Review: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami
Johnnie Walker continues to crank out special editions of its Blue Label bottlings, and this latest is its most enigmatic. Elusive Umami is a collaboration between Johnnie Walker master blender Emma Walker and Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, a whisky designed to explore the enigma of “umami,” the long-heralded “fifth taste.” It isn’t made by dumping…
Review: Sparkling Roses from Brendel, Robert Mondavi, and Rotari (2023 Releases)
Sparkling rosés are perfect for warm weather enjoyment, but the bottles we’re tasting today are not light summer sippers. They are fine examples of the depth and complexity that can be drawn out of sparkling rosé when it is well crafted and made with well-sourced grapes. Poured cold, they’ll certainly be a welcome addition to…
Review: Pink House Alchemy Winter Spice Syrup
Oh, that chill in the air can only mean one thing: It’s finally time for cool-weather cocktails. Ready to take a break from pumpkin spice? Give Pink House Alchemy’s Winter Spice Syrup a try. This syrup blends cane sugar, cloves, cardamon, black pepper, nutmeg, and vanilla into a cohesive and seasonally appropriate mixer that can…
Review: Kentucky Owl Maighstir Edition Bourbon
Kentucky Owl’s parade of odd collaborations continues with the even more oddly titled Maighstir Edition, which is a joint production of Kentucky Owl’s Maureen Robinson and John Rhea. While Rhea was most recently the COO of Four Roses, he has been at Kentucky Owl for the last two years, with Robinson presently taking over. That…
Tasting Report: Jack Rose Premier Drams 2023
After a bit of back-and-forth on the date, whiskey mecca Jack Rose Dining Saloon finally landed on October 2nd for this year’s Premier Drams festival. We would have honestly rescheduled a liver transplant to make it, and after the embarrassment of brown water riches on offer this year, we just might have to in 2024.…
Review: 2019 Far Mountain Myrna Chardonnay Sonoma Valley
Iconic Sonoma chardonnay, a straight-up vanilla bomb with backing notes of baked apples, brown butter, and a bit of guava. Things get a little dusky with some earthiness coming into focus, veering toward sharper notes of grapefruit peel, which add some bitterness to the finish. A bit chaotic in the glass, I’m not sure this…
Review: King of Kentucky Straight Bourbon 16 Years Old (2023)
When declaring to be of aristocratic lineage, especially when the word “King” comprises 1/3 of your name, logic generally dictates the excessive pageantry surrounding your arrival becomes the order of the day. So, it is always a pleasant surprise when King of Kentucky lands with minimal fanfare, absent the bloated hype and trumpeting surrounding so…
Review: 2021 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
A very unusual expression of NZ sauvignon blanc, here we find the more overt tropical notes retreating into a slightly doughy, caramel-laced character that weighs the wine down quite a bit. This is a rare kiwi sauvi that benefits from warming up a bit, which allows some notes of coconut and, yes, actual kiwi fruit…
