Review: Deschutes Brewery Red Chair NWPA (2014) and Hop Henge Experimental IPA (2015)
Winter/spring seasonals from Deschutes have arrived — both can likely be considered 2014/2015 releases, but we did our best on pegging them to a release year in order to keep things organized for those searching through the archives. Thoughts follow. Deschutes Brewery Red Chair NWPA (2014) – This heavily malted Northwest Pale Ale is immediately…
Book Review: Tasting Whiskey
Lew Bryson must be some kind of spirit whisperer. He knows seemingly everything about the whiskey world, and — more importantly — he has managed to distill (ha!) it down to fully readable, understandable essentials with this impressive tome, Tasting Whiskey. As the title implies, Bryson is here to be your insider guide to this often…
Review: Claiborne & Churchill Dry Riesling and Gewurztraminer
Two aromatic whites from this San Luis Obispo-based operation. Thoughts follow. 2013 Claiborne & Churchill Dry Riesling Central Coast – A humble riesling, studded with notes of honey, Meyer lemon, and some green herb garden notes on the nose. The body moves into slightly sweet territory, with chewy nougat dominating, leading to a somewhat woody,…
Review: Wines of Rodney Strong, 2015 Releases
Rodney Strong’s mainstream releases for 2015 are hitting right about now. We tasted a trio of its entry-level Sonoma County wines. Thoughts follow. 2013 Rodney Strong Chardonnay Sonoma County – Buttery, but not overdone, this rich-and-creamy Chardonnay offers marshmallows atop notes of tropical fruit — pineapples, plus peaches. Some meaty character gives this some oomph,…
Review: Tap Rye Sherry Finished Canadian Rye Whisky 8 Years Old
The Canadian Tap brand is back with a third expression of its finished rye whiskies: Tap Rye Sherry Finished. As with the maple and port versions of Tap, “finishing” here means the addition of actual amontillado sherry to the blend of rye whiskies, not aging in ex-sherry barrels, the traditional definition of “finishing.” (That said,…
Review: Banfi 2011 Belnero and 2013 San Angelo Pinot Grigio
Two new bottlings from Banfi recently arrived, including an older vintage of the blended Belnero, the 2012 vintage of which we reviewed a few months back. 2010 vintage notes can be found here. 2011 Banfi Belnero IGT – A sangiovese-heavy blend, this wine is immediately overpowered by chocolate notes, making for a stark contrast to…
Review: Lockhouse Vodka
Buffalo, New York’s first distillery since Prohibition is Lockhouse, and its eponymous Lockhouse Vodka is its first product. (A gin is now also available.) Column-distilled from local grapes, it’s an unusual spirit in the increasingly familiar vodka space. A pungent nose offers the immediate connotation of a white whiskey, with hospital notes mingled with toasted grains.…
Book Review: The Spirit of Gin
Jesus, Matt Teacher really likes gin. His new hardcover, The Spirit of Gin: A Stirring Miscellany of of the New Gin Revival, crams nothing but juniper-scented spirits into its 350-plus pages. Rest assured, there’s not really 350 pages of material to be revealed in the giniverse. The Spirit of Gin is breezy and light, with lots of white…
