Review: Iichiko Kurobin Shochu and Yuzu Liqueur
We last visited with two of Iichiko’s shochus in 2013. Today we look at a third variety from Iichiko, plus a liqueur made from yuzu fruit. Thoughts follow. Iichiko Kurobin Shochu – No production information available; “Kurobin” means “black bottle.” Heavy melon notes on the nose, with a touch of sugar distinctly sake-like. Nose and palate…
Review: Woodchuck June & Juice Juniper Hard Cider
Woodchuck’s latest “Out on a Limb” cider is this true oddity — June & Juice — a juniper-based cider that takes the gin and tonic as its inspiration. It’s a semi-sweet apple cider made by steeping fresh juniper berries, rose buds, and orange peel into the mix. The results are better than I expected, a light…
Round 2 Review: (Reformulated) LIQS Ready To Drink Cocktail Shots
Last year we saddled LIQS ready-to-drink shots — little single-serve plastic shot glasses sealed with foil — with a bunch of C grades and promptly forgot all about them. Recently the company said the product had been reformulated to use real fruit juice and was anxious to get a fresh review. A few of the products have…
Review: Wines of Noble Vines, 2016 Releases
Like Cameron Hughes before it, Noble Vines eschews fun names in favor of a simple three-digit number to identify its various bottlings. (Unlike Hughes, however, Noble Vines’ numbers indicate rootstock, vineyard blocks, or both.) Sourcing grapes largely from two vineyards, one in Lodi, one in Monterey, the company currently produces six low-cost wines. We review…
Review: Hard Frescos
Mexican sodas (aka frescas) are one of life’s little pleasures. Naturally someone had to try and improve on them by adding alcohol. Hard Frescos are, as is common in this category, not really sodas but rather malt beverages with flavoring added. However, while it says malt beverage on the label, Hard Frescos are actually made primarily from…
Review: Few Spirits Breakfast Gin
Gin for breakfast? Well, brunch anyway. With Breakfast Gin, Few Spirits is targeting some specific cocktails — including the Ramos Gin Fizz and the French 75, which are a little more appropriate before noon than, say, a Manhattan. Botanicals include juniper, lemon, and Earl Grey tea (among others). Launched in Chicago in summer 2015, the…
Review: 1792 Full Proof Bourbon
The latest (and fourth) limited edition release in the recently emergent 1792 Bourbon line is this one: “Full Proof,” a kind of weird way to denote that the bottling proof was the same as the entry proof into the barrel. Note, this isn’t quite the same thing as cask strength. Says 1792’s creator, Sazerac: Bottled at…
Review: Highland Park Ice Edition 17 Years Old
Highland Park continues its release of rarities with ICE Edition, a limited release of 17 year old single malt whisky. Now that it’s exhausted the Norse pantheon, more or less, it’s moving on to the elements. This is the first in a series, though how far it will go is a mystery for now. HP offers…
