Review: Tanduay Asian Rum – Silver and Gold
A new rum? Nah. Tanduay’s been being made for 160 years… in that classical bastion of the rum world: The Philippines. Yeah, who knew? (The brand lays claim that it’s “one of Asia’s best-kept secrets,” which seems to be right on the nose.) But Tanduay is very likely new to you (as it is to me),…
Review: KAH Tequila, Complete Lineup
KAH is a tequila brand you won’t quickly forget, whether you’ve tried it or not. Bottled in painted ceramic skulls with Day of the Dead motifs on them, these spirits stand out so much they’re almost too pretty to open. But what’s inside? It’s lowlands tequila, 100% agave, bottled in the typical varieties — but with…
Review: Crazy Steve’s Bloody Mary Mixes
Crazy Steve is making Bloody Mary mixes, dry spices, salsas, and pickles in the heart of New Jersey. (He’s also trying to help out the damaged Jersey Shore, so give him a hand.) Our focus today however is on his two Bloody mixes (made with fresh cucumber, celery, onion, and jalapeno) and their rimmer companion. Thoughts…
Review: Russian Diamond Vodka
Russian Diamond would like to turn your attention to the Italian fabric labels (hey, it’s felty!) and the 57 filtrations it goes through before bottling. What I want to alert you to is that Russian Diamond is really Russian vodka. With Stoli made (at least in part) in Latvia and Smirnoff made primarily in the…
Review: Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Bourbon Round Eleven
Round 11 of Buffalo Trace’s “Single Oak Project” experiment is here. In case you haven’t been with us for, oh, the last three years of this extravaganza, it’s designed to find the Holy Grail of just what is responsible for the perfect glass of whiskey. Previous rounds can be found here: Round One (including all the basics of the…
Review: Pernod Absinthe “Original Recipe” (2014)
It wasn’t long ago that Pernod re-entered the market with an authentic absinthe (i.e. one with wormwood in it). But purists complained: Why would Pernod, whose absinthe cred dates back to 1792 and which was the market leader for over a century, release an absinthe with a wholly new recipe? Does not compute. Following a minor…
Review: 2010 Sartori Amarone della Valpolicella Estate Collection
A bright and fresh Amarone, this wine offers ripe strawberry and cherry notes, tempered by just the slightest touch of raisin — more evident on the nose than on the palate. The finish sticks with the sweeter side of things, offering a touch of sour cherry and some intriguing black tea notes, too. B+ /…
Review: 2011 Vina Zaco Rioja and 2009 Vina Pomal Rioja Reserva
Two new Spanish Riojas — both quite young, a twist over the typical Rioja you’ll encounter, which can often be six to eight years old — or more — by the time they hit the shelf. How do these young guns measure up? Here we go… 2011 Vina Zaco Rioja Tempranillo – Especially young for Rioja,…
