This latest Gewurz from Hugel is unremarkable and unadorned, with crisp apple, tropical notes, and some slate character. Fruit-forward and with relatively mild acids, it’s a Gewurztraminer for the Sauvignon Blanc lover. Prices vary wildly.
B / $20 / hugel.com
Red wine stains teeth, there’s no way around it.
Wine Wipes are not a new idea, but they are a new implementation of that idea: Using many of the same ingredients in tooth-whitening formulas, Wine Wipes are little, circular, fabric pads infused with stain-scrubbing ingredients designed to get rid of those purple stains on your choppers.
The advantage of course is immediacy: A tiny pack of Wine Wipes in your pocket, purse, or glove compartment means the stain has less time to set, contrasted with the hours you may have to wait before you can get to a toothbrush. The tiny packet of 20 wipes even includes a built-in mirror so you can check your work.
Wine Wipes contain a whole bunch of active ingredients, including baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, calcium, glycerin, and orange blossom. In use, you’ll taste the salt and the soda, though Wine Wipes are not unpleasant and can come across as quite refreshing — if a bit awkward should you attempt to use one in public.
And the results? Well, my teeth are prone to staining — whitening toothpastes don’t help — and Wine Wipes didn’t do much for me, either. I tried using one within minutes of sipping a number of wines at a tasting and noticed only the slightest improvement in tooth stainage. Your mileage may vary, of course, and I expect if whitening toothpastes work for you, Wine Wipes will too.
Great stocking stuffer for the wine drinker in the family.
$9 for a pack of 20 / winewipes.com [BUY THEM HERE]
Beaujolais Nouveau has a bad reputation as being cheap and often undrinkable wine, and in many cases that’s indeed the case. Beaujolais is supposed to be cheap, and it’s meant to be consumed in the year it was produced: Come New Year’s, no one is supposed to be drinking Nouveau any more until next November, when the 2011 releases come out.
2009′s Nouveau was surprisingly quite good (especially Beaujolais-Villages), but 2010 mostly represents a return to the usual, with overly jammy wines produced in bulk without a lot of interest to them. Not undrinkable, but hardly showstoppers.
We tasted both of Duboeuf’s new releases.
2010 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau – Bright red berry notes, especially strawberry. Candy-like, fading into some moderate earth character. Two tastes that don’t play well together, but it improves with aeration. C+ / $9
2010 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau – Equally jammy with strong strawberry notes, but with a touch more balance. Green and herbal on the finish, fading to a rough and lightly astringent finale. Better, but only marginally so. B- / $11
As previously discussed, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society doesn’t just sell unique single-cask whiskys to its membership, it also throws whisky events around the country.
I had the fortune to attend the Society’s San Francisco shindig, and can highly recommend it to anyone, especially the whisky novice. Unlike Whiskyfest or Whiskies of the World, the Whisky Extravaganza is smaller both in attendance and in the number of distilleries pouring. This makes the show more intimate and easier to get around. No shoving and jostling to get a sample, and it was easy to have a conversation with those manning the booths, if you so desired.
Plenty of tables and an excellent buffet (including the biggest roast beef I’ve ever seen) made break-taking easy, and I didn’t see anyone who didn’t appear to be having a good time.
The downside, of course, is that for the experienced whisky drinker, finding something new could be tough. I spent most of the night revisiting old favorites, but also found time for some new discoveries, including some private label blends, vats, and single malts like the outstanding Classic Cask 35 Years Old, as well as five selections from the SMWS itself — with the bonus that the whiskys being poured were being identified by name.
Great times and I hope to hit the event again in 2011. You should too.
Tasting Report: Single Malt Scotch Whisky Extravaganza Fall 2010
Aberlour 16 year old / A- / soft and silky, cherry notes, finish is powerful
The Balvenie 17 Year Old Peated Cask / A / made not with peated whisky but rather finished in casks that contained peated whisky… very intriguing and easygoing; a smoky whisky for non-peat lovers
The Classic Cask – 35 year old rare Scotch whisky / A / a blended whisky, and one of the best I’ve every had, rich with sherry and chocolate
Cragganmore 1992 Distillers Edition / A- / big nougat notes
Dalwhinnie 1994 Distillers Edition / B / a bit rough
Douglas Laing The Premier Barrel – Highland Park 1996 13 Years Old / B / overly wooded
Douglas Laing The McGibbon’s Provenance – Caol Ila 1990 14 Years Old / B+ / opens up with water
Douglas Laing Big Peat – Islay Vatted Malt / A- / the name don’t lie (a blend of Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, and Port Ellen)
Douglas Laing Double Barrel 10 Years Old- Highland Park + Bowmore / A / sweet and smoke together, an intoxicating blend
Glen Grant 10 Years Old / B- / a little astringent
Glen Grant 16 Years Old / B+ / considerably better with more balance than the 10 year; strong honey notes
The Glenlivet 25 Years Old / A / the “XXV” bottling, a classic, with malty, bright orange fruit, lush and unique
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Port Cask 12 Years Old / A / lush port notes, a winner
Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Sauternes Cask 12 Years Old / B / a little rough around the edges, not getting Sauternes
The Glenrothes Vintage 1985 / B+ / hot, a touch peaty
Highland Park 30 Years Old / A / always a must-experience at any tasting; perfectly balanced
Isle of Jura 16 Years Old / C+ / not working for me
Isle of Jura Superstition / B+ / peat and smoke, well balanced here; BBQ in a glass
Loch Chaim – Isle of Arran 1996 13 Years Old / A- / super smooth, sweet, a nice everyday Scotch with a jokey name
Longmorn 16 Years Old / A- / very similar to Aberlour 16, with a bit o’ peat
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – 25.51 / B- / 18 year old Rosebank; rocky and out of balance
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – 123.05 / B+ / 8 year old Clengoyne; hugely phenolic
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – 39.75 / B+ / 13 year old Linkwood; tobacco finish, good body
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – 93.37 / B / 17 year old Glen Scotia; minty nose, huge heat
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society – 33.83 / B / 7 year old Ardbeg; young, with big peat (it’s Ardbeg, after all); not much else going on
Don’t look now, but more and more French wine producers are putting the varietal of their wines right on the label. Look no further than JJ Vincent’s Bourgogne Blanc, where “Chardonnay” is in lettering almost as large as the year of the vintage.
This wine from southern Burgundy is crisp with green apple and tart lemon notes, not at all oaky, and finishes with hints of mango and banana. Moderate body, enough to give it a little bit of heft. A bargain at 13 bucks.
B+ / $13 / hadcoltd.com
As luxury events go, it doesn’t get much ritzier than the Universal Whisky Show, from the sound of it. To be held March 18th and 19th at the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas, this event looks to make affairs like WhiskyFest and Whiskies of the World — both upscale happenings by any common measure — look positively mundane.
A ticket gets you all of this:
* Sampling of premium whiskies from all exhibitors.
* One Super pour sample from a range of rare and fine whiskies valued at $300 and above per pour retail. (These currently include Highland Park 40 Year, Dalmore Astrum 40 Year, and Glenfarclas 1966 — a tough choice, indeed!)
* Free cigar samples.
* Entry to all special events during the show.
* Butler passed pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres in show area.
* Gourmet dinner reception.
* Glencairn cut crystal tasting glass.
All for the low low price of $525 — or $375 if you buy in advance.
Visit this page to find out more about the show and about companion tickets (discounted entrance for the non-whisky-drinkers out there), and more information. I don’t know if I’ll be there — though it sounds like an exceptional time!
Posted in Upcoming Events, Whiskey
This Highlands malt (prounounced “Glen Geery”) is relatively unknown in the U.S. Closed briefly from 1995 to 1997, it is the easternmost distillery in the Highlands and is unpeated.
Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve – This un-age-statemented bottling is a fine everyday dram, sweet and warming, with a bit of floral character, some hay, and a touch of coal in the finish. Maybe a little sea spray as the whisky winds down? 96 proof. B+ / $45
Glen Garioch 12 Years Old – Finished in sherry casks, which gives this whisky not a citrus, sherry character but more of a woody, marshmallow, and black tea experience. That coal character is a lot stronger here, alongside cedar wood and some evergreen notes. I prefer the more easygoing Founder’s Reserve to the 12 Year, which is a little brutish. B / $60
Another holiday season is upon us here at Drinkhacker HQ, and again we take the opportunity to look back at the best — and most gift-worthy — spirits the year had to offer. Don’t settle for giving your boss a bottle of Crown Royal again (not that we don’t like Crown Royal). Step lively and go long. Here are some gift-giving ideas based on 2010′s brightest stars.
Also check out our 2009 and 2008 holiday guide.
Bourbon – George T. Stagg Antique Collection 2010 Edition ($65) – Always a favorite with bourbon fanatics, the incredibly alcohol-heavy Stagg is as good this year as its ever been. If you can’t find it (which is likely), we also highly recommend the new releases of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve ($40), Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010 ($50), and Four Roses 2010 Single Barrel Bourbon ($75 or so).
Scotch – Bruichladdich 16 Years Old First Growth Series: Cuvee E Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes Finish ($105) – Failing a windfall that lets you nab a bottle of the new Highland Park 1968 ($4,000), this whisky is one of the best crowd-pleasers we tried all year. For more of a splurge — and an even more impressive statement, the bargain-priced (for its age) Glenfarclas 40 Year Old ($400) is outstanding.
Gin – Berkshire Mountain Distillers Greylock Gin ($30) – More of a hard-sell, but now you can prove to your dad that Americans can make gin just as good as the Brits. The unique Citadelle ($35) is always a hit, too, and this year’s version is wonderful.
Vodka – Rokk – 13 bucks a bottle, and just as good as anything else out there… though maybe not for a gift for anyone over 25 years old. Instead, Vision ($25) may be somewhat more impressive. Hangar One Kaffir Lime ($35) isn’t new, but it’s one of the best flavored vodkas on the market and will be cherished.
Rum – DonQ Gran Anejo ($70) – Rebranded and bottled in upscale style, it looks like a fancier gift than it is. Pampero Aniversario Ron Anejo ($34), though not new on the market, is equally decadent and a bit of a bargain. Also check out Botran Reserva ($24) or Dos Maderas rums ($32-$43) if you can find them.
Brandy – Camus XO Borderies ($140)- A single-estate cognac that tastes far richer than its price would indicate. Brand new on the U.S. market, so your giftee will probably never have had it. Of course, if you can afford Emperor’s Giorgio G ($535)…
Tequila – Tequila Avion Anejo ($55)- It’s been an amazing year for tequila, and while we loved Peligroso Reposado ($50), Espolon Reposado ($25), Riazul Blanco ($45), Arta Silver ($45), and Dulce Vida Anejo ($55), we have to give the edge to Avion’s amazing anejo for our top pick.
Liqueur – Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur ($22) – In a world of iced tea-flavored vodkas, how about something a little more exotic? An authentic tasting chai tea liqueur that inspires India… or at least an Indian restaurant. Also unique and gift-worthy: Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur ($35).
Need another custom gift idea? Drop me a line or leave a comment here and I’ll offer my best advice!
The most celebrated beer in the world, Guinness Extra Stout, has a baby brother: Guinness Foreign Extra Stout.
What is it? Guinness brews “Foreign Extras” for a number of countries, and the U.S. had one in 1817. It was discontinued during Prohibition and has been off the market ever since.
Now it’s back, and bolder than ever. Guinness FES is higher in alcohol (7.5%), is carbonated instead of nitrogenated, and is brewed with extra hops — that was the idea behind the “foreign” part of the name, as hops allow a beer to travel better and longer. Be prepared: The head is not at all like the nitro’ed, “rising bubbles” of standard Guinness, but rather that of a typically carbonated beer (which means it’s ready to drink much more quickly).
The results are quite impressive. Full of body, with a big coffee character, it has a much richer mouthfeel than standard Guinness, which is darker in color but actually thinner in texture than Foreign Extra. Nutty, malty, and with a drying hoppy finish like an IPA, this is a stout made for true the stout lover.
A- /$2 to $3 per bottle / guinness.com
2007 Arkenstone Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Howell Mountain – Huge body, rich gold color, tastes slightly woody. I would not have guessed this was Sauvignon Blanc, it’s so buttery and creamy. No zip and low in acid. Very strange for Sauv Blanc, but certainly unique. B+ / $45
2007 Arkenstone Vineyards Syrah Napa Valley Howell Mountain – A big wine, but not as massive as Obsidian. Peppery, with black cherry notes. Drinking well, but an overly jammy, almost prune-like, finish mars the effect. A- / $70
2007 Arkenstone Vineyards Obsidian Napa Valley Howell Mountain – A big Cabernet blend, unbearably rich. Needs time to open up, but reveals huge plum fruit, berries, and modest tannin structure. Less wood than many ’07 Cabs are showing. Enjoy it with a big meal. (Thanksgiving, anyone?) A- / $120
