A Visit to Napa Valley Distillery
Like many small distilleries, Napa Valley Distillery — the first distilling operation since Prohibition to open its doors in a town that’s synonymous with wine — has a two-pronged approach to making product. It distills some spirits on its own (vodka and brandy, mainly, distilled from sauvignon blanc grapes) using a couple of neat, small…
Review: Virtue Cider The Mitten
This new release from Virtue Cider is, as always, a Michigan-born cider, made from a blend of last season’s pressed apples. The cider is “aged in Bourbon barrels for up to one year, then back sweetened with this year’s fresh pressed apple juice.” This is one of Virtue’s more interesting ciders, offering caramel and butterscotch notes…
Drinking the Bottom Shelf Vol. 2: Canadian Whisky – Ellington, Black Velvet, LTD
Good whiskey can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. This review continues our project of considering bargain bottles by looking at three inexpensive Canadian whiskies. (Cheap-ass American whiskey coverage can be found here.) Canadian whiskies are usually blends, as all three of these are. Ellington Canadian Whisky Note that the whisky reviewed here…
Review: Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (2017)
In 2015, I reviewed Crown Royal Northern Rye. I thought it was OK. I graded it a B. Later that year Jim Murray named it his whisky of the year, and all hell broke loose. A $30 Canadian whisky is the best whisky of the year? Sales went through the roof. The price shot up.…
Review: Hochstadter’s Family Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey 16 Years Old
Your best bet for old rye whiskey these days seems to be good old Albert Distillers Limited, which has been pumping the stuff out for decades. Cooper Spirits bottled up some of this under its Hochstadter’s line (known for its Slow & Low and Vatted Rye bottlings) and calls it Hochstadter’s Family Reserve. Imbued with…
Review: 2 Greek Wines from Cava Spiliadis – Tselepos Santorini and Gerovassiliou Malagousia
The estates of Cava Spiliadis are the home of both of these Greek wines — Tselepos and Gerovassiliou — both of which serve as excellent introductions to the essential white wine styles of Greece. Thoughts follow on these highly approachable wines. 2015 Canava Chrissou Tselepos Santorini Assyrtiko – Fresh aromatics and a touch of honey give this white…
Review: Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon 2016
Limestone Branch Distillery, based in Lebanon, Kentucky, is one of those craft distillers that is making whiskey (and moonshine) while also marketing sourced spirits, at least for the time being. Yellowstone is the company’s sourced brand, and in addition to some regular bottlings, it produces an annually released bourbon, which differs from year to year.…
Review: Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila – The Rolling Stones Tour Pick
Jose Cuervo continues its historically-based promotion of The Rolling Stones with a second bottling that should be considerably more attainable. This silver tequila — really just Cuervo Especial — isn’t anything fancy (it’s a mixto and not even 100% blue agave), but it does say Rolling Stones on the label, so collectors may find it…
