Monthly Archives: May 2011

Review: Manso & Contreras Spanish Brandy de Jerez

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Spanish brandy is not a product most drinkers have a familiarity with — nor does it resemble French brandy in any shape or form.

Hailing from Jerez, Spain, Manso & Contreras comes from a distillery that has been making brandy since the 1800s. While it’s a new brand — Manso is a native Cuban who lives now in San Diego — it’s an old recipe, distilled from the Airen grape and aged in former sherry barrels using the solera style where it spends a minimum of three years before bottling at 80 proof.

The results are striking and unusual: Manso & Contreras is a lot like a highly alcoholic Maderia, nutty and full of tea and coffee notes. That is mixed with a whole lot of intense sherry notes, pungent herbs, and funky old wine character. While this is more interesting than it might sound, the finish is the tough part: medicinal, bordering on brutal.

Spanish brandy is nothing if not unique, but I have to say it is not really my bag.

C / $69 / mansoandcontreras.com

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Posted in Brandy, Rated C, Reviews

Review: Sino Tequila

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

This Los Altos tequila is one of very few — if not the only one — to be 100% crafted by women (or, as they say, 100% Latina owned and operated). (We know of just one other female Tequilera.)

Judy Rivera is the owner of Sino Tequila — which is only available for the time being in silver and reposado expressions — and she’s building this brand one account at a time. We were excited to be able to review the bottlings for Drinkhacker, and look forward to the future anejo.

Both are 80 proof.

Sino Blanco Tequila – Mild agave on the nose, plus peppers black and green. The creamy, almost milky body is overwhelming and surprising, drowning out much of the agave notes. The finish is reminiscent of young corn whiskey (or white dog), rough and full of grain character. Agave makes an appearance in the end to remind you this came not from Kentucky but from Mexico. B- / $35

Sino Reposado Tequila – Aged a quick four months in ex-bourbon barrels, and what a difference it makes. The sweet vanilla character is a perfect match for Sino’s creaminess, and the agave notes meld nicely with that silky body. This is a sipping tequila that’s a stunner on the palate, smooth and easy. I’d love to see more complexity from this spirit, but for a relatively simple reposado, it hits it on the nose. A- / $38

sinotequila.com

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Posted in Rated A-, Rated B-, Reviews, Tequila

Win a Deck of Remy Martin 1738 “Gentleman’s” Cards

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

We’ll be reviewing Remy’s new Cognac, 1738, in the near future, but in the meantime we have five decks of cards inspired by the new spirit, called “The Gentleman’s Deck.” The standard set of playing cards are each emblazoned on the front with a different tidbit of wisdom for the aspiring gentleman. Example: “Honesty: A gentleman knows that lying only leads to shame.” Cards with cocktail recipes, how to keep jeans looking good, and how to shine shoes are also included.

Fun stuff, and we have five decks to give away… UPDATE: Winners have been selected and notified. Thanks for entering!

The fine print: Contests and giveaways are open only to readers age 21 and up with a U.S. mailing address. One prize per person per giveaway. We reserve the right to cancel any giveaway at our sole discretion. We are not responsible for lost, misdirected, or late entries. Not open to employees/contributors or immediate family members of Drinkhacker or Null Media employees/contributors, its affiliates, or advertising/promotion agencies and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents. This offer is void wherever prohibited or restricted by national, state, or any governmental laws. We are not responsible for late, lost, or damaged prize packages. We do not use your mailing address for any other purpose than sending prizes; addresses are not kept on file. One entry per contestant — your entry is good for the length of each giveaway. Duplicate entries will disqualify the entrant.

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Posted in Contests

Review: Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Christopher Null| 12 Comments

It’s one of the most-requested products that I review here at Drinkhacker, and I was finally able to cajole Glenfiddich brand ambassador Mitch Bechard into bringing a bottle of Glenfiddich’s prized Snow Phoenix single malt over for sampling.

The story behind Snow Phoenix could fill a book: In January 7, 2010, after a wild winter in Scotland, five of the roofs of Glenfiddich’s warehouses collapsed under the weight of five feet of snow and ice. 250,000 casks were buried under the weight of the frost — and the tin roofs above them — and by summer it was time to rebuild the damaged buildings. Shockingly, only three casks were destroyed.

From the casks exposed to the elements, Glenfiddich hand-selected a sampling of barrels to use for an honorary, one-time bottling called Snow Phoenix. (Look at the photo — an undoctored shot of the carnage — on the metal case and you’ll understand the reference.) 12,000 bottles were produced from casks aged 13 to 30 years old, representing 50% first-fill bourbon barrels, 30% second-fill bourbon barrels, and 20% sherry barrels. Bottled at cask strength, Snow Phoenix is 95.2 proof.

The pale gold whisky is unique and gorgeous. The nose offers pear, vanilla, sherry, and quite a bit of heat. That hotness is absent on the tongue. There a bounty of flavors erupt — sugar and spice, citrus notes, and a finish that heads toward brown sugar and burnt caramel character, with a touch of wood notes. It’s all in near-perfect balance, complicated but part of a delicious whole.

Snow Phoenix is every bit as delightful and intriguing as the story behind it.

A / $95/ glenfiddich.com

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Posted in Rated A, Reviews, Scotch, Whiskey

Review: Clif Family Winery The Climber Red and White

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

How do you solve a problem like bringing wine to a picnic? No one wants to lug glass bottles around. They’re heavy, they break, and yes, you surely forgot your corkscrew, too.

Problem solved by Clif Family Winery (yes, they same people who make the tasty nutrition bars): Put two bottles worth of wine into a plastic bag with a spigot at the bottom. The bag gets cold quickly, collapses into nothing when it’s empty, and weighs a lot less than glass.

Available in both white (Chardonnay) and red (Cabernet Sauvignon) versions, both are worthy of making a picnic appearance. Both are non-vintage.

NV Clif Family The Climber Chardonnay California is pleasant and very lightly touched with wood. The finish is mild, with melon overtones. A solid match for pasta salad, chicken, or sandwiches. B+

NV Clif Family The Climber Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley — also inexplicably called “The Climber” — is a bit heartier but is still lunch-friendly, a super-jammy red with a chewy, strawberry-laced palate. Easygoing, but definitely on the sweet side. B-

$13 each (1.5 liter bags) / cliffamilywinery.com

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

Review: Ole Smoky Distillery Apple Pie Moonshine

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

You say apple pie, I say apple pie moonshine. Yes folks, it’s two great tastes that taste great together, with Tennessee’s Ole Smoky Distillery moonshine — 80% corn and 20% mystery — making up the backbone of a classic yet indescribable spirit.

The nose and body scream cinnamon and apples, in that order. This is as close to apple pie in a bottle as I’ve ever experienced (and yes, I’ve experienced other attempts), with an authentic sweet-and-spicy character that is — shockingly — far from cloying. It helps that Ole Smoky kept the alcohol to a mere 40 proof, which drains all the heat out of the spirit and makes it wholly suitable for sipping or for use as a grown-up dessert topping. There’s even a hint of the “moonshine” aspect of the spirit in there… somewhere.

I know, this sounds like it can’t be good, and for sure it’s nothing I’d drink every night, but something I’d drink once in a while… maybe with a banjo by my side.

B+ / $25 / olesmokymoonshine.com

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated B+, Reviews, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey, White Whiskey

Review: 2006 Janzen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

The rather thin body on this Napa Cabernet fills out a bit as it gets some time with air, but Janzen’s Cab never quite gels. Tough and tight, you will eke out aromas of coffee and tar, and flavors of dark berries, bramble, and wood — but the hard finish indicates either a wine that’s just a bit too unripe or one that needs years more in the bottle before it’s ready to drink. Maybe that’s why I keep imagining the line treatment on the bottle is actually barbed wire.

B+ / $40 / [BUY IT HERE]

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Wine

Re-Review: Partida Reposado Tequila

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

I first encountered Partida when this blog was young. Very young, just a few months old. Given the chance to sample the full Partida line, I greatly enjoyed the product. In fact, I remember recommending it by name to numerous young tequila enthusiasts.

I have encountered Partida several times since then, but in a formal tasting environment it next arrived this February at the infamous blind silver tequila tasting I attended. This time Partida fared dismally: Its meaty, smoky character earning a solid C on my paper.

Bad bottle? Bad product? Bad reviewer? Who knows, and recently I got a new bottle of Partida — reposado this time — to compare notes, at least vs. that 2007 review.

The results: My notes were basically in line with the old review, though tempered this time, probably because I’ve had vastly more tequila experience since then. No insane “meat” flavor here, but I did get a whiff of smoke. I’ll never know what the issue was with the Partida at the blind tasting, but I’m at least happy to learn that I wasn’t wholly insane back in 2007 when I first sipped Partida’s tequilas. I gave it an A- then and my rating today is close.

2011 comments: The nose is lightly smoky and woody, with mild agave notes. The body: Bigger agave character, tempered by sweet vanilla character, which carries on to the finish. As it goes down, the agave shows its face again, bringing burn and a slight amount of vegetal character at the back of the throat. Not unpleasant at all, but a bit at odds with the sweetness in the middle of the shot.

Check back in 2015 for the re-re-review!

80 proof.

B+ / $55 / partidatequila.com

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Posted in Rated B+, Reviews, Tequila

Tasting Report: Discover 2009 Beaujolais – Blanc et Rouge

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Beaujolais is home to more than just Beaujolais Nouveau, it’s also home to more upscale reds and whites, primarily made with the Gamay and Chardonnay grapes. These light, very affordable wines are often served chilled or even with ice — even the reds.

We sat down with the folks at Discover Beaujolais to taste through four 2009 releases of these non-Nouveau wines. Just remember: Don’t call it Burgundy! (“Bojo” is located just to the south of that famed wine region.)

2009 Chateau du Chatelard Beaujolais Blanc – Inviting melon nose, but very green and a little bitter on the palate. Finish is a little meaty. C / $15

2009 Jean-Paul Brun, Terres Dorees, Beaujolais Chardonnay – A much greater success with crisp acidity and lots of fresh fig, pear, and apple fruit. Creamy body coats the mouth as you go, but the acidity loosens it up. A winner. A- / $15

2009 Christophe Pacalet Beaujolais-Villages – Licorice is big on the nose, and the body screams cinnamon, allspice, and exotic Eastern spices. Huge and daunting, and no match whatsoever for the thin body. C+ / $12

2009 Chateau du Chatelard Moulin-a-Vent – Old-vine Gamay, a little rounder than the Pacalet but still full of spice. The body is bigger at least and can hold up to some of the punch here, but it’s still a big of a palate buster. Pruny finish. B- / $19