Monthly Archives: April 2009

Tasting Report: Spanish Wine Cellar & Pantry, April 22, 2009

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

You’re not going to like what I’m about to tell you, but it has to be done. Yes, you can eat too much Serrano ham. I stuffed my face with the nutty, rich, fat-filled pork product that’s only now legally trickling its way onto our shores, and man is it good. Aged up to three years, God bless Monte Nevado for bringing so much of the stuff to yesterday’s Spanish wine and food event. And shame on me for being such a glutton with it. Oh the humanity…

Pig aside, yesterday I had the opportunity to sample numeous wines from all over Spain, where there are 23 legally-defined winemaking areas and four more generally used (but not legally outlined) regions. None of the wines reviewed below are available at retail in the U.S. yet (the event was, in part, designed for wineries to pitch their wares to importers), and prices noted are from the cellar (so figure a 100 to 250% markup if they do make it to a wine shop near you).

Quality is, as expected, all over the map, but one favorite stood out: the 2004 Bodegas Vallemayor Vina Cerradilla, a 95% tempranillo wine from Rioja, rich and earthy after 18 months in French oak, but balanced with some solid fruit character.

I also enjoyed a curious spirit from Bodegas Verum (not included in the table below), a 70-proof grappa-like spirit just called “Verum” that’s made with the full fruit of various varietals of grapes. I tried the gewurztraminer variety and found it an interesting product that landed somewhere between grappa and wine — not sweet, but not overwhelmingly alcoholic either. Very curious, and I’d love to see what happens with it here in general release.

Full ratings of 18 wines follow.

Spanish Wine Cellar 2009 Full Tasting Report

2006 Venta La Ossa La Mancha / $11.66 / B
2006 Bodegas 1102 Pinturas Crianza Rioja / $10.22 / B-
2004 David Moreno Vobiscum Rioja / $16.38 / A-
2003 Bodegas Fin de Siglo Ribaguda Cepas Viejas Reserva / $10.28 / A-
2004 Bodegas Fin de Siglo Ribaguda Cepas Viejas / N/A / B+
2005 Bodegas Frontaura Dominio de Valdelacasa Cosecha / $15.72 / B+
2007 Bodegas La Emperatriz Garnacha Old Vines / $16.38 / A-
2006 Bodegas La Emperatriz Terruno / $12.45 / B
2001 Bodegas Penafiel Miros de Ribera Reserva / $16.70 / B-
2004 Bodegas Vallemayor Vina Cerradilla / $11.33 / A
2005 Bodegas y Vinedos de Gomez Cruzado Rioja / $10.48 / B+
2005 Bodegas y Vinedos de Gomez Cruzado Honorable / $15.72 / B
2006 Bodegas Verum Gran Cuerva / $11.27 / B
2005 Casa Gran del Siurana Gran Cruor / $22.48 / B
2005 Casa Gran del Siurana Cruor / $10.90 / A-
2006 Cortijo Los Aguilares Tadeo / $18.86 / B
2007 Cortijo Los Aguilares Pinot Noir / $15.20 / B
2006 Matsu Bodga y Vinedos Ecologicos Matsu / $16.96 / A-

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Talking Whiskey with Maker’s Mark’s Rob Samuels

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Christopher Null| 5 Comments

Rob Samuels has bourbon in his blood. He better: He’s an eighth-generation whiskeymaker and the heir to the Maker’s Mark throne, where is father Bill Samuels Jr. serves as President and where Rob spends his days criss-crossing the country, spreading the gospel of Maker’s Mark.

Samuels gave me the full court press about his company’s product, and he has every reason to be proud: It’s perhaps the most labor-intensive, mass-produced whiskey in America, and the process includes barrels rotated in the warehouse, bottled, and dipped in wax — all by hand. Even the labels on the bottles are individually ripped, not done by a machine. Maker’s is also the largest brand whiskey in the world to draw all its water from a natural source: In this case, a 10-acre lake behind the distillery.

The proof is in the pudding, as Maker’s really is the smooth, light, and moderately sweet bourbon it claims to be, and it achieves the goals the distillery set out to do in 1953 — to temper the typical harshness and bitterness of bourbons of the day and create something more approachable and easy-drinking.

A highlight of my day with Samuels was a guided tasting through whiskey at various ages: Straight from the still (the clear spirit you see in the photo below), under-aged (for two years), at standard bottle age (averaging 6 1/2 years), and over-aged. Tasting raw, day-old bourbon was quite an experience, filled with chewy corn character and an unmistakable funk. Things settle down after two years, though the spirit is still sour and retains that clear corn character. I was actually a little partial to the over-aged Maker’s Mark, which has some wonderful woodiness, though it does bring on a bitter character after too long in the cask. In the end, Maker’s is just about right when it is finally deemed ready by its panel of 15 tasters (fun fact: nine of whom are women).

Thanks to Rob and Maker’s Mark for a fun and educational day in blisteringly hot San Francisco.

makersmark.com

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Posted in Bourbon, Whiskey

Review: Fireman’s Brew – Three Beers

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

What is it about firemen and beer? Hmmm, makes sense, I guess: When I get merely warm I reach for a brew. One can only imagine what actually being in a fire might do to one’s thirst for a beer.

Fireman’s Brew comes out of Los Angeles, a microbrew crafted by two active-duty firemen who figured they’d brew their own while knocking out a brushfire in Glendale.

We got our hands on the entire line, which is currently available mainly in southern California.

Fireman’s Brew Blonde – A very crisp pilsner, reminiscent of a Mexican beer but with more of a creamy body to it. A subtle vanilla character makes this more interesting than you’d expect, but it’s very refreshing whether you go analyzing it or not. 5% alcohol by volume. A

Fireman’s Brew Redhead – Surprisingly light for an amber ale, it’s got a fun cocoa body with a little bit of caramel on the finish. Mildly bitter, it’s got enough complexity to be interesting and has enough that’s different about it to merit a second look. 5.5% alcohol. B+

Fireman’s Brew Brewnette – Catching a theme here? A big, hefty doppelbock, with rich dark cocoa notes and a load of alcohol. Surprisingly easy-drinking, but I wanted a little more than Dutch process cocoa powder out of it. 10.8% alcohol (yikes). B

$9 per six-pack / firemansbrew.com

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Posted in Beer, Rated A, Rated B, Rated B+, Reviews

Review: Agave Loco Pepper Cured Tequila

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

The story goes that master distiller Tom Maas and his crew found that, in the old days, some enterprising people in Mexico were preserving peppers not in vinegar but in tequila. And rather than simply eating the deliciously tequila-flavored peppers, someone had the idea to try to do it the other way around: Use the peppers to flavor the tequila.

This isn’t the first peppered tequila I’ve tried, but it’s certainly the first 100% agave version: Agave Loco is 100% agave and reposado to boot. It was unheard-of until recently that anyone would “waste” 100% blue agave spirit on something that would then be “destroyed” with an additive like peppers.

Don’t tell Maas that: He puts six kinds of peppers (their identities all secret) into his reposado, and the peppers each soak for three days to two weeks before being removed. They leave behind a load of pepper taste — and also a curious haze, which Maas refuses to filter out, saying “haze equals flavor.”

Agave Loco is nothing like the killer fire-breather that Tabasco’s pepper tequila is, but they don’t exactly call it “Loco” because it’s subtle. The aroma is unmistakable, but the initial taste is surprisingly very mild. The pepper flavor comes on strong after that, but the finish fades quite quickly, leaving you with a clean palate and a strong thirst — either for water or for more tequila.

I have no idea how you’d pick out which six varieties of peppers are in this mix by taste alone, but the specific flavor I get is of those little green tabasco peppers that come packed in vinegar (aka “sport peppers”) and are a fixture in diners across the south. I don’t see them much any more, but the taste of Agave Loco made the memory of that flavor come rushing back at me like a chicken fried steak to the face. Yeah, agave is also in there, but it’s significantly in the distance. You can even catch wood, too, but while you’re busy trying to pick out those flavors, the pepper creeps up on you and wipes everything else out of your head.

Agave Loco is best in moderation — it really builds up as you sip through a shot — but I’m already thinking of ways to use the stuff in more complicated cocktails. Best idea I’ve heard comes from Agave Loco itself: As an ingredient in an “adults only” guacamole.

71.1 proof.

B+ / $30 / agaveloco.com

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Tequila

Review: Smirnoff Melon and Pomegranate Vodkas

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

On a broiling spring day in San Francisco we turn our attention to these two new flavors from Smirnoff (which now brings the number of flavored Smirnoff bottlings to a whopping 15), both of which are excellent choices for warm-weather cocktails, which usually involve lots of ice, fruit, and/or a refreshing mixer like lemonade. Both are 70 proof and uncolored/clear.

Smirnoff Melon Vodka – Really quite striking, a combination of cantaloupe and honeydew infused into Smirnoff vodka with amazing results. It’s really like biting into a fresh, ripe melon, sweet and full of the characteristic flavor of honeydew/cantaloupe (who can really tell the difference?). I tried this against the only other melon-flavored vodka I had on hand — Skyy Melon (a surprising number are on the market; though Skyy Melon is no longer in production) — and the Smirnoff was the clear winner here. The Skyy came across as bitter and dull, a pale imitation of a real melon, whereas the Smirnoff was a recreation of the fruit almost too good to be true. Now if only I liked the taste of melons more than I do… A / $15

Smirnoff Pomegranate Vodka – Not nearly the achievement that Smirnoff Melon is, but still drinkable, with some of that ubiquitous bitterness that comes along with so many fruit-flavored vodkas — though not too much. Unblended pomegranate is notoriously tart, and Smirnoff makes the right move with this blend, adding to the mix “citrus, apples and honey, with a hint of the delicate Chinese Osmanthus flower.” Osmanthus flower? Hey, whatever works! The result is more akin to a cherry vodka than I’d prefer, but there are touches of pomegranate here — and lots of orange, too. Not bad. Not bad. B+ / $15

smirnoff.com

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Posted in Flavored Vodka, Rated A, Rated B+, Reviews, Vodka

Review: Jose Cuervo Especial Plata Tequila

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Cuervo’s latest doesn’t stray far from its profitable core: Jose Cuervo Especial is a mixto tequila (meaning it’s over half blue agave and the rest neutral grain spirits) and unaged.

The results should surprise no one: Especial is a crystal clear and clean spirit, (it’s also known as simply “Cuervo Silver,” although it doesn’t actually say “Silver” on the primary label), an extension of Cuervo’s amazingly successful “Cuervo Gold” line, currently the world’s best-selling tequila.

Complicating matters is the prior existance of a tequila already known as Cuervo Silver — Jose Cuervo Clasico, a very inexpensive mixto which is a fixture at any liquor store alongside Cuervo Gold. I’m not sure if it will be discontinued as the new Especial Plata/Silver rolls out, but be aware that both bottles are likely to be on shelves together for the forseeable future. (For many, the big difference will be price: Clasico runs about $13, Especial Plata about $18.)

As far as the taste, the new Cuervo Silver is nothing remarkable, but it’s honestly not bad. It’s got a healthy slug of agave on the nose and on the palate, a little charcoal, and a touch of veggie character, but it’s all very mild, with a short and clean finish and just a modicum of the heat you normally get from cheaper mixto tequilas. It’s overall quite a straightforward spirit and I expect the masses will drink it up without complaint, 100% agave or no.

The price is, however, something of a puzzle. At 18 bucks you can find plenty of 100% agave tequilas on the market in this neighborhood: 1800 Silver can be found for $22. Even Cuervo’s own Tradicional bottling — 100% agave and aged at that — is $22 and even less if you catch a sale. Maybe Especial will end up settling in at lower prices than it’s currently slated for, but for four more bucks, upgrading to a pure agave tequila makes more sense than I can argue with.

80 proof.

B- / $18 / cuervo.com

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Posted in Rated B-, Reviews, Tequila

Three Words: Japanese Ice Balls.

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

We’ve covered ice before, but it’s never looked like this.

Check it out: With these unique molds, you can make enormous, completely spherical balls of ice, pattered after the hand-carved ice balls that apprentice bartenders in Japan are forced to create.

With these special ice trays, you don’t need a chisel to create the orbs. Just fill up the bottom part of the mold with water, put the top half of the mold on it, then use a thin stream of water to fill the mold the rest of the way. That’s a tricky proposition, actually — and water gets all over the place during the fill process — but after all the work to get these things made (and, another challenge, out of the mold) the results are quite striking.

You probably won’t make these ice balls every day, but if you’re trying to make a special impression with a cocktail, it’s worth the effort.

The price, alas, is a little nutty for a couple of little pieces of plastic: 16 bucks gets you a set of two (enough for four ice balls).

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Posted in Barware, Japanese Whisky

Review: Ron Abuelo 12 Anos

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

12 years is a lot to ask for a rum. Well, some rums handle that kind of time without complaint. Some end up begging for mercy.

When last we visited Ron Abuelo I was gushing over the Panamanian rum company’s seven-year old expression, and I stand by that. Tasting it fresh today, it’s still delicious, chocolatey, with a touch of Christmas spice, very nice on its own or as a mixer.

Abuelo’s 12 year is a considerably different animal. Quite a bit darker than the 7, this is a much richer and more full-bodied rum. That richness, though, comes in the form of a whole lot of wood, giving Abuelo 12 Anos an intense smokiness that dominates the drink.

Abuelo 12 demands ice — it’s too hot to drink without cooling its jets and watering it down a touch — and after that its charms become more apparent. But that smokiness and a greenish character still controls the body, even if it dominates the rum’s natural sweetness somewhat less on the rocks that it does when consumed neat. I like the 12 quite nicely, but the 7 is marginally more satisfying.

80 proof.

B+ / $35 / varelahermanos.com

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Rum

Zuvo: The Water Purifier from the Future!

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

By now everyone knows how terrible bottled water is, environmentally speaking, churning out 18 godzillion pounds of trashed plastic bottles and belching 430 quadrazillion tons of greenhouse gas into the air as bottles are shipped around the world.

But what if your tap water tastes like crap? Then what are you supposed to do?

Purifiers are great, but a lot of times they don’t work so well. I have the luxury of having tap water that tastes pretty good as it is, but the built-in purifier in my fridge actually makes the water taste like onions. Yeah, it’s cold, but jeez. Onions!

Enter Zuvo. This filter sits on the countertop and attaches directly to the faucet. Setup takes just minutes, provided you have a wrench handy and a plug, as the Zuvo requires AC power to operate.

Zuvo cleans water in several ways: with ozone (purportedly an oxidant that destroys contaminants without chemical residue), with ultraviolet light (water is exposed to UV twice during the purification process), and with a standard activated carbon filter. It’s actually pretty cool to watch: When powered on (by pulling the spigot on the faucet) the UV lamp lights up the transparent filter, which swirls the water around like a vortex. The kids really dig it.

So, how’s it taste? After setting up Zuvo and clearing it out for five minutes to let the charcoal settle, I can safely say the water that comes out of Zuvo tastes like nothing. Totally clear, totally pleasant — though the water that sits in the filter (about the size of one of those drive-through bank tube cylinders) hits room temperature after a while — you’ll need ice or have to let it run if you want your water chilled. Now my water doesn’t taste like much to begin with, but there is a very slight chlorine character in the standard tap water that Zuvo successfully wiped out. I expect if your water tastes worse, you’ll get even better mileage out of the unit.

Zuvo isn’t cheap — $275 — but over time it’s far more affordable than drinking bottled water. Definitely worth a look — this is a better alternative, in my opinion, than pitcher filters, which are a pain to fill and clean and which take up gobs of fridge space — and which don’t end up with water that tastes as clean as Zuvo’s. Give it a shot!

zuvowater.com – or buy Zuvo at Amazon.com

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Posted in Barware, Mixers, Reviews

Review: Warre’s Otima 10 Year and 20 Year Tawny Port

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Eschewing traditional design — those white-stenciled bottles look cool but they’re certainly not “modern” — for a more contemporary approach, Warre’s Otima line aims to “change the perception of Port” through new packaging. What’s inside the bottles is different too, a tawny Port with a lighter structure that Warre positions as good for drinking any time, not just after ingesting 20 ounces of prime rib. (Warre’s even suggests drinking them chilled!)

Here’s how the two Otima bottlings — both sold in sleek 500ml decanters — stack up.

Warre’s Otima 10 Year Tawny Port – Really light in color; to the casual eye you’d might think it was table wine, not Port. The taste is, for the most part, classic tawny, with a strong cherry kick and a moderate finish. Certainly lighter in body than many tawnies I’ve tried, but not overwhelmingly so. Not sure I’d drink it before dinner, but it does make for a nice digestif. A- / $22 (500ml)

Warre’s Otima 20 Year Tawny Port – Color is noticeably darker here but still not too deep. Much more tart and slightly sweeter than the 10 Year, almost like the 10′s sweet cherries have turned sour. Drinkable, but actually not as outright pleasant as its younger brother. B / $35 (500ml)

warre.com/otima