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…
Review: 2014 Pertinace Barbera d’Alba DOC
A classic, but simple, expression of barbera, this wine from the Mionetto empire offers a nose of sour cherry and mixed berries, filtered through wood and a touch of vanilla. The palate is surprisingly dense, that sour cherry character really amped up here, with slightly green finish. B / $15 / freixenetmionettousa.com Related posts: Review: Gran…
Review: Ghost Tequila
Have we reached the era of peak ghost pepper? The unavoidable “hottest pepper on earth” is used to flavor — a term used loosely here — Ghost Tequila, which actually begins with a 100% agave base spirit. Designed for consumption as a shot (perhaps the punishment the loser of a bar bet is stricken with),…
Review: 2015 Apothic Crush and Red
California-based Apothic specializes in weird blends at low prices (the whiskey-barrel-aged Inferno is one to also read about), and its two latest releases — Crush and Red, both likely bulk wine buys blended to make the best possible finished product the blender could come up with — are no exception to the rule. Let’s pop…
Review: Tequila Corralejo Blanco and Reposado
Corralejo’s striking bottles — the reposado is blue, the anejo is red — stand out on any back bar. At the liquor store, something else is likely to stand out even more: The price, which frequently comes in at under $20 for the blanco, $25 for the reposado. We tasted both the “white” and “blue”…
Review: Malibu Beer
Never in my life has it occurred to me to mix coconut with a beer, but the folks at Malibu — who do nothing but tinker with coconuts day in and day out — obviously felt that an opportunity was being missed. After all, what about all those people drinking beer with a shot of…
Review: Quilt 2015 Chardonnay and 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
We last encountered Quilt late last year during its inaugural release of Napa cabernet. Today we look at Quilt’s second release of the same wine — in its Reserve form — plus its 2015 chardonnay, also sourced from Napa fruit. 2015 Quilt Chardonnay Napa Valley – A more traditional chardonnay, but one that is filtered…
Review: 2014 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
This is a glorious expression of Faust’s Napa-sourced cabernet, oh-so-drinkable with lush notes of blueberry, dusky blackberry, and baking spice layered atop a core of molten chocolate and vanilla candies. After several glasses (which are dangerously easy to consume) the palate gets a bit gummy, but that’s a small price to pay for a wine…
