Wine of the Sea Ages Wines 100 Feet Below the Waves – Here’s How They Taste
Aging wine and spirits on and around the water has become something of a Thing lately, with operations like Jefferson’s sending whiskey around the world on ocean voyages and Maison Ferrand aging Cognac on a barge in the Seine. Wine of the Sea is something very different. A Wisconsin wine importing company called the BZ…
Review: Wines of Merry Edwards, 2021 Vintage
2021 is shaping up as an exceptional vintage for California pinot noir, and Merry Edwards recently dropped its wines from this year — all showing beautifully. Today we dig into six of them and a sauvignon blanc — five from the Russian River Valley and one from the colder Anderson Valley to the north. Thoughts follow.…
The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2023
Our fifth year producing a top 10 tequilas and mezcals list has a little twist on it: We didn’t pick any of the mezcals we tried this year for inclusion on the list. While we liked plenty of them, none made quite enough of an impact to earn a spot here. That said, we’ve got…
Review: Amante 1530 Amaro
New amaro Amante 1530 is billed as “an innovative twist on an old classic,” but when you get down to it, it’s a lot closer to one familiar standby than you’d think. Boasting Sting and Trudie Styler as investors, this Aperol clone is flavored with Italian orange, ginger, and honeysuckle, and it carries the familiar…
Review: El Cristiano Tequila – Silver and Reposado
It’s really easy to get really cynical really quickly about a tequila brand founded by a self-described “serial entrepreneur and angel investor.” Because what venture capitalist hasn’t lifted themselves up by the bootstraps to eventually found their very own vanity tequila brand? Admittedly, founder Karan Khanna’s involvement is obfuscated by the roles of founding consultant…
Review: Mary Dowling Bourbons – Tequila Barrel and Double Oak Barrel
Some whiskey brands dig deep into obscure history for their backstory, but Mary Dowling, the latest from Rabbit Hole founder Kaveh Zamanian, is a story I’m honestly surprised hasn’t been told yet. I had the opportunity to chat with Kaveh about his new venture at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in September, and he gave me…
Review: Heaven’s Door Ascension, Homesick Blues, and Bootleg Series Vol. V
Lots of action going on at Heaven’s Door these days. There’s a new distillery, a new visitor’s center, and a big renaming (and even revamping) of its core lineup. Let’s start with the basics. First, Heaven’s Door’s core lineup — three whiskeys — have all been given new names and new bottle graphics, each featuring…
Review: Lake Hour Seltzers, Complete Lineup
Canned, sparkling seltzers made with real ingredients and actual spirits, but hitting the can at 5% abv? What’s not to like? Four flavors are currently available, each contained in a 12 oz. can. We tried them all, and offer our thoughts herein. Each is 5% abv. Lake Hour Watermelon Cucumber – Tequila, real watermelon, real cucumber.…
