Review: Auchentoshan American Oak
The newest addition to Auchentoshan’s Lowland whisky collection is this expression, matured exclusively in ex-Bourbon American Oak, without finishing. Famed for its triple distillation process, Auchentoshan bottles this expression without an age statement. The nose is indistinct and a bit on the grainy side, touched with light sawdust/wood notes. On the palate, I’m immediately reminded of…
Review: Rougaroux Rum Complete Lineup
Thibodaux, Louisiana is home to Donner-Peltier Distillers, which is in turn home to the Rougaroux collection, as well as a number of other spirits (all of which we’ll be reviewing in due course). Up first is this trio of rums, which offer a distinctly Cajun perspective on this venerable spirit. Plastic beads not included. Read…
Review: Wines of Edna Valley Vineyard, 2014 Releases
Located on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo, California, Edna Valley Vineyard (not “Vineyards”) is a budget producer of California’s most popular varietals. With its 2014 releases now hitting the market — 2012 vintage reds, 2013 vintage whites — here’s a look at three of the winery’s Central Coast-designated bottlings. All drink at levels considerably above…
Review: 7 Beers from North Coast Brewing Co.
Fort Bragg, California-based North Coast Brewing Co. isn’t your typical Cali brewer. Its focus on fruitier, malt-heavy, European-style ales is a far cry from the traditional west coast style IPAs that dominate its region. It’s particuarly ironic since North Coast is actually situated directly on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. You don’t get much…
Review: The Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 Years Old
The latest release from Balvenie is this 15 year old expression which has spent its entire life in former sherry casks. It is also a rare single cask release (Balvenie is the only distillery that has an ongoing single cask release of a single age as a part of its range), so you’ll find variation from…
Review: Guinness Blonde American Lager
Bar the doors and shutter the windows. Hell’s freezing over and it’s starting with the world of beer, of all places. What happened? Guinness, the mother of all black-as-night stouts, is releasing a standard, pale, American lager. Made in Latrobe, Pennsylvania(!), Guinness uses American Mosaic, Willamette, and Mount Hood hops plus its Dublin-born Guinness yeast to create…
Review: Tap Rye Port Finished Canadian Rye Whisky
Astute readers might recall Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky — made with maple syrup, natch — which we reviewed a few years ago. Now Tap is back, ditching the 357 for its second product, a Canadian rye that’s been intriguingly finished in Port wine barrels. Limited production information is available. This is a blend of pot-distilled Canadian…
Review: Vizcaya VXOP Cask No. 21 Cuban Formula Rum
Don’t get too excited: Vizcaya’s “Cuban Formula” rum is actually made in the Dominican Republic. Don’t let that disappoint you, though; this is a masterfully produced rum that’s brimming with flavor and sophistication. There’s not a lot of production information about this rum to share. For starters, the “21” on the label is a bit…
