Review: Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Lineup – 12 DeLuxe, Master, 18 Special Reserve, and Red Seal
Buchanan’s isn’t a blended Scotch brand that gets a whole lot of play, or respect, stateside, and my experiences with it in the past have not been particularly memorable. Today I put aside my preconceptions and sat down with the full hierarchy of four expressions, tasting them in order from bottom to top, to see how…
Review: Damoiseau Rhum Agricole, Complete Lineup
Rhum agricole (made from sugar cane juice instead of molasses) is a French style of rum-making made almost exclusively in the French West Indies, specifically on Martinique, where the majority of agricole producers (at least 14 of them) can be found. Less well-known in the U.S. is rhum agricole from Guadeloupe, which is the home…
Review: 2015 Chasing Venus Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
JL Giguiere, which makes the Matchbook line of wines, imports this sauvignon blanc from New Zealand and bottles it in the U.S. No surprises here for anyone familiar with NZ wines: Hope you like pineapple and mango, because Chasing Venus is loaded with it. Fans of Jamba Juice will find plenty to enjoy in this…
Review: Armorik Breton Single Malt French Whisky – Classic, Double Matured, Sherry Finish (2016)
It’s been five years since we last checked in with Armorik, a single malt whisky producer in Brittany, France. Its lineup has been radically revamped and updated, with numerous new expressions hitting the market in the intervening years. The 80 proof expression we reviewed in 2011 is no longer produced under that name, but you can still…
Recipes: Mother’s Day Cocktails 2016
It’s been a while since we last offered an installment of cocktail recipes devoted entirely to celebrating Mom on her special day. Time for an update! Here are a few excellent recipes worthy of serving while she’s waiting for you to finish cooking breakfast or brunch. The Ruffino Tuscan Cosmo 4 parts chilled Ruffino Prosecco 3…
Review: The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey
The Hilhaven Lodge is a funny name for a whiskey. That’s because the name also belongs to a home in Beverly Hills. It’s been part of Hollywoodland since 1927 (Ingrid Bergman owned and James Caan rented it at one point) and is now owned by director Brett Ratner, best known as the director of Rush Hour.…
Review: Trinchero 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Mary’s Vineyard and 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Mario’s
New wines from Trinchero Napa Valley, which just opened a brand new state-of-the-art visitor center. Let’s give the duo a try. 2014 Trinchero Sauvignon Blanc Mary’s Vineyard Calistoga Napa Valley – A rather dry style of sauvignon blanc, offering gentle grapefruit notes mixed with lemon peel and fruit custard. All’s well and good until the…
Review: Laphroaig Lore
“The most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies.” “A stunningly complex expression.” “The story of how we make Laphroaig, encapsulating the skills that have been passed down from generation to generation for over two centuries.” Laphroaig doesn’t beat around the bush when describing Laphroaig Lore, its newest limited edition release from the peat-filled island of Islay. Lore is heavy…
