Monthly Archives: July 2010

Review: Berkshire Mountain Distillers Spirits

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Hailing from Sheffield, Massachusetts, Berkshire Mountain Distillers is a new (est. 2007) boutique distillery that makes a ragtag assembly of vodka, gin, and rum. Primarily available in the Northeast, we tasted through the company’s current lineup, with one exception (we’ll get to that later).

Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ice Glen Vodka is distilled from unknown materials, and is blended with water sourced directly from the Berkshire Mountain property, and finally charcoal filtered. The result is a surprisingly plain vodka. Though the body is buttery and rich, there’s only a minimal amount of flavor here. The primary taste is merely watery. It isn’t until the finish that some of vodka’s more traditional, medicinal notes start to come on, and linger they do for quite a while. This is an acceptable vodka but a hard sell at this price. 80 proof. B- / $30

Berkshire Mountain Distillers Greylock Gin is more unique, flavoring its spirit with juniper, coriander, angelica, orris root, orange peel, licorice, and cinnamon. Intensely aromatic, the juniper is a bomb on the palate of this London Dry style gin, with citrus the secondary note. Licorice is curious — and quite a delight — in the finish. This is a gin that feels quite versatile, though it does pack a wallop in the flavor department. 80 proof. A- / $30

Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin Limited Edition Batch No. 1 is exactly what it claims to be, a limited edition gin with unique flavoring agents. In this case, it has all the ingredients of Greylock, plus lemon, cubeb (grain of paradise), black pepper, elderberry, spearmint, rose hips, and nutmeg. As you might expect, it’s even more powerful than Greylock, and the mint and lemon shine through clearly. The finish turns a tad bittersweet, though. Perhaps this gin is just too busy? There’s already a Batch No. 2 (pink label) on the market as well, with a different recipe. 86 proof. B+ / $40

Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ragged Mountain Rum is the only brown spirit in this lineup, a pot-distilled and barrel-aged (for undetermined time) rum from Blackstrap molasses. The nose is distinctly earthy, not sweet, and the body backs that up — not wood, but the earth proper. Crafted as a sipping rum, I didn’t get the joy of drinking rum out of Ragged Mountain that I do with sweeter, aged styles, instead finding myself thinking this rum would work better in a simple mixed drink. B- / $30

berkshiremountaindistillers.com

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Posted in Gin, Rated A-, Rated B+, Rated B-, Reviews, Rum, Vodka

Tasting Helfrich Alsatian Wines with Anne-Laure Helfrich

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Anne-Laure Helfrich isn’t your typical European winemaker. At 23 years old, she’s probably the youngest person I’ve ever encountered in this business, yet she’s known the wine trade all her life. A third generation beverage-maker (grandpa started with Kirsch and dad moved the family into wine), Helfrich spends much of her time on the road, spreading the news about her family’s brand of wines from France’s Alsace region. I had the good fortune to taste six of Helfrich’s wines over dinner at San Francisco’s Bar Tartine.

Thoughts on the full lineup — three table wines, three grand crus — follow.

2009 Helfrich Riesling Alsace / $15 / B / made in a very dry style, malty and easy

2009 Helfrich Pinot Gris Alsace / $15 / B+ / retains a salmon color from contact with grape skins, left with a strawberry character and slight residual sugar, moderate body, very drinkable

2009 Helfrich Gewurztraminer Alsace / $15 / B / typical Gewurz style, with a rough palate; finish offers melon with floral touches, somewhat restrained

2007 Helfrich Steinklotz Riesling Grand Cru Alsace / $25 / B+ / tart

2008 Helfrich Steinklotz Pinot Gris Grand Cru Alsace / $25 / A- / more balanced than the standard bottling, good sweetness level, peach notes

2008 Helfrich Steinklotz Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Alsace / $25 / B+ / fuller body, but similar to the standard bottling

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

Review: Harlem Kruiden Liqueur

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

A new liqueur called Harlem is making a splash in the cocktail scene, its goal nothing less than knocking Jagermeister off its precious perch at the top of the “grimace and swallow” shot category.

That’s an awfully tall order: Jager has 70 years of history and sick college students behind it, all unabashedly downing ice cold shots and Jagerbombs as if their lives depended on it.

Similarities — squared off bottle, dark color, herbal aroma, bittersweet flavor, and syrupy consistency — aside, Harlem is a quite different experience than Jagermeister.

It’s darker in color — a deep brown vs. Jager’s red-hued ochre, and it’s stronger in alcohol, 80 proof to Jager’s 70. The body is different too, more sweet and less bitter, with a flavor that tastes of root beer and orange peel. Though Harlem looks ominous, the finish is smooth, with light bitterness that is more pleasant than the grimace-inducing finish that Jager invariably leaves on your face.

Meant to be consumed straight from the freezer, I’ve tried it both cold and at room temperature, and it’s actually acceptable both ways, though superior when it comes out of the icebox.

Harlem hails from the Netherlands, by the way, hence the name — it’s not (in theory, anyway) a reference to the Manhattan neighborhood.

For an even more root beer-toned liqueur, check out Root.

A- / $23 / harlemshots.com

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Reviews

Review: Smirnoff Peach and Mango Vodka

Posted on July 20, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Smirnoff keeps cranking out the flavored vodkas, its two latest being the exotic mango and the humble peach. Both are 70 proof bottlings and are naturally flavored.

Smirnoff Peach Vodka – Peach is a common fruit, but it’s not often used in spirits (perhaps due to its legacy with SoCo?). As a vodka flavoring, it works fairly well, exuding strong, fresh peach aromas, lots of sweetness, and no bite at all. I can’t see this being used in anything other than ultra-fruity cocktails, but if you’ve got the right recipe, it’s probably on target. B+

Smirnoff Mango Vodka – Mango spirits are relatively common nowadays, and Smirnoff’s rendition is not the best of the bunch. Yes, mango comes through on the palate, but it’s got a medicinal edge and a harsh finish that belies its proof level. Passable, but little more. B-

$17 each / smirnoff.com

moz screenshot Review: Smirnoff Peach and Mango Vodka

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

Review: 2008 Frescobaldi Tenuta di Castiglioni Toscana

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

This is something you don’t often see in Italian wine: A rich and supple wine that’s fruit forward, full not with over-ripe fruit but with a deep and nuanced melange of fresh berries and dried citrus — or perhaps fresh citrus and dried berries, I’m not entirely sure.

Marchesi de’Frescobaldi’s Tenuta di Castiglioni, from Chianti in central Tuscany, is a rare wine that works as well with food as it does on its own, rich with plums and berries, and laced with black pepper and a touch of cinnamon. The blend is unusual: Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (30%), Sangiovese (10%), and Cabernet Franc (10%). The result: Outstanding for a wine that retails at a mere 25 bucks.

A / $25 / frescobaldi.it

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Posted in Rated A, Reviews, Wine

Review: Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Knappogue Castle has long shunned traditional age statements, instead vintage dating its whiskey with a year instead of telling you how long it’s been sitting around.

That is changing, as Knappogue is finally moving from vintages to age, in order, as the company says, to better communicate to the customer how old these whiskeys are. After all, “1998″ could mean a whiskey that is 2 or 12 years old, depending on when it went into the bottle.

Knappogue 12 Year Old Single Malt is the first product under the new rules, and it’s a winner. The nose is strong and heady, belying the light yellow color that all Knappogue tends to have. The body is rich with malted grain, almost woody, with nutty caramel notes, before fading into a lightly flowery character with a touch of citrus on it. Some smokiness seeps in on the finale, which is otherwise clean and refreshing.

80 proof.

A- / $42 / knappoguewhiskey.com

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Posted in Irish Whiskey, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Vision Vodka

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This boutique vodka comes from a curious pedigree: It’s the brainchild of awards designers, the team that created the Golden Globe statuette and the MTV Video Music Award.

What do they know about vodka? Nothing, really, but it turns out the spirit they’ve come up with — produced in small batches at the rate of 12,000 bottles per day, max — isn’t bad at all.

Distilled from grain in the United States, it’s a surprisingly smooth vodka for a grain-based spirit, with a distinct caramel-like sweetness. Some of that traditional, medicinal vodka character can be found on the nose, but it’s mostly absent in the body. The finish offers some herbs, perhaps lemon peel, too.

Then there’s the bottle, which is not quite a Golden Globe but is certainly handsome. In my opinion, though, it’s an honor just to be nominated.

80 proof.

A- / $25 / visionvodka.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Vodka

Review: Camus Cognac Lineup

Posted on July 18, 2010 by Christopher Null| 4 Comments

You have certainly never heard of Camus cognac. But what if I were to tell you it was a major worldwide brand, the fifth largest cognac house on the globe — with its major markets Asia and Eastern Europe.

Now Camus is coming to America at last, with retail in 15 states and more to come. Fifth-generation distiller Cyril Camus came to town this week to show off his wares, of which he is justly proud. I sampled them over lunch and again on my own at a later date.

The house style is evident in these spirits — light, fruity, and with minimal oak influence. In fact, Camus never uses new oak barrels to age its brandies, only well-aged ones that have lost a lot of their tannin. The result is more easy-drinking, less harsh cognac than you might be used to, even in the youngest bottlings.

If you’re a brandy lover, seek out a bottle of Camus as soon as you catch it on the shelf.

All spirits are 80 proof.

Camus VS is a very light cognac — Cyril says it is traditional to serve it on the rocks, and I’ve tried it both chilled and straight. Very simple, it expresses notes of butterscotch and fresh citrus fruit, with a light body. Smooth, with virtually no bite. An amazing bargain. A- / $25

Camus VSOP spends longer in cask, but sticks to the house style almost exactly. This is Camus’s best-selling cognac, equally light in flavor but a touch darker in color. Very similar to the VS, it’s difficult to tell apart, but a touch of wood in the finish gives it a somewhat different character. I think I prefer the VS’s fruitiness at the low end. B+ / $45

Camus XO Elegance moves up the ladder but continues to hang on to the Camus style, with fruit and sweetness up front. A touch more wood here adds balance vs. the VSOP, with the overall refinement of the spirit reaching a solid and sophisticated level. More dried fruit character in the body, but it’s still light enough (and affordable enough) to merit everday sampling. A- / $120

Camus XO Borderies is the world’s only nonvintage single estate cognac, using grapes exclusively from Camus’s vineyards located in the Borderies growing region in Cognac. The body here is wholly different from the other three cognacs in the portfolio, with a far more intense sweetness, a silky texture, and another step darker in color. Here the fruit takes on an orange peel character, and the finish exudes flowers. The quality here is remarkable for the price. A special cognac indeed. A / $140

camus.fr

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Posted in Brandy, Cognac, Rated A, Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews

Review: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon 2010 Edition

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Four Roses is back with another Small Batch release, of which a mere 3,600 bottles will be made and commemorating the 100th anniversary of the distillery’s Lawrenceburg structure.

Crafted from three of Four Roses’ recipes, it includes whiskeys aged 15 years, 11 years, and 10 years, married together and bottled at barrel strength — 110.1 proof, based on my pre-release sample.

With big caramel notes, this is a whiskey that adheres closely to the Four Roses house style, with clear rye notes mingling with a considerably sweet whiskey that downplays smokiness. Fruit character is muted in this one — a little citrus, but that’s it. It’s ultimately a very pure expression of grain and wood. Very easy drinking, I think it is even better with a splash of water, which brings out more of the earthy characters hidden in the blend.

A- / $75 / fourroses.us

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Posted in Bourbon, Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: Feudo Arancio Dalila and Cantadoro Wines

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Feudo Arancio makes a variety of traditional and international wines in its Sicily-based winery. We tried two of the more noteworthy bottlings, both blends.

2008 Feudo Arancio Dalila is a blend of 80% Grillo — a native Sicilian grape often used in Marsala wine — and 20% Viognier. The body is reminiscent of Pinot Grigio, though the Viognier addition is obvious on the nose. Understated and lightly floral, with round apple and peach notes, it’s an uncomplicated and simple wine that will offend no one at the table. B / about $20

2007 Feudo Arancio Cantadoro is a red blend: 80% Nero d’Avola and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, another mix of local grapes and an international varietal. Intense and smoky, this wine packs a punch right off the bat. Plum — to the point of prune — is the foremost fruit character, and the smoke laced throughout the wine adds depth. That said, it’s on the harsh side, and it needs food to really feel at home. B- / about $20

feudoarancio.it