Review: 2013 Achaval Ferrer Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon
2013 releases from Achaval Ferrer, based in Mendoza, are here. We tasted the Malbec and the Cab from this major Argentinian producer. 2013 Achaval Ferrer Malbec Mendoza – Overpowering, and not in a good way. Intense notes of menthol cigarette smoke, backed by a heavily balsamic vinegar character. Mouth-puckering with heavy acidity and a vegetal underpinning,…
Merchants of Beverage Offers Instant Cocktail Kits, Party Wine Selections
Neat little service here from a new company called Merchants of Beverage. The idea: Don’t (necessarily) buy your wine or spirits one by one. Rather pick up everything you need to make, say, a martini — or a collection of interrelated Scotches — or a nine-pack of wines to get you all the way through…
Review: Aperol Aperitivo
The Aperol Spritz is a perennial favorite cocktail — but I can’t say that I’ve ever actually drank much Aperol on its own. Until now! An aperitif that is often shelved alongside Campari (the same company now makes both), this liqueur’s most noteworthy ingredient (not including sugar) is bitter orange, though a host of other bitter…
Rhum Clement Launches Graffiti-Strewn 125th Anniversary Vieux Agricole Bottling
Martinique’s Rhum Clement is arguably the best-known rhum agricole producer, producing some really austere and sumptious rums. What then does it do to celebrate its 125th anniversary (which, I guess, was back in 2012)? Release a special edition of its iconic VSOP bottling, covered front and back with street art by JonOne. 10,000 bottles were…
Review: Sons of Liberty Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey (2014)
Pumpkin spice apparently knows no bounds. Now here it is, in our whiskey! Sons of Liberty is a craft distiller out of Rhode Island, focusing on American single malts as well as seasonal, flavored whiskies. In addition to a hop-flavored whiskey there’s this pumpkin one, which is focused on fall. The base of the spirit…
Review: Genius Gin and Navy Strength Gin
Texas loves its gin (why? it’s hot!), and they’re making some right there in the capital now. Genius Gin hails from Austin, Texas, where they (of course) do things a little differently. Per the company: The many ingredients in Genius Gin are balanced and treated with individual care. Our incredibly detailed two-part “Hot and Cold”…
Review: Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve (2014)
Last year, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve arrived in the U.S. in limited release. We wrote about it at length at the time, but knew that, as just a visiting member of the family, our thoughts would be fleeting at best. Well, now Gold Label has its green card and is back in the family,…
Tasting the Wines of Chateau du Moulin-a-Vent, 2014 Releases
An icon of the Beaujolais, Moulin-a-Vent’s estate began producing wines as early as the 1700s. Today the estate has 30 hectares of land under vine, separated into 91 different plots — many of which are used to make single-plot releases showcasing a specific terroir. Ownership changed with the 2009 vintage — and some of these wines…
