Review: Lost Spirits Colonial American Inspired Rum
Monterey, Calif.-based mad scientist Bryan Davis is back at work with a new rum called Colonial American Inspired. Ultra-high in alcohol, it’s an iteration on the distillery’s Navy Style Rum that came out at the beginning of the year. Colonial American uses the same white rum as a base; the changes involve some production tweaks in…
Review: Starr Hill Sabbath Black India Pale Ale
Cross a chocolaty stout with a fresh IPA and you might get something akin to this, an odd but quite drinkable ale that comes across like a hybrid of two classic styles. Malty up front, the beer’s chocolate and coffee notes go toe to toe with some piney, lightly citrus-dusted hops, but in the end…
Review: Clyde May’s Whiskey (2014)
It hasn’t quite been two years since we reviewed Clyde May’s Conecuh Ridge Whiskey, but big things are afoot at this operation, which is rapidly picking up steam and notoriety. A rebranding and radically updated design is the major news. “Conecuh Ridge” has been shrunken down on the label and in fact is no longer part…
Tasting Report: 6 Spanish Garnacha Wines, 2014 Releases
Some say Garnacha, the Spanish inflection of Grenache, is the next “It Wine.” (It doesn’t hurt that most Garnachas are extremely inexpensive.) Is it so? We tasted six Garnachas (one of which is a Garnacha/Syrah blend), from 2009, 2012, and 2013 vintages, to see where this varietal is headed. 2009 Bodegas y Vinedos del Jalon Alto…
Review: Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao and Creme de Menthe
Quick, when’s the last time you had a Grasshopper? Pink Squirrel? Brandy Alexander? While some things never come back into vogue, for classics like these, it seems inevitable that hipsters will once again be guzzling these things by the gallon — and probably in hollowed-out coconuts and pineapples. Creme de Cacao and Creme de Menthe…
Review: Victorious B.I.G. Beef Jerky and Punch Drunk Hot Sauce
More and more consumer products are using beer and spirits in their creation, including these two artisan offerings, both of which rely on Victory Brewing’s Storm King Imperial Stout in their ingredient list. Some thoughts on eating your beer instead of simply drinking it follow. Victorious B.I.G. Beef Jerky is an artisanal, all natural jerky…
When J. Lohr Chardonnay Met Lindt Chocolates
Chocolate and wine are a classic match — but which chocolate, and which wine? Chocolatier Lindt and California winemaker J. Lohr have been working on figuring that out, and they think they have it down, now. Among the half-dozen pairings they have devised, the duo sent this one for me to try out for myself: 2013…
Review: 2011 La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
It’s not every day we get a bona fide cult wine here at Drinkhacker HQ, but La Jota is the kind of thing that sells for well into the hundreds of dollars on restaurant wine lists and shows up on auction sell sheets with equal probability. Today we look at the 2011 Cab from this…
