Review: Gin Lane 1751 ‘Old Tom’ Gin and ‘Victoria’ Pink Gin
Gin Lane 1751 produces four varieties of gin, all pot-distilled in London, but spanning a range of styles. Some info: Gin Lane 1751 has been created by Charles Maxwell of Thames Distillers, an eighth generation distiller, and The Bloomsbury Club – a group of gin lovers and drinks industry professionals. Its name signifies an important…
Review: 2016 Balletto Rose of Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Balletto’s 2016 rose of pinot noir is an improvement over the 2014 version we last saw, offering a more restrained berry fruit profile that is a nice foil to some lively acidity, with ample lemon and grapefruit character, particularly on the fun and aromatic finish. Drinks more like a crisp white than a lushly fruit-driven rose.…
The Debate Over Whiskey Age Statements: A Drinkhacker Conversation
The age statement — the practice of putting the amount of time a spirit spends in the barrel — continues to be one of the most talked-about issues in the booze business. Long a staple of the whiskey world, where age statements have been a badge of honor and a matter of distillers’ pride for decades,…
Tasting Report: RateBeer Best Festival 2017
2017’s RateBeer Best Festival, benefiting Ales for Autism, recently arrived in Santa Rosa, California for the second year. Brewers from across the globe brought their brews here to compete in both beer and food competitions. Attendees were able to sample them all. This year’s festival was double the size from the previous year, with the general…
Drinking the Bottom Shelf Vol. 1: American Whiskey – Jim Beam, Evan Williams, Old Thompson
Good whiskey can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. There are bargain bottles that are enjoyable and offer considerably higher quality:value ratios than more expensive options. Today we pore through the “bottom shelf” bottles in order to find whiskeys that are enjoyable yet affordable while attempting to steer drinkers clear of the ones…
Review: Two New Chocolate Ales from The Bruery: Share This O. C. and Chocolate Rain
This month The Bruery released two ales, first through their Bruery Preservation Society and then to the public. Both are imperial stouts with heavy cacao nib flavors. We couldn’t resist opening a couple of bottles. First up is The Bruery Share This O.C., the third in the brewery’s “Share This” series of brews, meaning one…
How to Make a Perfect Old Fashioned Cocktail
So, you’ve mastered mixing the manhattan, and now you want to try your hand at another 19th-century classic cocktail? Another simple and delicious mixed drink with oodles of history behind it is the Old Fashioned, and for a drinker who has mixing manhattans down pat, an old fashioned is an excellent new recipe to try.…
Review: 2012 Dolin The Blue Note Malibu Coast
Dolin Malibu Estate Vineyards, located in the SoCal Malibu Coast AVA, has released its inaugural bottling of The Blue Note — a blend of 44% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon, and 20% cabernet franc. I’m intrigued already. It’s heavy, heavy on the violet notes, particularly on the nose. The body however is initially quite tannic and tight…
