How to Build a Better Bourbon: The Science Behind Buffalo Trace and the Lessons of the Single Oak Project
What better industry could you hope to work in today than the bourbon business? America’s official spirit has never been in better shape. U.S. bourbon sales have risen from 118 million liters in 2000 to 174 million liters last year, and bourbon is increasingly beloved on the global stage. Plus: Free bourbon. Across Kentucky, quite…
Review: Beronia 2011 Rioja Crianza and 2010 Rioja Reserva
These affordable Rioja wines actually include the grape breakdown on the labels, a rarity for Spanish wines. Naturally, both expressions are mostly tempranillo, with some other native grapes added for kick. While I did not try pairing them with seafood, Beronia is suggesting they would pair well thusly. If you try them with the other, other,…
Review: G’Vine Floraison and Nouaison Gin (2016)
It’s been six years since our last encounter with G’Vine (and nine years since our first)… so now’s a good time to give these now-classic gins (which are distilled from Ugni Blanc grapes in France, just like Cognac) a fresh look. Let’s look today at new samples of both G’Vine Floraison and G’Vine Nouaison to…
Review: Canadian Club 100% Rye
I don’t remember the last time we saw something new from Canadian Club (turns out it was 2011), but with absolutely no warning or fanfare the blender has released a new whisky. As the name fairly freely suggests, it’s 100% rye, produced by the rye giants at Alberta Distillers Ltd. As a reminder, “rye” whiskey need…
Review: Cana Brava Reserva Aneja Rum 7 Years Old
Cana Brava was released by New York-based importers The 86 Co. in 2014, a Panama-sourced rum with three years of age. Now it’s back with an aged expression, bottled at seven years old after a lifetime of ex-bourbon barrel aging. (Note that 750ml bottles are easier to come by now; this is a one-time release.)…
Review: Guinness Dublin Porter and West Indies Porter
Guinness was experimenting with these two porter releases, based on old 1800s recipes, when I visited in the summer of 2015. Now they’ve made their way to the States, so everyone can see a bit about what Guinness might have tasted like — decades before it ever released its first stout. English Porter isn’t an…
Review: Wicked Dolphin Coconut Rum and Spiced Rum
Never mind the cringeworthy name: Wicked Dolphin is a quality rum made not in the Caribbean but in Florida (Cape Coral, specifically), where it has been distilled from local sugar cane since 2012. Wicked Dolphin makes a white rum (not reviewed here), but it’s best known for its spiced version. Below we’ve got a review…
Review: 2015 Dark Horse Rose California Limited Release
OK folks, get ready for a flood of rose reviews. They are arriving in force for what appears to be a very pink summer ahead. First up: Dark Horse, a Central Valley cheapie that sees only a seasonal release. Harmless (it’s a blend of 40% grenache, 20% barbera, 20% pinot gris, and 20% tempranillo), this affordable…
