Review: Mulberry Club Fruit Brandies
Regions like Albania and Azerbaijan are known primarily for their brandies — though few of these bottles ever make it to our shores. Two that did come from Mulberry Club, and Azerbaijani producer of fruit brandies. The company sent us two to sample, one made from local cherries and another, of course, from mulberries. Both are…
Recipes: 2016 Summer Cocktail Roundup
Summer is in full swing for most of the nation and with it the usual brush with unbearable heat and humidity for most of the nation. Along with upcoming July 4th cocktails and National Tequila Day celebrations, we’ve also received some pretty interesting recipes that don’t really fit under a theme or holiday. We’re rounding them…
Review: 2015 AIX Rose Saint Aix Coteaux d’Aix en Provence
AIX — aka Saint Aix — is a Provence rose, likely a busy blend of grapes (though no specific grape varietals are stated). As you’d expect, the wine exudes light strawberry, with notes of peaches that fade quickly to a moderately acidic body and a fresh, breezy finish that evokes light floral notes alongside tropical…
Review: Hangar 1 Vodkas (2016)
Hangar One was an icon of the independent spirits world, a trailblazer that was founded by small time St. George Spirits in 2002 and which grew to become one of the most beloved vodka brands around, at least amongst cocktail connoisseurs. We reviewed them all formally in March 2010. In April 2010 the company was…
Review: Studebaker Old Fashioned and Manhattan Bottled Cocktails
Studebaker is a new brand out of Norwalk, Connecticut, which is using Canadian whisky as the base for two “Prohibition inspired” bottled cocktails — both classics, the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan. Let’s see how these manage to turn out, unadulterated and straight from the bottle. Both are 60 proof. Studebaker Old Fashioned – Made…
Review: Wines of Francis Ford Coppola, 2016 Releases
You will not stop Francis Ford Coppola from pumping out wines. The man directed The Godfather, for Pete’s sake. Four new wines — all from the 2014 vintage — are on tap for review in mid-2016. Let’s dig in.. 2014 Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Chardonnay Sonoma County – Oak and butter, nothing surprising here, but some…
Review: Knob Creek 2001 Limited Edition Bourbon
Booker’s Rye isn’t the only special edition whiskey hitting from Beam this summer. Slightly under the radar is another limited edition, a 2001 vintage edition of Knob Creek. Says Beam: “Started by Booker Noe and now finished by his son, Beam Family Master Distiller Fred Noe, Knob Creek 2001 Limited Edition Bourbon commemorates a significant year for…
Review: Kilchoman Sanaig
Kilchoman’s second permanent release, following Machir Bay, has arrived. Sanaig (seemingly pronounced sann-ig) is named for an inlet northwest of Kilchoman, and unlike Machir Bay, which is partially finished for a few months in sherry barrels, Sanaig spends a “significant” amount of time in Oloroso sherry hogsheads — reportedly 10 months of its total aging time.…
