Review: 2013 Vineyard 29 Cru Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc
A pair of new wines from Vineyard 29 under the “Cru” label, one a Napa Sauvignon Blanc from V29’s backyard, the other a pinot brought in from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Both are excellent. Thoughts, as always, follow. 2013 Vineyard 29 Cru Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – Initially this comes across as a slightly tough pinot,…
Review: SomruS Indian Cream Liqueur
SomPriya is a curious company. The organization has an app for finding Indian restaurants and it makes an alcoholic beverage with one capital letter too many. SomruS is “the original Indian cream liqueur,” made in Chicago from Wisconsin dairy cream, Caribbean rum, and natural flavors that include cardamom, pistachios, saffron, almonds, and rose petals. The balsa-wood…
Review: Jim Beam Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection – High Rye
Hey, remember last September when Jim Beam rolled out two oddball whiskeys in its 6-whiskey series called the Signature Craft Harvest Bourbon Collection — Soft Red Wheat and Brown Rice? Well now two more are coming out — Rolled Oat and High Rye. We actually reviewed Rolled Oat in the above link (and tragically have yet to…
Tasting Report: Bordeaux and Sauternes, 2012 Vintage
Vintage 2012 Bordeaux is in the cusp of release, and recently I had the opportunity to taste a huge swath of it when some 80 chateaux descended on the U.S. All in all, these wines showed quite well. 2012 white Bordeaux wines are drinking particularly well already, and the reds of Saint-Julien had a strong showing as…
American Distilling Institute Craft Spirits Competition 2015: Complete List of Winners
I helped judge some of these (though it was all blind, so I’m not entirely sure which ones), so if you don’t like the winners, you can go ahead and blame me. Congrats to the many winners at this year’s ADI craft spirits judging! The complete winners’ list can be found after the jump. American…
Cigar Review: Oliva Serie V Liga Especial Double Toro
Editor’s Note: We’re trying something new here at Drinkhacker in the form of cigar coverage, with a specific focus on spirits pairings. Want more? Let us know your thoughts! If you’re a cigar connoisseur, there really isn’t a “bad time” or “off season” to be enjoying cigars. But let’s face it, cigar fans: there’s something…
Review: Beehive Distilling Jack Rabbit Gin
Utah-based Beehive Distilling makes gin and only gin. Production involves some traditional technique melded with a few newfangled flavoring agents. Beehive explains: Jack Rabbit is produced on a small (300-liter) hybrid column still in Salt Lake City. Beehive’s lead distiller macerates crushed Albanian juniper, orris root, grain of paradise and coriander in grain neutral spirits for 24 hours…
Review: Muzzleshot Tactical Shot Glass
So here’s a wacky idea: Take pure, anodized aluminum and machine it into the shape of the muzzle of an M-16 automatic rifle. And then drink out of it. You’re a man now, Toby. The Muzzleshot shot glass is a bold experiment in both industrial design and cooling technology. The glass design is pretty genius, and…
