Review: Deanston Virgin Oak Cask Strength Batch No. 1 (2023)
While we’re starting to see more and more Scotch distillers dabble with virgin oak, Deanston in the Scottish Highlands has had a non-age-stated Virgin Oak offering as a core expression for years now. That bottle clocks in at a respectable 46.3%, but last fall, they decided to turn up the volume on this one with…
Review: Wines of Colome Estate (Winter 2024 Releases)
Salta isn’t a region most folks immediately associate with wine from Argentina. Cuyo seems to dominate the conversation, especially Mendoza, but the humble territory from the north quietly turns out wines just as engaging that present the country’s versatile terroir. Colomé is one of those vineyards showing its Salta roots with pride, and today we…
Review: Fortuna Bourbon Barrel Proof (2023)
What’s the best readily-available barrel proof bourbon on the market? Rare Character is hoping that in due time Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon will be top of mind any time that question is asked. Fortuna Barrel Proof is the latest release from the brand Rare Character, which to this point has gained more traction with their…
Review: C.L. Butaud 2022 Blanc de Noir and 2021 Cease & Desist
We’re back to Texas-based C.L. Butaud with a look at a pair of newish releases — one white, one red… but both made from red grapes. 2022 C.L. Butaud Blanc de Noir – A white wine (with just the barest shade of pink to it) made from 100% mourvedre (red) grapes, 6 barrels made from…
Review: Ammunition Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels
Two years ago, we reviewed Daylight Wine & Spirits’ Ammunition Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels. Today, we swing back to try the new cask strength release of the same whiskey. The earlier bourbon was bottled at 90 proof and this one is bottled at 110, but there are additional differences that go…
Review: Deschutes Brewery Late 2023 Releases
At the end of 2023, Oregon’s Deschutes dropped a handful of new (and re-) releases, including the re-revamped version of its highly prized Dissident sour, tasted here next to a vintage version of the same beer from 2019, the last time it was made from this recipe. Let’s check them out. Deschutes Brewery The Dissident…
Review: Nelson Bros. Rye Whiskey and Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey Cask Strength
Out Nashville buddies the Nelson brothers recently released two new whiskeys — one, a sourced rye bottled under the Nelson Bros. brand, the other a cask strength Tennessee whiskey made by the Nelsons directly, bottled to celebrate the recent completion of the distillery’s renovation (which no includes a restaurant on site). Let’s dig in to…
Review: 2020 Attems Cicinis Collio DOC
We’ve long been fans of Attems, which is best known for its pinot grigio wines made in Italy’s Venezia region. Cicinis is a bit different, a sauvignon blanc wine produced in Collio, in the very most northeast part of the country, bordering Slovenia. The wine challenges expectations of sauvignon blanc, offering a gently creamy body…
