Review: Martell Caractere Cognac
Martell recently launched this Cognac, a simple blend of brandies (in an admittedly snazzy bottle), with no age indication at all. In other words: This is entry-level Cognac, so let’s see how it tastes. On first blush it’s a clearly young spirit, somewhat brash on the nose, but tempered with notes of incense and, curiously,…
Review: Tributo Tequila – Reposado, Anejo, and Extra Anejo
Tributo, aka Tributo a Mi Padre, is a new tequila brand — 100% agave, of course — with a bit of the twist. It’s high-end stuff, with serious production values and heavy attention to detail (the bottles alone look fancy fancy if you know what I mean)… but with prices designed to move. When’s the last time…
Review: 2010 Ladera Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Reserve
This is a classic Howell Mountain Cab, loaded with intense fruit, black cherries and currants all the way. Laced with notes of leather, chocolate, and menthol (particularly on the powerful nose), it offers a supple body and a balanced yet powerhouse finish that lasts for quite a while. This is a nice return to form…
Review: Quinta de Roriz 2010 Prazo de Roriz and 2011 Post Scriptum
Symington is one of Portugal’s premiere Port bottlers, but recently the company has been expanding into non-fortified wines from Portugal’s Douro region, many of which are made using the same grapes you’ll find in Port, thanks to a partnership with the Prats family which is a big name in Bordeaux. These wines, made under the…
Review: Corsair Ryemageddon and Quinoa Whiskey
Corsair is probably the country’s most curious and experimental craft distillery (it makes one whiskey that has elderflowers in it), and the two whiskeys reviewed below should be proof enough of its oddball inspirations. Both of these whiskeys are part of Corsair’s standard releases, though that doesn’t mean they’re easy to find. Corsair Ryemageddon –…
Review: Beluga Gold Line Noble Vodka
For those of you who write and ask, “What’s a really really expensive bottle of vodka I can get for my best friend for Christmas?”, your search has ended. No further search required. This is the vodka. Beluga Gold Line Noble Vodka — commonly referred to as “Beluga Gold” — is ostentatious and shrieks expensive from start to…
Review: Merlet Trois Citrus Triple Sec
Recently we took an exhaustive spin through Merlet’s fruit liqueurs… and then the company released one more. The new Trois Citrus is a triple sec with a twist: It’s made from oranges, blood oranges, and lemon peel — triple the citrus for, perhaps, triple the flavor. This turns out to be quite a good idea.…
Review: Beam’s Eight Star Whiskey
In nearly every family there’s a black sheep or dirty little secret. Such is the case with Beam’s Eight Star. It’s so low shelf, it’s not even on the shelf. In fact, it’s not even listed on the Beam website as a purchasable brand. It’s not bourbon, but rather a blended whiskey and certainly holds…
