Tasting Report: 6 Whiskies Along “The Highland Journey,” 2014 Releases
I had the recent good fortune to attend an online tasting called “The Highland Journey,” a road that took us through four distilleries and six single malts, all from distilleries throughout the Scottish Highlands. Tasted roughly from southeast to northwest, the experience covered anCnoc, Speyburn, Balblair, and Old Pulteney. We sampled a range of malts made…
![Te wahi 2011 (Native) [MHISWF041779 Revision-1]](https://www.drinkhacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Te-wahi-2011-Native-MHISWF041779-Revision-1.jpg "Te wahi 2011 (Native) [MHISWF041779 Revision-1]")
Review: Cloudy Bay 2011 Te Wahi Pinot Noir and 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand’s most notable winery is back with new vintages — including a major departure for the brand with its new Pinot. Let’s not let my intro get in the way. Here are thoughts on two new releases from Cloudy Bay. 2011 Cloudy Bay Te Wahi Pinot Noir Central Otago – This is Cloudy Bay’s…
Review: Menage a Trois Vodka, Complete Lineup
Menage a Trois is known for its cheap wines, but the company now also makes cheap vodka. (!) Three expressions — one straight, two flavored — are on offer. All are distilled from corn and brought down to proof with “pristine California water.” The catch with the flavored vodkas: They’re all “triple flavored” with three…
Review: Michter’s US-1 Small Batch Bourbon, Rye, and Unblended American Whiskey
To clarify my earlier commentary on the company: Michter’s is an old name that’s reviving its distillery operations — but while that’s getting going, the company is bottling contract-produced spirits under its own label. Label copy on this series of US-1 — aka US*1 — whiskeys is decidedly vague. The bourbon reviewed below, for example,…
Review: Speakeasy Bourbon
So this is an interesting one. Quietly released in a limited batch in September, the label reads that this was made by the Bardstown Club Distilling Company. However, a quick Google search reveals that this is indeed the handywork of none other than Willett, under another one of its noms de plume. This made Speakeasy…
Review: 2013 Charles & Charles Chardonnay Washington State
Rather watery, this Columbia Valley-sourced wine offers vague apple notes and a modest slug of wood that punches a bit of vanilla into what is an otherwise workmanlike wine. Touches of lemon and nougat add a bit of curiosity as the wine develops in the glass, but the bitter edges on the finish reveal some character flaws…
Review: 2012 Terrazas Torrontes Reserva
This new torrontes from Argentina’s Terrazas de los Andes offers tropical character right from the start, with just a hint of bitter hops on the nose. That herbal character builds on the body — particularly as the wine warms a bit — bringing the spirit to a nicely balanced whole that infuses floral aromatics with peaches,…
Review: Wines of Joel Gott, 2012 Vintage
To paraphrase Ayn Rand: Who is Joel Gott? A fixture in California wine country, Gott is a longtime retailer, winemaker, and burger purveyor in the thoroughfares of Napa, where his Gott’s Roadside is a must-stop dining experience (also in the San Francisco Ferry Building). With his partners at Trinchero, Gott now has his own label — affordable…
