The stills went silent in 2000 and in 2003 it was purchased by a local company, Angus Dundee Distillers. While Glencadam bottlings drawn from older stock have never really gone away, at long last, in 2017, the…
Review: Tequila Ciudad Blanco
Tequila Ciudad is a new, ultrapremium tequila brand, launching in 27 states this year. A Highlands-sourced, 100% agave tequila, Ciudad is offered in all three major expressions, though we’re only reviewing the blanco for the time being. Let’s dig in. A slight smokiness on the nose is intriguing, though it slightly masks some lemon peel…
Review: Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1989 from Astor Wines & Spirits
In the whisky world, single casks are great because they offer the opportunity to try a unique and rare version of an otherwise familiar spirit. Glenfarclas’ Family Casks go one step further and let you pick across vintages spanning five decades. Since 2007, this Speyside distillery owned by the Grant family has produced more than…
Review: Root7 Geo Glasses
My daughter recently asked me, “How do you review a glass?” Pretty simple, I said: How does it look, and how easy is it to drink out of. Root7’s new Geo Glasses tumblers merit a discussion on both fronts. Hexagonal in shape, the glasses feature gold accents (or jet black (pictured), as you prefer) on…
Review: Carlshamns Flaggpunsch Swedish Punsch
Spend much time reading old cocktail guides and you’ll find a commonly called-for ingredient: Swedish Punsch (sometimes written as Swedish Punch). Ask your local liquor store for a bottle and you’re bound to get a head-scratch. Swedish Punsch went the way of the dodo during Prohibition. So, what is Swedish Punsch? It’s something akin to…
Review: Paul John Bold
Born and raised in the Goa region of India, Paul John continues to push out new expressions of its single malt whiskies — inspired by Scotland but unique to this part of the world. The latest expression — you can check out our previous Paul John coverage here — is Paul John Bold, a heavily…
Review: Redemption Wheated Bourbon
Redemption is known for its production of (MGP-sourced) rye and high-rye bourbon so much so that its tagline is “Join the rye revival.” As such, this new release is a real step out of the comfort zone. As the name implies, Redemption Wheated Bourbon ditches rye altogether for wheat — and Redemption really went whole…
Review: 2013 Balletto Brut Rose Russian River Valley
One sip of Balletto’s Brut Rose sparkler and I’m immediately transported ahead a month or so to the holidays. This is a classically structured rose (made from an interesting blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay), lightly floral and scented with strawberries, moderately effervescent, with overtones of orange peel, ginger, and a sprinkle of…
