Monthly Archives: April 2009

Review: Laphroaig 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

As promised, we’re back with another ridiculously expensive, very rare Scotch whisky — Laphroaig’s 25-year-old limited edition, weighing in at $500 even.

I have to say, I’ve always wondered what old Laphroaig would taste like, and my curiosity is now sated: It’s amazing.

With this 25-year Islay whisky, all that harsh, oil-fire phenol that’s part of the classic Laphroaig portfolio is mellowed out, leaving behind a more modest peat-fueled smokiness and a far more impressive sense of balance than any of the other Laphroaigs, 15 years old and younger.

The way this 25-year combines the smoke with the sweet — a sherry, citrus sweetness laced with honey — is really quite impressive, and one gets the sense that Laphroaig 25 came out of the cask at just the right time.

At 102.4 proof, I was expecting some heat, but not as much as the spirit displayed. This is a damn hot whisky, and while I had no trouble sipping the 30-year Ardmore (at 114 proof) on its own, Laphroaig 25 absolutely needs water to become enjoyable.

While $500 is a lot to swallow, this is definitely my favorite Laphroaig expression I’ve tasted to date.

A- / $500 / laphroaig.com

laphroaig 25 year Review: Laphroaig 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Review: Big Sky Brewing Co. Montana Trout Slayer Ale

Posted on April 9, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

montana trout slayer ale Review: Big Sky Brewing Co. Montana Trout Slayer AleDoes one really “slay” a trout? I’m not much of a fisherman (and it turns out “Trout Slayer” has a long history which I’m not going to begin to go into), but this is indeed as close to a “gone fishin’” brew as I can fathom.

It’s a very light wheat ale, starting out with a nice level of bitterness and then fading into a sweet, apple-like character. It’s not particularly wheat-like, but it’s there if you look for it. Very smooth and clean, this beer may not overwhelm you with complexity, but, hey, you’ve got fish to concentrate on.

B+ / $9 per six-pack / bigskybrew.com

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Posted in Beer, Rated B+, Reviews

Review: 2007 High Note Malbec

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Judging by the amount of malbec that rolls in here, it really is the fastest growing wine varietal in the U.S. Oftentimes, malbec is weedy, green, and super-tannic, but sometimes a really nice bottle rolls around, like High Note’s 2007, which also happens to bear a rock-bottom price

This Argentinian wine from Mendoza is lightly tannic while being impressively lush and rounded, lightly herbal,and backed up with plenty of purple fruit. Not overly complicated, it’s an easy-drinking wine with a very mild finish. Works well on its own but is even better with food.

Best of all is the retail price: 13 bucks. Hunt around a bit and you’ll find it as cheap is $9. That’s a tough bargain to beat.

B+ / $13 / highnotewine.com

2007 high note malbec1 Review: 2007 High Note Malbec

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

Review: Ardmore 30 Year Old Scotch Whisky

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

It’s not every day a $450 Scotch lands on the doorstep. Today we got two (though Laphroaig’s 25 Year Old, to be reviewed tomorrow, is actually $500).

Ardmore’s 30-year Highland (Speyside) Scotch (I believe there’s only been one other 30-year-old Ardmore released to date) is an amazing treat. Here we have everything malt whisky should be: Smooth sweetness filled with aromatic honey, oranges, butterscotch, and pronounced malt notes. The peat notes, absent in the initial impression, sneak up on you as the finish comes on strong, like the smell wafting from a chimney around the corner when you first step outside. Very long.

The nose is less pronounced than you’d expect, but that’s barely a notch off this stellar Scotch.

Grab it fast. Only 1,428 bottles are being produced.

107.4 proof (revised).

A / $450 / ardmorewhisky.com

Ardmore 30 years old Review: Ardmore 30 Year Old Scotch Whisky

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Posted in Rated A, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Review: Dumante Verdenoce Pistachio Liqueur

Posted on April 7, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Now is not a good time for the pistachio, what with the salmonella and the recall and such.

But pistachio lovers can still get their fix — in alcoholic liquid form — thanks to Dumante Verdenoce, an intriguing and quite addictive new liqueur.

Dumante is a sweet nut liqueur in the vein of Frangelico or Amaretto. But it’s clearly the result of serious attention to detail, a naturally-infused spirit hailing from Italy that is surprisingly delicate but full of pistachio flavor. As with any liqueur, it’s quite sugary, but not cloying, offering dessert-like notes of butterscotch and creme brulee alongside its nutty center. (In addition to pistachio, it’s flavored with five different kinds of vanilla.)

Even the decanter is unique — uniquely shaped and etched on the back with a classic epicurean design. My only complaint: The squat design makes pouring Dumante more difficult than I’d prefer.

While nut liqueurs are nothing new — I’m fond of Nocello Walnut Liqueur of late — Dumante is unique, offers a strong taste of its signature ingredient, and merits a spot in any dessert-drink fan’s bar.

56 proof.

A- / $38 / dumante.com

dumante verdenoce pistachio liqueur Review: Dumante Verdenoce Pistachio Liqueur

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Reviews

Review: Koruna Absinthe

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Christopher Null| 48 Comments

I pity the bartender that sells both Koruna and Corona, but after a glass or two of this top-notch absinthe, I expect the drinker won’t have much of a problem making his requests known.

Koruna, a “bohemian absinth” — using the alternate spelling — from the Czech Republic, makes its intentions well-known from the label, which bears a fierce gargoyle and a 146-proof notice staring out at you. Immediately you’ll notice two things about Koruna: It’s very pale in color, a light greenish-yellow, lighter even than yellow Chartreuse, and it has a good layer of solid sediment at the bottom of the bottle. That sediment is some of the wormwood and herbs used in the preparation of the spirit, and while it doesn’t likely do much for the flavor, it really gives this absinthe a unique look. It’s a gimmick, for sure, but as gimmicks go (and these days, every new spirit has one) it’s not a bad one.

Koruna (the name comes from the term for Czech currency) is made with all-natural ingredients and no artificial colors. The spirit base is distilled, surprisingly, from molasses — which I guess technically makes this a sort of flavored rum.

Sure enough, Koruna is rum-sweet (and quite pleasant), both straight (only try that once, seriously) and in the traditional preparation with sugar and cold water. The herbal character here is very sedate compared to most absinthes, with a comparably mild licorice note, backed by some slightly bitter orange peel character. For something with herbs in the bottle and 73% alcohol, the easygoing nature came as a bit of a surprise.

One other note: It’s not a blanche absinthe (and though it’s light, it’s not totally transparent) either. In fact, in one way it doesn’t behave like absinthe at all: Koruna does not louche, and with water added it looks a lot like a glass of sauvignon blanc. (I believe this is because of the way the herbs are utilized in large pieces instead of being mashed during the production process, so particles do not suspend in the liquid after water is added.) Whether that detracts from the absinthe “experience” is a question better left to the individual, but I found it a little surprising and disconcerting. Either way, considering the alcohol content and smoothness of this absinthe, tread with caution.

A- / $79 / admiralimports.com

koruna absinthe Review: Koruna Absinthe

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Posted in Absinthe, Rated A-, Recipes, Reviews

Tasting Report: Honig Vineyard & Winery

Posted on April 6, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Spent a lovely couple of hours at Honig Vineyard & Winery yesterday, where we toured the estate and heard about how the company approaches winemaking from a sustainability standpoint.

Everything at Honig is powered by its solar panel array, which sits right amidst the vines behind the tasting room, cellars, and production building. And while Honig isn’t organic or biodynamic (an arcane art involving working the land according to the phases of the moon — and burying a ram’s horn in a corner of the vineyard — which the guys at Honig were a tiny bit skeptical about but felt “there might be something to it”) they do a lot to cut their carbon footprint.

It translates into pretty good wine: I enjoyed the full lineup, with the exception of an oaked Sauvignon Blanc, which was kind of like Chardonnay Lite to me. Favorites: Head to head Cabernet Sauvignons — a bold 2005 and a lighter 2003, both expressive with Napa Valley character but seductively different.

Notes follow.

Honig Vineyard Complete Ratings

2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley / $14.00 / B+
2007 Honig Sauvignon Blanc Rutherford / $25.00 / B-
2006 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley / $40.00 / B+
2005 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyard / $75.00 / A-
2003 Honig Cabernet Sauvignon Bartolucci Vineyard / NA / A-
2007 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc / $55.00 / B+

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Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: Michael Collins Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

We’ve looked at Michael Collins’ blended Irish before, and now we turn our attention to the distillery’s single malt, presumably a higher class of spirit and one which is winning lots of awards these days in spirits competitions.

On first blush, I found Collins’ single malt hotter than expected, with a distinct alcohol kick at first sip. Drinking it in, you’ll find serious malt the primary characteristic here, backed up with orange and sweet honey notes. Unlike most Irish whiskey, this one uses barley dried over peat smoke fires, giving it a lightly smoky touch, though it’s not really in the forefront of the whiskey. It’s quite a different experience than the blend, which is more stereotypically “Irish” in its composition.

Still, on the whole, this single malt is not overly complicated, despite being aged eight to 12 years in oak, though it’s nonetheless easily drinkable once you get past that initial blast of heat.

80 proof.

B+ / $40 / michaelcollinswhiskey.com

michael collins single malt irish whiskey large Review: Michael Collins Single Malt Irish Whiskey

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Jones Soda GABA Lineup

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

The ever-innovating soda engineers at Jones have just put out a new line of four new beverages: Combinations of brewed tea and juice, not carbonated, and sweetened with cane sugar and natural flavors. The sell: All of the varieties include GABA, or Gamma Amino Butyric Acid, a “smart drug” neurotransmitter said to “improve mental focus, balance, and clarity, while reducing stress.”

Four varieties are available, all in 12-oz. “skinny” cans. Some thoughts on each of the quartet (pictured below in the order reviewed here). Don’t forget to shake well!

Fuji Apple – Very full of lightly tart apple flavor, like a fresh granny smith, not like the Mott’s you give the kids. Tea doesn’t come through on this one much at all, but that’s not really a criticism. I could see this mixing quite well in a cocktail. A-

Lemon Honey – This one doesn’t actually have a juice component, just tea. It’s very refreshing — very restrained on the lemon — and the tea flavor comes through well. It’s the closest in the lineup to a bottled tea, but not overly sweet or cloying. I like it a lot. This one’s 90 calories; the others are 80 cals. A

Nectarine – There’s a nice blend of juice and tea character here, but the orange nectarine notes aren’t as pronounced as, say, with the Fuji apple. Totally drinkable, but not my favorite of the bunch. B+

Grapefruit – The weakest of the bunch. I like grapefruit, but grapefruit and tea aren’t much of a combination, it turns out. As with the nectarine, the grapefruit flavor needs a little more punch. Again, drinkable, though. B

Now with four of these in me, what about that talk of the mental focus and de-stressing effects? To be honest, I feel pretty good, and reasonably sharp, but I would expect that on noon on a Friday anyway. Definitely not sluggish, despite not having any caffeine all day. One thing’s for sure though, after four cans of juice and tea I feel, how can I put it, extremely hydrated.

about $3 per 12-oz. can /jonesgaba.com

jones gaba lineup Review: Jones Soda GABA Lineup

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Posted in Mixers, Rated A, Rated A-, Rated B, Rated B+, Reviews

Zork’s New Wine Closure

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

For a generation of us, “Zork” is one of the essential video game titles of all time: A text-based adventure game that some might say is responsible for really getting computer games off the ground, however primitive the game may be by today’s standards.

Now “Zork” takes on a new meaning: It’s a rubberized wine closure, a play on words (I suppose) on “zero cork.”

The stopper is all plastic, and removing it initially means peeling off the strip around the base of the stopper (see the video below for a better example), then pulling the remaining piece of the stopper from the bottle. I tried a couple of these installed on sample bottles and found it worked reasonably well (and was sort-of fun), though it can sometimes be tough to pry the actual stopper out (they make it look a lot easier on the video).

Available in myriad colors, watch out for Zork as an alternative to screwcaps and other non-cork stoppers.

zorkusa.com

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Posted in Wine