Review: Syndicate 58/6 Blended Scotch Whisky
If nothing else, Syndicate 58/6 is the most uniquely named whisky you’ll drink all year. What’s it all about? Syndicate, so the story goes, began as a blend of malt and grain whiskies discovered in 1958. Six guys got together to make a whisky out of these barrels, and they named it after themselves (the…
Recipe: Holiday Cocktails, 2014 Edition
The holiday season is now hitting its height. Office parties are lively, Hanukkah has begun, and Christmas and Kwanzaa are right around the corner. With so many different events from which to choose, we’ve selected the following holiday cocktail recipes from a flurry of options decorating our inbox. St. Elizabeth Flip 1 1/2 oz. Appleton Estate…
Review: Hudson Baby Bourbon and Four Grain Bourbon
Tuthilltown Spirits, based in Gardiner, New York, has been on the forefront of craft distilling since its launch in 2005. Its Hudson line of craft whiskeys remains one of the most iconic exemplars of what can be done with a careful hand and a lot of ambition, and I’ve interviewed distiller and all-around nice guy…
Review: Craigellachie 13 Years Old, 17 Years Old, 19 Years Old, and 23 Years Old
These expressions from Speyside’s Craigellachie (pronounced creh-GAHL-uh-key) Distillery have the same provenance as the three Aultmore whiskies we recently reviewed. Now part of the Dewar’s portfolio — which makes heavy use of Craigellachie in its blends — single malts from these stills are finally coming, and in quite a range of ages. Today we look…
Review: 2011 Sanford Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
The nose of this Santa Rita-originated Pinot Noir offers tantalizing black cherry and raspberry notes, plus hints of black pepper, but the body is heavily extracted to the point where it starts to get a bit pruny. Notes of green olive, currant jelly, and brewed tea. Fun at the start, it ultimately takes things too far…
Review: Deschutes Brewery Hop Trip (2014) and Chasin’ Freshies IPA (2014)
Hey, it’s new editions of Hop Trip and Chasin’ Freshies — limited edition IPA seasonals from our friends at Deschutes. Here we go with reviews! Deschutes Brewery Hop Trip (2014) – A hotter (and more full-bodied) beer than last year’s edition, this pale ale starts off piney but then reveals some chocolate and almond notes,…
Review: Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin
Bluecoat has become a beloved gin of the New American school, and now the brand is taking things a step further by launching a barrel-finished expression. Essentially this is standard Bluecoat that is aged — for an unstated length of time — in new American oak barrels. This gives the gin a lively bronzed yellow color, something…
Review: James E. Pepper 1776 Ale
Georgetown Trading is the company behind John L. Sullivan Irish whiskey and James E. Pepper “1776” whiskey — and now the company has decided to get into barrel-aged beers, too. Proprietor Amir Peay explains: We had been selling our whiskey barrels to some great brewers and always loved the beer they had been making, and…
