Monthly Archives: July 2010

Review: UV Coconut Vodka

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

You aren’t imagining things: UV Coconut is white. Not clear in a white bottle. It’s white. Like milk.

It’s actually the first white vodka, a naturally-flavored spirit sweetened (considerably) with sugar cane, distilled four times, and left in a murky/milky color for you to figure out how exactly to present it.

The utility is obvious: Blend with pineapple juice and ice and you have a quicky faux pina colada, sans Coco Lopez, that is at least correct in color without having to fake it with that jug of 2% milk that expired last week.

The taste, as mentioned, is overwhelmingly sweet, but the coconut does at least come through a bit. No one will be drinking this straight, of course, and as a super-sugary tropical mixer, it gets the job done well enough. At 60 proof it’s not overly watered down to the point where you’ll have to resort to kicking it up with something else in your drink.

B / $13 / uvvodka.com

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Flavored Vodka, Rated B, Reviews, Vodka

Book Review: The Sommelier Prep Course

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Need to bone up on the wines of Greece and Hungary? Can’t keep straight the various styles of Madeira? Desire a greater understanding of the production of various ciders? You need The Sommelier Prep Course: An Introduction to the Wines, Beers, and Spirits of the World.

As the name might imply, wine is the focus of this book, which is actually a textbook broken into chapters and each with a set of review questions at the end. The full wine experience is here, from the history of the grape to wine pairings to descriptions of every wine region you can imagine. The information is in-depth but accessible and easy to digest, useful both for beginners and even more seasoned wine drinkers.

The inclusion of beer and spirits is a little baffling here. The former gets two chapters, the latter one, and neither gets enough attention to merit much of your time.

Other than that, though, this is a useful and intelligent book that anyone looking to expand or refresh their wine knowledge should enjoy. Maps, charts, terminology, and even pronunciation guides are to be found herein. At $29, it’s not going to break the bank, either.

A- / $29 / [BUY IT HERE]

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Books, Rated A-, Reviews

Review: Old Crow Reserve Bourbon

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

I get that the words “Old Crow” and “Reserve” don’t immediately make sense together.

Though it was first ever sour mash whiskey, dates back to the 1830s, and counts U.S. Grant among its famous drinkers, it’s still a budget brand, sold by the handle for $10 or less, a simply bourbon that gets the job done and leaves you money leftover for chips.

Aged three years, standard Old Crow can be charitably described as simple. Old Crow Reserve takes the decades-old formula and tweaks it: Add 6 to the proof (now 86 instead of 80), $2 to the price (now about $12), and one year to the aging (4 instead of 3). Result: A slightly different whiskey that nonetheless remains as easy as they come.

Old Crow Reserve, while a big step up from regular ‘Crow, is hardly anything you’ll be sipping straight after a big meal. Clearly a bourbon for the “and Coke” crowd, it’s distinctly caramel on the nose (to the point of tasting artificial), with a cinnamon kick on the body. Very sweet, it has a rough finish that reminds you of how little time this has spent in the barrel, and warns you how you’re likely to feel come the morning if you keep it up, smart guy.

C / $12 / oldcrowreserve.com

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Bourbon, Rated C, Reviews, Whiskey

Review: 2007 Kimmel Merlot Mendocino

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

A bit of an alcohol bomb at 14.5 percent abv, Kimmel’s Mendocino wine is pretty brassy for a humble Merlot. As you sample it, it speaks of juxtapositions and paradoxes: A buzzy rush of booze is balanced by fresh raspberry and blueberry notes. Cedar wood is offset by a distinct note of cloves and a chocolate tinge. The finish is clean but short and bends a limb back toward the fruit. Quite tasty, and a reminder of how good Merlot can be.

Rated previously (same rating) earlier this year here.

A- / $38 / kimmelvineyards.com

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Wine

Review: Deschutes Brewery Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale

Posted on July 6, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Do you like bitter beer? You’ll love Deschutes’ Hop in the Dark!

With 75 IBUs, Hop in the Dark, part of the semi-experimental Bond Street Series from Deschutes, isn’t actually obscenely bitter — nor is it even Deschutes’ most bitter beer — but the near-black color indicated by the name perhaps fools the mind into thinking this is a more powerful brew than it really is.

Essentially an India Pale Ale with roasted malt added to “smooth the edges,” Hop in the Dark actually comes across as rougher and less polished than most of the brewery’s other concoctions despite the best of intentions. The coffee notes just don’t play all that well with the more traditional IPA notes, leaving us with an experience which, while curious and not unpleasant, is a bit muddy — which is funny, because that’s how it looks, too.

6.5% alcohol by volume.

B- / $6 per 22 oz. bottle / deschutesbrewery.com

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Beer, Rated B-, Reviews

Review: The Glenrothes Alba Reserve Single Malt Scotch

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This new whisky from The Glenrothes has the distinction of being the distillery’s first kosher whisky. Now in limited release in a half-dozen states in the U.S. (sorry, Tennessee!), this Speyside single malt carries no age statement but is named after the type of oak (scientific name: Quercus Alba — American oak, ex-bourbon barrels) in which it is aged.

The nose is heavily coconut to the point where Alba indicates this first in the tasting notes right on the bottle, with banana and other mild tropical flavors present in the body. It’s a young and easy whisky, with a tiny touch of smoke on the finish, 80 proof and not too hot, and just fine for an everyday dram. And did we mention it’s kosher?

Mazel tov!

B+ / $60 / theglenrothes.com

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Review: Wines of Arnaldo Caprai

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Arnaldo Caprai makes a variety of wines, grappa, and (very good) olive oil in the Umbria region of Italy. We tried three wines from the company’s portfolio. Comments follow.

2008 Arnaldo Caprai Anima Umbra Blanco Grechetto IGT – This affordable wine is made from the Grechetto grape (with 15% Trebbiano Spoletino), which is mostly limited to Umbria. A simple and young wine, it is floral on the nose, with apple notes, like a creamier version of Sauvignon Blanc, without the zippy acidity. B+ / $15

2007 Arnaldo Caprai Anima Umbra Rosso IGT – The red sibling of Umbra Blanco, Caprai’s Rosso is 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo, and it’s a surprisingly high quality wine for this price. Easygoing and up-front, it’s full of black berry fruit and laced with herbs. Well balanced. A- / $15

2008 Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Grechetto dei Collio Martani DOC – A step up in the production ladder, this is a 100% Grechetto wine with a fresher character than the Umbra Blanco, offering crisper minerality with apricot notes and a touch of honey. Easy to drink, with a nice, clean finish. A- / $18

arnaldocaprai.it