Review: Wines of Barton & Guestier, 2015 Releases
Barton & Guestier is France’s oldest wine merchant company, but it’s also a wine producer, too. B&G makes a wide range of wine varieties, including wines from Bordeaux, the Loire, Provence, and the Rhone Valley under a number of labels. Today we look at a couple of new wines and a couple of older labels.…
Review: Svedka Vodka, Svedka 100, and Svedka Grapefuit Jalapeno
Sweden’s Svedka is one of the top global vodka brands, driven by an affordable price point and some amazingly successful marketing. 5x distilled from Swedish winter wheat, it’s widely available to the point of ubiquity. Let’s look at three of the company’s expressions, including a couple of new monsters. Svedka Vodka – This is the…
Review: Wines of Francis Ford Coppola, 2015 Releases
It’s a bumper crop of new releases from Coppola. Here’s a look at something old and something new from this always-busy operation. 2014 Francis Ford Coppola Sauvignon Blanc Diamond Collection Yellow Label – A workmanlike, even gentlemanly, sauvignon blanc. Quite sweet, with marshmallow notes, lemon juice, and creamy orange Dreamsicle notes. Simple but with a…
Review: Michter’s US-1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon 2015
Michter’s has developed a bit of a cult following in the bourbon world, and its Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon is definitely its most famous major release. This limited edition annual release is always in short supply, and it’s made by taking Michter’s US-1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon and finishing it in barrels that are seasoned for…
Recipe: Halloween Cocktails, 2015
Aside from perhaps Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, it seems that we receive the greatest number of cocktail recipe ideas for Halloween. Once again, we take the time to consider and test as many as possible (rough job, I know) in the comfort of our own test kitchen. Here are a few submissions that we’ve chosen as…
Review: Glenfiddich 14 Years Old Bourbon Barrel Reserve
Welcome to the latest addition to the Glenfiddich permanent lineup. Matured exclusively in bourbon casks for 14 years, it is finished in heavy charred new American oak barrels (finishing time unstated). No question, this is classic, unsherried Glenfiddich through and through. Glen-fiddie loves to play with new oak here and there, and it does quite…
Review: Royal Salute The Eternal Reserve
Royal Salute is one of those curious blended whiskies that everyone seems to know about, but no one ever seems to drink. I’ve oddly never sampled a dram from the porcelain (not glass!) flagon, which calls the Strathisla distillery its home. Beyond the decanter, all expressions of Royal Salute have a gimmick, and a pretty…
Review: Wild Ginger Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Nashville-brewed Wild Ginger isn’t the first alcoholic ginger beer on the market, but it’s a solid selection nonetheless if you’re looking for a Dark & Stormy with a bigger kick — or simply (and more likely) a pre-mixed ginger cocktail of sorts straight from the can. Wild Ginger is on the sweet side from the…
