Review: NV Blandy’s Rich Madeira Alvada 5 Years Old
I know you’ve been dying to get your hands on a new Madeira, amirite? OK, so this fortified wine is not the world’s hottest category, but the market leader, Blandy’s, is still innovating with the release of Alvada, a five year old blend of 50% Bual and 50% Malmsey grapes. What’s Alvada? Per Blandy’s: “Alvada…
Review: Virus Vodka
If nothing else, give Virus Vodka the award for packaging of the year. An Erlenmeyer flask? Genius, even if its footprint does take up more than its fair share of shelf space. Virus is bottled in North Charleston, South Carolina, but aside from a goofy story about ancient vampire/zombie/werewolf viruses, there’s not really any information…
Review: 1792 Port Finish Bourbon
1792 Sweet Wheat was the first in a line of limited editions of 1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon, and now #2 is here: A Port cask-finished expression. 1792 Port Finish Bourbon spends 6 years in new oak, then 2 years in former Port casks for a total of 8 years of aging. Regular readers know I’m a…
Review: The Antiquary 21 Years Old Blended Scotch Whisky
Made by Tomatin, Antiquary is “the rare old blend,” a hodgepodge of whiskies from all over Scotland (including a touch of Islay in it) that seems to want to out-walk Johnnie Walker. The 21 year old expression (gold label bottling; there are others) is a malty whisky that’s mellow with notes of fresh barley and…
Review: Skyy Barcraft – White Sangria, Margarita Lime, and Watermelon Fresca
“It’s time to hack the cocktail!” Now that’s a slogan I can get behind. Unfortunately, Skyy Barcraft — essentially lower-proof flavored vodka designed to be mixed with your favorite mixer (soda, ginger, what-have-you) and consumed on the rocks — isn’t really hacking anything. Unless you consider water and those inimitable “natural flavors” to be a…
Review: Oak by Absolut
To quote Tom Cruise in Risky Business, sometimes you gotta say, What the fuck? How big is whiskey? So big that the vodka guys are trying to muscle in on the business. Oak by Absolut is Absolut vodka rested in oak barrels. Or, more accurately, it is “oak infused vodka, vodka, [and] vodka rested in barrels,” per the label.…
Review: Cerveza Modelo Especial
Quick: What’s the best-selling imported beer in the U.S.? Too easy. What’s the #2 best-selling import? No, not Heineken. Not any more. Now it’s Modelo Especial. Celebrating its recent rise to the second from the top, Modelo sent out samples to see what all the fuss is about. I have to say, I don’t much…
Review: Voli Vodka
Made in Cognac, France, this vodka is crafted from French wheat, 5x distilled, blended with local water, and endorsed by Pitbull. Voli (aka Voli Black) has a hyper-modern profile from start to finish. On the nose, it offers substantial sweetness, with caramel notes and a bit of citrus. The body is as sweet as you…
