Review: Knappogue Castle 14 Years Old and 16 Years Old (2017)
Once known for releasing only vintage-dated Irish whiskeys, Knappogue Castle switched to standard age statements some years ago. Today it continues to tweak its branding, labels, and other packaging details, and now we’re also seeing a few production changes. That said, in addition to some rare offerings, the core of the line remains a trinity of…
Review: Method And Madness Irish Whiskey – Single Grain, Single Pot Still, and Single Malt
Method And Madness is a new brand of Irish whiskey that comes from Irish Distillers, particularly Midleton, where these expressions are born. The idea, across the board, is to take tradition and turn it a bit on its head — with all three whiskeys seeing a different type of wood treatment than the typical ex-bourbon…
Review: Iowa Legendary Rye Whiskey and White Whiskey
Hey, Templeton isn’t the only outfit making whiskey in Iowa. Check out Iowa Legendary Rye, a much smaller, family-run operation which distills and ages its own 100% rye whiskey, all from locally sourced grains. The company bottles both the unaged rye and an aged expression, though the latter does not carry any aging or barreling…
Review: Samuel Adams Summer 2017 Releases
The summer seasonals from Samuel Adams are here. A whopping seven brews for 2017 are reviewed below. Samuel Adams Summer Ale Lemon Wheat Ale (2017) – A repackage of this beer from 2013, this brew remains on the tough side, with crisp lemon counterbalanced by notes of cracked pepper and coriander. Virtually no bitterness is in…
Review: The Bitter Truth Pink Gin
Pink gin is a classic blend of gin and bitters, and Bitter Truth’s German expression of the spirit (originated in part as a tonic for seasickness) offers a traditional, maritime-inflected rendition of the pink stuff. Botanicals aren’t fully revealed, but include juniper, lemon, licorice, caraway, and fennel for starts. Presumably TBT’s own bitters are used…
Review: Rock N Roll Tequila – Platinum and Mango (2017)
Tequila has no shortage of novelty bottlings. In a world of tequila bottled in decanters shaped like human skulls and machine guns, why, a series of tequilas in bottles that look like electric guitars is almost boring. Rock N Roll is a new line of triple-distilled tequila that hails from the Jalisco Highlands, made from…
Review: Devils River Bourbon Whiskey
Devils River Whiskey is the brainchild of Mike Cameron, who serves as president of the Texas Distilled Spirits Association, and his new bourbon brand comes to us from Dallas. The company, which just started selling in the state in April, is taking a largely traditional approach with this whiskey, distilling its mash (high-rye, with…
Review: Viva XXXII Tequila – Joven and Reposado
Viva XXXII — or Viva 32, if you’re not Roman — is a new tequila brand with some interesting goals. Created by Yvonne Niami, the tequila claims to be “disrupting the tradition of charging more for a bottle than the tequila inside it. Crafted so you can savor, priced so you can indulge, the brand’s motto…
