Review: Old Pulteney 35 Years Old
A rare treat of an old Highland malt, at 35 years old this expression of Old Pulteney is showing just beautifully, with notes of figs and plum pudding, raisiny Port, citrus peel, green banana, and a touch of cinnamon-spiced oatmeal on the back side. Slight salt-sea notes emerge from time to time, but only as…
Review: Nero D’Avola Wines of Sicilia DOC – Mandarossa and Morgante
Sicily is heavily pushing the newly-launched “Sicilia DOC” label, and rightly so — it’s the place to go for wines made from Nero D’Avola grapes, as close to a official wine for this region as you’ll find. The official group behind the Sicilia DOC sent us two current releases bearing the new AVA on the label.…
Review: Bonnie Rose Tennessee White Whiskey – Orange Peel and Spiced Apple
It hasn’t taken long, but flavored white whiskeys — most visibly in the form of brightly-colored flavored moonshines — are starting to gain in the marketplace as producers look for a way to make these very young spirits palatable to a wider audience. Bonnie Rose is white Tennessee whiskey (which alone is unusual), and it…
Review: 2014 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
Paradoxically, the “Vintner’s Reserve” designation is pretty much Kendall-Jackson’s lowest-end bottling, but let’s not get too caught up in the names. The 2014 vintages of its iconic California white wines are finally here, so let’s give them a spin. 2014 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc California – Almost New Zealand in style, this super-sweet sauvignon…
Review: Domaine Dupont Calvados – Fine Reserve, Vieille Reserve, Hors d’Age
These Calvados bottlings hail from the Pays d’Auge, the primary production area for the classic apple brandy in France’s Normandy region. The company produces over a dozen different expressions of Calvados (plus cider and other beverages). Today we look at three of the more common bottlings, all on the younger side of the company’s offerings.…
Tasting SakeOne Imports: Hakutsuru Draft, Tanrei Junmai, Superior Junmai Ginjo, and Sho-Une Junmai Dai Ginjo
SakeOne doesn’t just make interesting sakes in its Oregon home base, it also imports them — lots of them, in fact. In May 2014, SakeOne began importing the Hakutsuru line, which is Japan’s biggest export sake. All four of these sakes come from Hakutsuru collection. Let’s dive in, reader-san! Hakutsuru Draft Sake – Draft sake is…
Review: Uncle Val’s Peppered Gin
The third gin in the collection from 35 Maple Street’s Uncle Val’s line, Uncle Val’s Peppered Gin starts with a juniper infusion… and diverges from there. Three kinds of peppers round out the rest of the bill — black pepper, red bell pepper, and pimento. The name doesn’t lie. As gin goes, this is a racy,…
Review: Bronx Brewery Belgian Style Pale Ale and Rye Ale
See if you can guess where Bronx Brewery is based. Not sure? Check out their website, then consider these two offerings from the company’s collection of (all canned) beers. Bronx Brewery Belgian Style Pale Ale – A bit musty and earthy from the get go, with muddy hops and overtones of forest floor. The finish…
