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…
Review: 2015 Bougrier Chenin Blanc “V” Vin de France
Another Vin de France offering — composed of grapes sourced from anywhere in the country — this chenin blanc offers pungent aromas of honeysuckle and grassy notes, leading into a palate of lightly tropical notes, apricots, and a slightly perfumed floral character. The finish is surprisingly acidic and mineral-heavy, slightly sour but otherwise clean and…
Review: Amrut Spectrum 004 Single Malt Whisky 2017
In 2004, Amrut Distilleries, based in Bangalore, India, introduced the first single malt whisky made in India to the UK market. Since then, the distillery has released several expressions of single malt all over the world using Indian barley, as well as peated barley sourced from Scotland. Amrut bottles their whisky at a comparatively younger…
Review: Monday Night Brewing Serrano Eye Patch Ale
We haven’t heard much from Atlanta’s Monday Night Brewing in a few years, but at last the company is out with a new release: Serrano Eye Patch Ale, and IPA brewed with serrano peppers. The brew is actually a reissue of a beer that went off the market in 2015, and the company is finally bringing…
Review: Symposion Longmorn 1992
Symposion — the “House of Taste” — is a Sweden-based independent bottler of Scotch whisky and other spirits, with a particular eye on serving the Nordic market. I picked up this indie bottling of Speyside’s Longmorn — distilled in 1992 and bottled in 2012 at 20 years old after maturation in bourbon hogsheads — at…
Review: 2014 Las Rocas Garnacha
For most drinkers, garnacha is a seldom thought-of grape, though it is grown seemingly all around the world (either as garnacha or grenache). This garnacha from Las Rocas hails from Spain’s Catalayud region in between Madrid and Barcelona, and it showcases some of the more inspirational notes of the grape. It’s fruity for sure, loaded…
Review: Laphroaig Cairdeas Quarter Cask Edition 2017
Laphroaig’s annual limited edition release — dubbed Cairdeas, Gaelic for “friendship” — has arrived, and this one keeps the production process a little more familiar than many of its previous bottlings. To wit: Laphroaig Cairdeas Quarter Cask features different ages of Laphroaig matured for more than five years in first-fill bourbon casks, then laid to rest for a second…
