Review: Three New Gruner Veltliners
Three new Gruner Veltliner white wines from our friends in Austria, all very low in alcohol and worthy of attention!
2008 Zantho Gruner Veltliner - A very crisp wine, with apple, lemon, and some peach notes. Very light body, and just 11.5% alcohol by volume, with a simple and light finish. Quite refreshing. Sealed with a glass "cork." A- / $8
2009 Domane Wachau Terrassen Federspiel Gruner Veltliner - A bigger spin on Gruner, more tart than Zantho's offering. Less refined, with mineral and fruit characters that are a little out of balance, but still a solid wine. 12.5% alcohol, making this the brute of the bunch. B+ / $16
2009 Fred Loimer "Lois" Gruner Veltliner - The zippiest and most vibrant of the bunch, a fresh and zesty wine with lots of minerality, with tropical character -- mango and especially pineapple notes. A very light sweetness. 12% alcohol. A / $15
Book Review: The Quick-Fix Hangover Detox
Subtitled "99 Ways to Feel 100 Times Better," this slim tome (just 99 pages long including the index) is a straightforward list of recipes and advice for correcting the worst part of drinking: the hangover.
The advice is split into three sections – before, during, and after you drink – and the advice varies from simple to obtuse. Lots of this stuff you already know: Drink lots of water. Take B vitamins. Don't drink too much.
Some of the advice will likely be new to you: Drink a mixture of blended lettuce, broccoli, and spinach. Eat celery to help with nausea. Gin and tonic is a depressant.
Still more of the advice is contrary to what you probably think you know: Don't take pain relievers in the morning. Caffeine is bad for hangovers.
Even more of the advice you can safely dismiss: Use crystals to help recovery the next day.
Some of the advice isn't hangover advice at all: Drinking is fattening.
There's no telling how much of this information is legit, but it mostly sounds OK and the bulk of it comes down to not drinking too much and making sure you eat lots of fruit and vegetables during your recovery. Good advice, I suppose, provided you've read this tome and stocked up well before that big night out gets underway.
C / $10 / [BUY IT HERE]
Review: Patron Silver Tequila
For many, Patron is the gold standard of premium tequila. And indeed, Patron has done for the tequila market what Grey Goose did for vodka. Whether you like them or not, they have convinced the world that there were people out there who would pay for expensive versions of what many had previously assumed only came in two versions: Cheap and cheaper.
As a pioneer in mass market premium tequilas, Patron took the approach of using 100% agave, crafting a fancy bottle with a little ribbon around the neck and a real cork for a stopper, and charging a premium price for it all. It has worked: Patron is now one of the best-selling tequila brands in the world, and it's expensive.
And yet, when you get down to it, Patron is honestly nothing special. The tequila offers a big, and somewhat nutty and woody nose (though the spirit is not rested in wood like some blancos), with pronounced agave notes. The woody character continues on the palate, but it's overshadowed by a pretty heavy bite and burn, suggesting that Patron is a tequila for those that grew up on rotgut tequilas and have graduated, but still wouldn't know what to do if they didn't have to gasp for air after doing a shot (and let's be real, no one sips Patron). The texture is full-bodied, but somewhat oily.
All said, this is not a bad tequila, but there are many better blancos out there, and at better prices that it's silly to recommend it unless there's absolutely nothing better on the shelf. 80 proof.
B / $38 / patrontequila.com
Review: 2009 Caminada Chardonnay Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina
Caminada is a Mendoza, Argentina-based winery which sources fruit from the mountains above the Uco Valley. The wine (along with its Malbec) is simple and uncomplex. There's citrus and lemon on the nose, pairing well with a decent, fruity body. No real finish to speak of, Caminada ends short and simple. Wood aging is limited, and its impact here is light, which is good news for those who aren't fans of overblown Chardonnay. All told, it's a pretty easygoing Chardonnay for the price. The trippy label, though, gave me nightmares.
B / $11 / pl360bev.com
Tasting Report: Family Winemakers of California 2010
As in years past, Family Winemakers of California proves itself to be a vast and nearly unmanageable monster of a wine show. Now in its 20th year, this San Francisco event featured a whopping 340 wineries and thousands of wines being sampled.
While I'm not entirely sure how the likes of Kendall-Jackson, here for the first time, qualify as a "family" winery, there was no shortage of quality to be found. My favorites this year invariably trended toward Cabernets, with excellent expressions being poured by Barnett, Macauley, Ramey, Rocca, and Titus -- all from the 2007 vintage. 2007 Napa Cab is already getting rave reports and may be the best vintage for the region since 1999 -- snap it up!
Notes on tasted wines follow. Prices for wines poured were unavailable.
Tasting Report - Family Winemakers of California 2010
2009 Barnett Pinot Noir / B+ / chewy
2007 Barnett Cabernet Sauvignon / A / peppery nose, nice balance
2007 D-Cubed Napa Valley Zinfandel / A- / easy, nice and soft
2007 D-Cubed Korte Ranch Zinfandel / B+ / some toughness
2006 D-Cubed Howell Mountain Zinfandel / A / nice cocoa notes
2006 D-Cubed Primitivo / B /
2008 Handley Sauvignon Blanc / B / acidic
2007 Keller Estate Chardonnay Oro de Plata / A- / minimally oaked, tart
2007 Keller Estate Chardonnay La Cruz / A- / tropical notes, intriguing
2007 Keller Estate Pinot Noir La Cruz / A- / big fruit, earthy traditional finish
2008 Kokomo Winery Pinot Noir / B / big jammy notes
2008 Kokomo Winery Cuvee 4791 / B- / out of balance
2008 Landmark Chardonnay Overlook / B+ / classic style
2008 Landmark Syrah / C+ /
2006 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley / A / silky and smooth
2007 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley / A- / tougher but with great promise
2006 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville / A- / big and dark
2007 Macauley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon To Kalon Vineyard / A / silky, rich with plums and chocolate
2007 Martinelli Pinot Noir / A- / lovely, balanced cherry and earth notes
2006 Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon / B / extremely big now, tough
2006 Merryvale Profile / B / massively tannic and hard
2006 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Saratoga Cuvee / B / tannic, tough
2006 Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon Estate / B / similar to Saratoga
2007 Ramey Cabernet Sauvignon Annum / A / delightfully smooth, rich and easy drinking
2008 Robert Biale Zinfandel Monte Russo / B- / harsh menthol notes
2007 Rocca Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Grigsby Vineyard / A / very rich and lush
2007 Rocca Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Collinetta Vineyard / A- / similar, but with a lighter body
2007 Saxon Brown Pinot Noir Parmalee Hill / A- / easy, nice and soft
2007 Saxon Brown Pinot Noir Durell Vineyard / A- / very lush
2004 Saxon Brown Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley / B+ / simplistic
2007 Titus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley / A / big body, good balance
2007 Titus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve / A- / not much different, maybe thinner
2007 Villa Creek La Boda / B+ / overpowering
2007 Villa Creek Avenger / B+ / menthol and cocoa, too jammy
Extreme Margarita Close-Up
It's just as pretty under a microscope as it is in an oversized, salt-rimmed, cactus-themed cocktail glass.
What Booze Looks Like Under a Microscope
Keep hitting Next. The White Russian is super trippy...
Review: Canadian Mist Black Diamond Whisky
Canadian Mist is known as a smooth, very simple, and, above all else, extremely cheap Canadian whisky. Now the company is trying to expand, broadening its product range and upgrading its image with more premium bottlings.
Canadian Mist Black Diamond is billed -- alongside a gold-etched autograph from the distiller -- as "a richer, more robust blended Canadian whisky." Compared to standard Mist, it certainly is that, but frankly I think this is a step back.
In practice, Black Diamond gets its "robust" character from two things: The addition of what seems to be a lot more rye and corn in the mix, and an upgrade in proof level from 80 to 86 proof. Canadian Mist also says the sherry content is upgraded, but I found that altogether absent here.
Black Diamond's 36-month age statement is the same as its predecessor, and three years just isn't enough time in barrel for a mash like this. The taste is not especially rye-like but is rather overflowing with brutish corn notes, giving it a young, white dog character that is not altogether pleasant on its own. It's a fine mixer and still a bargain at $15 a bottle, but I think the original Mist is, ironically, a more polished spirit.
C / $15 / canadianmist.com
Review: Deschutes Brewery Jubelale 2010 Edition
I've still got Modelo in my fridge but the first winter beer has already arrived: Deschutes' annual Christmas brew, Jubelale.
Not to be confused with Jubel 2010 (a special, aged version of Jubelale), this year's Jubelale is as easygoing as the 2009 edition. Sweet on the tongue, it's balanced with just the right amount of bitterness (60 IBUs). Brewed with dark crystal malt, it's got distinct caramel notes, and some candied apple fruit, and hints of orange peel. Great balance and a solid, silky body, perfect for the holidays.
6.7% alcohol by volume. On sale beginning September 2010.
A / $8 per six-pack / deschutesbrewery.com
Review: Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum
More spiced rum (check out the chatter on the BlackBeard coverage here, and keep the fun going below) from the folks at Brinley, which makes some very good flavored rums.
Shipwreck hails from St. Kitts and is aged for four years before being juiced up with exotic (and unnamed) spices.
Brinley's rendition of spiced rum carries a big and flavorful kick. I love the way Shipwreck hits the palate, with sweet rum smoothed out by age and time in the barrel, plus a good shake of cinnamon, orange, woody notes, and a marshmallow-like candiness. It's not too spicy, with clear sweetness dominating.
But the joy fades as Shipwreck gets toward the finish. A funky kind of skunkiness -- that what David Wondrich reminds us is sometimes called "hogo" -- that, on its own, isn't entirely wonderful. For a spiced rum, it may just be too much wood, too much clove -- or perhaps not enough alcohol. At 72 proof it's decidedly light and maybe a touch watery.
It drowns away in Coke, but comparing Shipwreck against a more balanced spiced rum without doctoring, you'll have no trouble sussing out the superior.
B / $20 / brinleygoldrum.com
Review: ResQwater Peach and Pomegranate
Once a sweetened but otherwise unflavored hangover remedy, ResQwater now comes in flavors.
Much like, say, a bottle of Vitamin Water, the flavoring part is pretty mild, giving the new ResQwater a pale, pastel complexion. The flavoring doesn't appear to have any basis in actual fruit -- aside from "natural flavors" -- and, more importantly, the fructose sweetener from the clear version has been jettisoned in favor of sucrose (aka table sugar), giving a full 16 oz. bottle 100 calories.
The taste is somewhat improved over the original -- the pomegranate is a little tastier than the somewhat cloying peach -- and the consistency is improved. Fructose always lends a gummy texture to beverages, but here the ResQwater is smoother and more refreshing. In other words, if you find yourself stricken with a hangover, you should find the flavored version of ResQwater easier to knock down.
B / $12 for four 16-oz. bottles / resqwater.com
