Tasting Report: Late 2017 MashBox Club Spirits Samplers
What’s new from MashBox? The last couple of packages we’ve received include these samples. (We also received duplicates of the Black Button products below and Black Button’s Bourbon Cream.) Oak & Rye Wormwood – Spirit distilled from grain distilled and flavored with herbs. Somewhere in the vein of an aquavit, the nose is lightly licorice-inflected,…
Review: Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon
Rock Hill Farms is one of the sub-labels of Buffalo Trace/Sazerac, an upscale bottling in a fancy decanter that people really seem to love because it has a horse on the label. Rock Hill Farms (bottled with no age statement or anything else by way of production data) is a rather typical expression of Buffalo…
Review: Flora Springs 2016 Chardonnay Family Select and Sauvignon Blanc
Two new bottlings from Napa’s Flora Springs! 2016 Flora Springs Chardonnay Family Select Napa Valley – This Napa chardonnay is surprisingly restrained, with oaky aromas present, but modest, allowing notes of vanilla, chestnuts, and florals to come to the fore. On the palate, lemon is more evident, as is a gently sweet nougat note.…
Review: Jura 10 Years Old
Is it peated? Unpeated? Sherried? This new 10 year old single malt from Jura (located on the eponymous island next door to Islay) is all three. Here’s some info on this brand new expression: Jura Whisky today announced the launch of Jura 10, an exceptional Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky and the first release in…
Review: 2013 Abadia Retuerta Sardon de Duero Seleccion Especial
Ribera del Duero is a well-known Spanish wine region, but Abadia Retuerta chooses not to use that regional name, instead selecting the more flexible “Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon” geographical indication. Though it hails from the same part of the country, Abadia Retuerta’s Sardon de Duero designation lets the winery choose more liberally among…
Review: Twisted Path Vodka, Gins, and Rums
Twisted Path Distillery can be found in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it’s been making organic spirits “entirely from scratch” since 2014. The company is churning out a growing line of products from what appears to be a hybrid pot still — again, all certified organic. We tasted five. Thoughts follow. Twisted Path Vodka – Grainy on the…
Review: 2016 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
A classically-styled New Zealand sauvignon blanc, this is a pineapple- and lemon-stuffed fruit bomb, with a fair amount of pepe du chat giving it a subtle ammonia-laced edge. The finish feels a bit on the flat side, but as an aperitif the wine is eminently drinkable, should something uber-tropical be on your mind. B / $13…
Review: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon (2017)
Rare Breed has always been a unique bird in the Wild Turkey lineup, a small batch cask strength spirit that changes from year to year, and which — curiously enough — has been on the rise when it comes to proof. Recently Rare Breed underwent a rebranding. Some details: Wild Turkey has always been exceptionally…
