Review: Paul Masson Grande Amber VS Brandy

Don’t be fooled: The VS in Paul Masson’s Grande Amber VS doesn’t stand for very superior or very special, as it does in France. It stands for very smooth, as noted in tiny type underneath. Yes, Paul Masson has come a long way since Orson Welles’ day, but it’s still an avowed budget brand. Brandy like this remains its…

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Review: Chivas Regal 18 Years Old Ultimate Cask Collection First Fill American Oak Finish

That’s a bit of a mouthful for a blended Scotch, but hear them out: With the Ultimate Cask Collection, the venerable Chivas Regal is launching a series of limited edition whiskies that “reinterpret the brand’s celebrated Chivas 18 expression.” Chivas 18, a storied blend stuffed with single malts from across the island, is well-worn ground.…

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Review: NV Honeyvine White Wine with Natural Honey

First off, know that Honeyvine — which blends honey with unstated, nonvintage white wine — is not nearly as bad as you expect it to be. In fact, it’s quite refreshing, a summery white with a touch of sweetness, not unlike a milder orange muscat or even some riesling. The honey is present both on…

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Review: Sons of Liberty True Born Gin “The Belgian Wheat Act” and Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey (2015)

Sons of Liberty distillery is doing some exciting work in the tiny state of Rhode Island. Today we look at two new offerings — an innovative gin and an update to its pumpkin-flavored whiskey. Thoughts follow. Sons of Liberty True Born Genever Style Gin “The Belgian Wheat Act” – How’s this for obsessive. With this…

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Review: Deschutes Brewery Hop Trip (2015), Chasin’ Freshies IPA (2015), and Black Butte XXVII

Three classic seasonal releases from Deschutes — all highly anticipated fall/winter offerings — are here. Let’s dive in! Deschutes Brewery Hop Trip Pale Ale (2015) – Juicy and quaffable, a nicely hoppy nuber with ample citrus backing it up. Piney notes here are more evocative of the forest rather than dense and resinous, with a light…

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Review: Euphrosine Gin #9

New Orleans’ Atelier Vie is the company behind this gin (there’s also a barrel-aged version), a classic juniper-heavy style that won’t offend any gin lover. The gin is crafted from grain neutral spirits, and aside from juniper, bay leaf is the only other listed botanical here — the rest are not disclosed. What Euphrosine —…

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Book Review: Bourbon Curious

Fred Minnick is the bon vivantiest of the bourbon-focused bon vivants, an ascot-wearing gentleman who knows his whiskey and dutifully reports all the news that’s fit to print from Kentucky and beyond. Bourbon Curious: A Simple Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker is exactly that, a guide to everything a novice drinker would want to know…

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Review: Glasgow Distillery Co. Prometheus 26 Years Old

Glasgow Distillery Co. is the producer of Makar Gin, but it also put together this one-off single malt, essentially an independent bottling of a 26 year old whisky sourced from a mystery distillery in Speyside. Oddly, it’s a peated Speyside (and one source on GDC’s website says it’s 27 years old, not 26), so it’s…

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