Review: 2008 Inniskillin Ice Wine – Vidal and Cabernet Franc
Years have passed since we last encountered Inniskillin and its masterful Canadian ice wines. We recently had the good fortune to sample two new vintages from Inniskillin, both sweet yet low-alcohol dessert wines made from frozen grapes from way up north. Thoughts follow. 2008 Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine – Gorgeous, with a rush of honey,…
Review: Lombard Jewels of Scotland Springbank 21 Years Old
This independent bottling of Campbeltown favorite Springbank is a D&M Liquors exclusive (link below), so don’t go shopping all over creation for it. Only 263 bottles were produced. 21 years old and fully matured in a bourbon hogshead, this is Springbank at its finest. The nose is mysterious and mild, with hints of greenery and…
Review: Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection – Rye Bourbon Entry Proof Experiments
Last year, Buffalo Trace released a line of Experimental Collection bourbons put into barrel at various entry proofs. As I explained back then: Entry proof describes the alcohol level of a whiskey when it goes into the barrel for the first time. Generally whiskey is watered down a bit before barreling, often to between 105…
Review: GlenDronach Tawny Port Wood Finish 15 Years Old and Cask Strength Batch 2
GlenDronach, “the sleeping giant,” is a storied Highlands distillery that dates back to 1826. As is often the case with these companies, the distillery changed hands a few time and was shut down in 1996. Five years later it was acquired by BenRiach and is now producing again. It’s also releasing aged, old stock, including…
Book Review: The Drunken Botanist
It only came out last year, but Amy Stewart’s incredibly obsessive-compulsive tome, The Drunken Botanist, has already become a staple of the spirits obsessed. The idea is deceptively simple. Whatever you drink — Scotch, rum, tequila, vodka — has its origins in the earth — barley, sugar cane, agave, potato (or whatnot). Where do these plants,…
Bar Review: Hard Water, San Francisco
Hard Water, located on San Francisco’s waterfront just a block from the Ferry Building, is a tiny little place, a restaurant that serves Cajun cuisine and has no tables. Everyone sits either at the bar, a big horseshoe that juts out from the kitchen, or at a ledge around the walls. You’ll take your barstool…
Review: The Glenrothes 2001
It’s been three years since the last Glenrothes Vintage release (the 1998 vintage), and finally the Speyside distillery with the barrel-shaped bottle is out with a new one, 2001, another limited release that sticks closely to the Glenrothes house style. Bottled in mid-2012, it’s an 11 year old single malt whisky. The nose is surprisingly…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project: Barterhouse and Old Blowhard Bourbon
Everyone loves a good story, and to spin a good yarn around an original tale is becoming a talent synonymous with spirits industry. A brand simply can’t stand on its merits alone anymore. A successful product launch now requires no less than a multi-million dollar yacht, international release parties, the courtship of the tastemaker kings…
