Review: t1 Tequila Extra Anejo Sensacional
Four years ago, the t1 Tequila (aka Tequila Uno) line hit the scene, a Highlands bottling with the standard three expressions on tap. Now t1 is back with a rarer expression: an extra anejo with 3 1/2 years of age on it. As with the other aged t1 tequilas, there’s a twist: Those years are spent not in the…
Review: 2012 Frank Family Vineyards Petite Sirah Napa Valley
Frank Family has made a Reserve Petite Sirah since 2008, but it’s never released a standard bottling (with the “Napa Valley” tier appellation) until now. For this inaugural release, Frank has put out a 100% petite sirah that is definitely worth your time and attention. Lush berries and dense chocolate are layered with lightly smoky…
Review: High West Yippee Ki-Yay (2016)
High West’s latest little blend came out of nowhere, but here it is, for your frontier-style enjoyment. Yippee Ki-Yay, inspired by Buffalo Bill and his ilk, is a blend of two straight rye whiskeys: One is a two year old MGP whiskey that is 95% rye and 5% malted barley. The second is a whiskey…
Review: Wines of Umbria’s Falesco, 2016 Releases
Umbria, Tuscany’s little cousin, is the home of Falesco, which has been operating in the region since 1979. The company produces wine under a handful of sub-labels, the Vitiano brand representing its entry-level bottlings. We checked out two members of the Vitiano line and one wine higher up the chain. Thoughts follow. 2014 Falesco Vitiano…
Review: Tequila Herradura Coleccion de la Casa Directo de Alambique Silver Tequila, Reserva 2015
For the previous three years, Herradura has produced a limited edition tequila, each with a different twist. Those twists have all involved reposados with special barrel finishing — Port, Cognac, and Scotch casks, to be specific. This year Herradura is doing something different. Not only is the tequila not finished, it’s not aged at all.…
Review: Newcastle Foreign Extra India Pale Ale
Newcastle, in another collaboration with Caledonian, keeps hacking away at the IPA-brown ale hybrid. This time it’s a Foreign Extra, which means more hops, more alcohol, and more of pretty much everything. As with the prior experiments, this one comes across with that big nutty, malty character up front, lightly smoky at times with an…
Recipes for National Hot Toddy Day, 2016
With the majority of the country already in or about to enjoy the depths of yet another bone chilling winter, we felt it necessary to provide a classic recipe for a freezing season on National Hot Toddy Day (today, January 11). We start off with the basic recipe and swerve off into two variations worthy…
Review: JVR Spirits Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur
JVR Spirits is a small Portland operation, and Krupnik — a homegrown hooch made by the founder’s father decades ago — is the company’s only product. It takes balls to make a spiced honey liqueur your only product (for now, anyway), but who are we to judge? We don’t have any products! Krupnik is an…
