Review: Thistle Finch Small Batch White Rye Whiskey
This white rye is made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania — the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. What about that name? “Pennsylvania Dutch folk art frequently features a bird in it, that, in German, is called a “Distelfink” or Thistle Finch. The bird is a symbol of happiness and good fortune.” Thistle Finch is made from a…
Review: 2012 Frank Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros
A lighthearted and light-bodied Pinot from Frank Family, this Carneros offering features plenty of jammy fruit — strawberry and cherry intermingled — along with notes of tea leaf, cinnamon, and vanilla candies. A bit flabby in the body, it’s a bit hamstrung by those jammy elements that unfortunately push it too far into fruit juice…
Review: Leaf Vodka – Alaska and Rocky Mountain Expressions
Does water matter? Sure, in marketing material there’s talk of hidden springs, deep ocean water, melted icebergs, rushing rivers, secluded family wells, and just about every other form of exotic water on earth… but how can you discern its impact on your vodka if you don’t have anything to compare it to? Enter Leaf Vodka,…
Review: 2012 Boneshaker Zinfandel Lodi
Big Zin fans rejoice: Boneshaker easily lives up to its name. This punchy, Lodi-grown Zinfandel (produced by Hahn Family Wines) is thorny with notes of dark chocolate, coffee beans, and a melange of stewed prunes and raisins. And that, basically, is it. With a lasting and rustic, slightly dirty finish, it’s a BBQ-friendly wine that…
Review: Frescobaldi 2010 Nipozzano and 2011 Nipozzano Vecchie Viti
Two new releases from Marchesi de’Frescobaldi, the royal family of Tuscany — the standard bottling of Nipozzano (named after the 1000-year-old family estate) and a new release of Vecchie Viti, a bottling rarely seen on U.S. shores. Thoughts follow. 2010 Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Rufina – A textbook example of what Chianti should be, bright…
Review: The Macallan Rare Cask
A $300 no-age-statement Scotch whisky? The time is here, folks, and Macallan is leading the charge. The Macallan Rare Cask is matured fully in first-fill Spanish oak casks that formerly held dry oloroso sherry for 18 months. How long the whisky was in there remains a secret. This is a classic, heavy-sherry (and intensely deep-amber)…
Review: Pisco Waqar
Waqar! Waqoff! Sorry. Pisco, essentially an unaged brandy, has been fueled by the revival of the Pisco Sour and a few other piscoriffic cocktails. But Chilean pisco is something of a rarity in a day and age where Peruvian pisco rules the market. Waqar is produced from muscat grapes grown at the foot of the…
Review: 2012 Collazzi Liberta Toscana IGT
This Tuscan mutt is 55% merlot, 30% syrah, and 15% sangiovese. It’s also awfully damn good for a sub-$20 wine. Earth hits the nose first, with notes of dried mint, violets, and cedar chest coming along in short order. On the palate, the merlot is right up front, offering those characteristic floral notes, slightly sweetened…
