Review: Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear Vodka
Sorry, Bosc! The latest Skyy vodka flavor is designed to taste like Bartlett pears — Bartletts only! What does one do with pear vodka? Well, try it in anything where you’d otherwise use apple, for starters. Or check out the cocktails at the end of the post for additional ideas. Pear-flavored spirits always come across a bit…
Review: Lost Spirits Distillery Navy Style Rum (2017)
Lost Spirits (which I’ve written about extensively) never seems to rest, and the company’s scientific obsession with the science of accelerating aging is second to none. Case in point: Head honcho Bryan Davis is the only distiller I know that has given a TED Talk. In shorts, no less. While Lost Spirits is hard at…
Book Review: The Bar Cart Bible
Enduring Mad Men symbology and ’50s/’60s nostalgia are bringing back yet another nifty idea from yesteryear: The rolling bar cart that lets you turn cocktail hour into a moveable feast. The Bar Cart Bible (no author listed, oddly), is designed with simple cocktails in mind. The 350 drinks included can all be made on the go,…
Review: 2014 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel
Our third bourbon-barrel aged wine comes from Fetzer, which recently launched a new label: 1000 Stories. Unlike previous bottlings from Mondavi and Apothic, this is a straight zinfandel instead of a cabernet sauvignon or a blend (respectively). Need deets? Says Fetzer: The wine (sourced from Mendocino) is “aged in a combination of new bourbon barrels…
Review: Old Ezra Straight Bourbon 7 Years Old
Luxco has been behind several popular bourbon releases recently, including Blood Oath (Pact No. 1 and Pact No. 2) and Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10 Years Old. Luxco’s lesser-known Ezra Brooks line, of which Old Ezra is a part, is also quality bourbon for the price point, but before I get into what’s inside the bottle…
What’s the Difference Between Cognac and Armagnac?
Even if you’ve got a pretty good handle on the world of spirits, Cognac can come across as opaque. It can be hard to tell where Cognac fits into the broader spectrum of spirits, and that’s even before you’re introduced to Armagnac, Cognac’s lesser-known sister spirit. So what are you actually getting when you buy…
Review: 6 Whiskeys From Mosswood Distillers
Berkeley, California-based Mosswood isn’t the first company to source whiskey and finish it before releasing, but it might be the most interesting one operating today. All of the whiskeys reviewed here are finished, some in relatively traditional barrel types, some in extremely unusual ones. Note that with the exception of the Irish whiskey, all the…
Review: 2014 Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
This is an opulent cabernet from Mount Veeder, classic in its Napa styling, but not so overblown as to be undrinkably dense. Bold currant notes are complemented by tea leaf and some coffee bean notes, with a back end that showcases bittersweet licorice and a touch of molasses. Hints of florals and a lingering patchouli…
