Review: Peak Organic Holiday Saison
A late December arrival makes for a late February review, but you can still find this holiday release on shelves if you look for a bit. This is a light saison designed for winter consumption — an unusual combination in the world of holiday brews. It offers a malty and fruity combo up front that…
Review: Woodford Reserve Distillery Series – Frosty Four Wood
The third edition of Woodford Reserve’s Distillery Series (which are available for the most part only onsite at the Woodford Reserve facility) is here: Frosty Four Wood. If you remember the 2012 Master’s Collection release, Four Wood (which had three different finishing barrels applied to it). You may also remember the infamous polar vortex, which hit…
Review: Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale
Like Not Your Father’s Root Beer before it, this creation of Small Town Brewery is an alcohol-infused rendition of ginger beer. This is now a surprisingly large category, and standing out is becoming difficult. Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale isn’t really able to do that — a flavored beer product that manages to work some spicy…
Review: Tullamore D.E.W. Trilogy 15 Years Old Irish Whiskey
Tullamore D.E.W.’s latest release continues to up the ante — and the price — in the world of Irish. Tullamore D.E.W.’s Trilogy is a 15 year old whiskey that undergoes — you guessed it — three different barrel treatments. It starts in the traditional ex-bourbon casks, then spends time in Oloroso sherry butts, and finally…
Recipe: National Margarita Day Cocktails 2016
For reasons beyond understanding, the powers that be who invent these drink-idays decided it would be a good idea to plant National Margarita Day — February 22 — during the darkest weeks of winter. Perhaps it’s a “light at the end of the tunnel” situation where these recipes will help us all get through the miserable…
Review: Highland Queen Blended Scotch 3 Years Old
Produced by the same parent company that owns the Tullibardine single malt distillery, this young blend drinks right about where you’d expect, considering its sub-$20 pedigree and obvious youth. The nose is initially a little odd — hot, but — and stick with me for this — with a funky yet crystal-clear tomato sauce character. It…
Review: Pervak Vodka Homemade Rye and Homemade Wheat
Pervak hails from the Ukraine, and in its rustic-looking bottles with a swing-top-closure, it certainly feels very “Old World” from the get-go. Seriously, Old World: One of the core bottlings in the Pervak lineup is garlic-flavored vodka. While the two vodkas reviewed below are both straight spirits — one made from rye, one from wheat —…
Review: Port Ellen 32 Years Old Limited Edition 2015
And, for last: The unicorn, Port Ellen 32. After years of incrementing the age on the most-treasured release of the Diageo Special Releases — Port Ellen — the company has taken a step back. While 2014’s edition was a 35 year old distilled in 1978, this year’s is a 32 year old distilled in 1983,…
