Review: Elation Hemp Flavored Vodka
Switzerland is the unlikely source for this vodka, triple distilled from wheat and rye and then flavored with hemp before being bottled. The company says it’s the “first established hemp flavored vodka (0% THC) to be sold throughout the United States,” but I’m not going to even begin to try to fact-check that. Elation admits that…
Review: Jack Daniel’s 150th Anniversary Limited Edition Whiskey
Tennessee’s iconic Jack Daniel’s is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and to celebrate the occasion it’s releasing a special edition of Old No. 7. Production on this release is the same, but JD offers some variations on how (or rather where) it was aged, and it’s bottled at 50% abv instead of 40%. No age statement…
Review: NV Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad Cava (2016)
There’s no question that venerable Segura Viudas spends more money on this elaborate, pewter-based bottle than it does on the wine inside it, but that doesn’t mean that this Spanish cava isn’t good stuff (in fact, it’s aged on the lees in bottle for a full 30 months before releasing). In fact, at just…
Tasting Chenin Blanc – Vouvray vs. South Africa, 2016 Releases
Chenin blanc is not a grape that people ooh and ahh over. Typically it’s the cheap wine on the by-the-glass list that you select only because you don’t drink chardonnay and you just don’t trust that New Zealand sauvignon blanc to be dry enough before dinner. Chenin blanc is best known in its home in the Loire…
Review: Peligroso Tequila Silver (2016)
It’s a common thing in the world of tequila to release a blanco first, then wait a bit before releasing a reposado, then finally come out with an anejo to complete the lineup. Somehow, when it comes to Peligroso, we did everything all wrong. Six years we reviewed the distillery’s reposado, then followed that with an anejo…
Review: Blood Oath Bourbon Whiskey Pact No. 2 2016
Luxco’s Blood Oath series is officially turning into an annual affair, and Pact No. 2 is here. As promised last year, Pact No. 2 is a different whiskey, but it’s less different than than you might think. This year’s expression is, like Pact No. 1, a blend of three Kentucky bourbons: First, a 7-year old rye-heavy…
Review: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2016 Edition
It’s the 15th edition of Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon, and I’m happy to report this year’s installment is one of the best in recent memory. But first, a little detail from OldFo on this, a 12 year old bourbon, which is fully in keeping with the distillery’s history: Each barrel in the Birthday Bourbon selections…
Review: Lagavulin 8 Years Old 200th Anniversary Edition
To celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2016, one of Islay’s most beloved distillery’s has released a special bottling. No, it’s not a gorgeous 50 year old in a Baccarat decanter. It’s an 8 year old, just half the age of its signature release, Lagavulin 16. Why 8 years old? Lagavulin tells us there’s a reason:…
