Review: Oban Little Bay and Oban 14 Years Old
Next up in the NASverse is Oban, which is releasing its mew Little Bay expression just in time for Burns Day (January 25). This isn’t just another random collection of mysterious whiskies. Much like Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Little Bay is aged in part in smaller casks, giving it a distinct character. Says the company: “Crafted by…
Recipe: National Irish Coffee Day 2015
This Sunday (Jan 25) welcomes in a newly decreed holiday that we can get behind: National Irish Coffee Day. According to folklore, Irish coffee was invented by Chef Joseph Sheridan in 1942 to welcome visiting Americans. With it being quite the brisk night in Ireland, Sheridan added whiskey to their coffee and voila! The Irish take this…
Review: Guinness The 1759 Limited Edition Amber Ale
This limited edition Signature Series bottling from Guinness is an American Strong Ale brewed with both standard beer malts and peated whisky malts, making for a decidedly curious and intriguing beer. Thick and malty from the start, The 1759 (named in honor of Guinness’s founding) kicks off with a woody, slightly maple-syrupy nose. I catch…
Review: 2012 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
When I first tasted Faust’s 2012 Cabernet I thought it might be off — densely tannic with vegetal flavors that were massively overwhelming at first attack. I corked the wine up and put it away for a day, hoping things would settle down. Fortunately, they did, revealing a wine that’s a burly as all get-out, but…
Book Review: The 12 Bottle Bar
The 12 Bottle Bar is founded on a great idea: Build a home bar not by amassing hundreds of obscurities like Chartreuse and Punt e Mes (guilty!), but rather by focusing on the bare essentials. With just 12 bottles, authors David and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson say you can make hundreds of cocktails without breaking the bank or having to…
Review: Baileys Chocolate Cherry
A chocolate-cherry cordial in liquid form sure sounds nice, but Baileys’ latest flavor doesn’t quite hit the mark. The idea is self-explanatory, but the execution isn’t totally there. The nose is alive with sweet cherry notes, but it’s the chocolate that — surprisingly — is lacking throughout in this liqueur. Instead Baileys Chocolate Cherry is muddled with…
Review: Glencadam 10, 15, and 21 Years Old
Glencadam can be found in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland. It is the only working distillery in County Angus here, but thanks to CIL US Wine & Spirits (the company behind Camus Cognac), it’s now available in the U.S. The distillery last changed hands in 2003, when it was acquired by a Scottish indie producer. If…
Review: Tequila Espolon Anejo
Tequila Espolon was relaunched in 2010 as one of the first of a wave of high-quality, 100% agave tequilas that were far less expensive than most any other 100% agave tequilas on the market. But there was a hole in the lineup: No anejo. Now Espolon is back with an anejo expression, at long last. Intriguingly the…
