We last encountered Zignum’s mezcal earlier this year in its reposado incarnation. Now the brand is back, this time with an anejo version.
Made from green agave and aged more than a year, this is mezcal with much of the smokiness aged right out of it. You’ll find lots of exotic, tropical, and caramel notes on the nose — and no smokiness to speak of — enough to make you think this is standard tequila, not mezcal at all.
Continue reading “Review: Zignum Anejo Mezcal” »
Loca Linda is a new brand of Argentine wines that come to us from semi-professional nomad/wine guru Brian Smith. The focus with these wines is on two unassuming bottles that each hold a full liter (“uno liter”) of wine — yet contain just 30 grams of additional glass vs. the typical 750ml bottle.
The wines are also, for the most part, surprisingly outstanding. Continue reading “Review: Loca Linda Wines of Argentina” »
Rum from Australia? Why not? It’s plenty hot and there’s even Aussie sugar. South Sea rum, lauched earlier this year, is made from first-press Queensland sugar cane which is twice-distilled, once in a pot still and once in a column. It’s finished in a mix of new and used American oak barrels for a minimum of two years before bottling, unfiltered.
Solid amber in color (the photo is considerably too yellow), it’s a big rum, reminiscent of agricole-style rum without so much of the funk. Great balance here: Lots of sweet vanilla and caramel, touched with light smoke and vague earth and spice elements.
Overall, I’d never be able to peg this as a non-Caribbean rum. It’s closest in style to Jamaica, with a bit more smoothness to it. An easy winner with a unique story behind it.
80 proof. Available now in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
A- / $30 / wadistilling.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]
P
unZone (accent on the e) is a new Italian brand that produces vodka and a pair of spirits, all organically. The vodka is actually the newest part of the equation. The liqueurs are old family recipes — blends of vodka, sangria, and fruit essences. We tasted all three spirits. Thoughts follow.
Continue reading “Review: PunZone Vodka, Lemoncino, and Originale Liqueur” »
Speyside’s Benrinnes Distillery was washed away by a flood in 1829 and burned down in 1896. Somehow they keep making whisky there, including this independent bottling of 14 Year Old malt, a single cask release from Master of Malt.
Wow, what an unusual and unique malt. Big Tawny Port and sherry wood character on the nose — if it weren’t for all the alcohol you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for Tawny if you nosed it blind. The palate speaks of similar notes — lots of madeirized wine, roasted nuts, raisins, and orange peel. Touches of coffee, salted caramel, and rum cake on the finish, which is long, lasting, and wonderfully warming.
This is a real fireside malt that’s ready-made for the holidays ahead. I can’t think of another whisky quite like it, and it’s got all kinds of charm going for it.
115.6 proof. 548 bottles made.
A- / $89 (700ml) / masterofmalt.com [BUY IT HERE]
The pear gets minimal respect in the booze biz. Heck, even apples have high-end brandies dedicated to them — in multiple countries, no less. In comparison, pear brandies are normally unaged quickie spirits. Finding a pear spirit that’s spent time in oak is almost unheard of. Craft Distillers’ Joe Corley cares not for any of this: He’s put together this limited edition aged pear liqueur (not a straight brandy), and it’s a mighty success.
Inspired by the pear liqueur of the same name from the now defunct RMS Distillery in Napa (sold only at its tasting room, it was never released to the open market), Corley uses Lake County and Mendocino County Bartlett pears as the basis for this rich and exotic liqueur.
Continue reading “Review: Germain-Robin Pear de Pear Liqueur” »
Another five-whisky month from the SMWS. Thoughts follow on each spirit in the outturn — easily the best month in recent memory for the SMWS.
SMWS Cask 16.32 – 10 year old Glenturret from the Highlands – Lightly smoky Highlands whisky finished in (refill) Port pipes? I never would have thought of the combination, but it works well here. The nose comes across as more sherry-like than Port, orange peel is heavy but it offers dark chocolate character, too. Some salty, briny notes on the palate quickly lead into lots of dried fruit — plus a big baking rack full of clove and cinnamon, pancakes with syrup, and Mexican coffee on the finish… the Port showing its face a bit in the end. Amazing depth and balance — much more than I would have thought possible from a 10 year old malt and surprisingly easy-drinking even at full cask strength. This is one whisky that brings everything together in a remarkable way, offering more and more with each sip. Wish I had more. Distilled 2001, 114.2 proof, 120 bottles allocated for U.S. A / $95
SMWS Cask 25.63 – 21 year old Rosebank from the Lowlands – Ultra-pale… who’d have thought this was 21 years old? It’s hard to follow 16.32, but this one does: Bright apple on the nose, with lots of citrus (Meyer lemons?) to back it up. Sugar and spice on the palate, a big rush of marshmallows and nougat, with touches of fresh black pepper, incense, and cedar box notes. The long finish is warming and lush. It’s hot stuff at nearly 60% alcohol, but drinks like a dream. Distilled 1990, 119.6 proof, 108 bottles allocated for U.S. A / $145
SMWS Cask 106.18 – 27 year old Cardhu from Speyside – Yet another winner. Gorgeous nose just from opening the bottle. Creamy orangesicles, heather, and marshmallow aromas lead to more of the same on the tongue, with plenty of citrus, tropical fruits, and a touch of sandalwood. Hints of grain flicker on and off in the finish. This Cardhu is simpler than the previous two whiskys, but still definitively worthwhile. Feels hotter than the 105 proof would indicate. Water is recommended. Distilled 1984, 105.2 proof, 78 bottles allocated for U.S. A- / $175
SMWS Cask 128.3 – 5 year old Penderyn from Wales – Quiet on the nose, with little hint of the sugar and fruit rush beneath. Take a sip and an explosion of flavors erupt — like a fruit salad filled with cherries, apple, oranges, and banana. Some cereal notes follow, with more dessert characteristics — pie crust and light toffee notes — on the finish. Lots going on, and a bit muddied. A few more years in cask might have brought the balance into focus. It’s a bit of an eye-opener for now. Distilled 2006, 122.6 proof, 78 bottles allocated for U.S. B+ / $85
SMWS Cask 129.1 – 5 year old Kilchoman from Islay – How exciting to get the first privately-bottled Kilchoman to sample! Modest smokiness on the nose, with citrus hints. Similar on the body to most other Kilchomans I’ve experienced — modest smokiness, backed with ample sugar. Worth a look if you want to try Kilchoman but can’t find the distillery bottling. Distilled 2006, 120.4 proof, 114 bottles allocated for U.S. B+ / $85
It’s been three years since we’ve sat down with Ravenswood and its surprisingly exhaustive lineup of Zinfandels. Best known for its sub-$10 Vintners Blend, the winery produces a wide range of Zins, including seven single-vineyard designates. We got our hands on two of the “Old Vine” wines from 2010 and four of the single vineyard wines from 2009 to see how things were shaping up for the winery. Thoughts follow. Continue reading “Review: 2009/2010 Zinfandels of Ravenswood” »
Journeyman Distillery operates in Three Oaks, Michigan, where it makes a wide range of white spirits and this rye, its only “brown” liquor at present (though numerous more are on the way).
Formerly made at the Koval Distillery, Journeyman is now making it at home. The mashbill is an unusual blend of Minnesota rye and (heavy) Michigan wheat, no corn. It is aged for an unstated amount of time in 15-gallon new oak barrels, then bottled at 90 proof.
Continue reading “Review: Journeyman Ravenswood Rye Whiskey” »
We last encountered Olmeca Altos in our preview of its silver tequila in 2010, but this Euro-focused brand has only now finally started its expansion into the States. We took a fresh look at both the Plata and the Reposado (there’s no Anejo yet). Both have refreshed packaging but the agave and methodology (read about it here) to make the stuff haven’t changed. Fresh thoughts on the silver and new thoughts on the reposado follow. Both are 80 proof.
(Don’t confuse Olmeca Altos, a 100% agave tequila, with Olmeca, a mixto, which is made by the same company.)
Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila – Unaged, fresh blanco. I’m picking up more banana on the nose this time out, with an agave kicker and a little white pepper. Similar notes on the body: Very fruity, with fresh fruit. Creamy, like a smoothie, with plenty of citrus. Not much of an agave kicker, which makes it dangerously easy to sip on. A- / $25 (prior rating B+)
Olmeca Altos Reposado Tequila – Aged 6 to 8 months in ex-Bourbon barrels. Modest amber color. More agave on the nose here. Some citrus, too. Lots and lots of vanilla on the body, with a big and creamy finish that comes across a bit like a cream soda float with vanilla ice cream. Delightful and light — this is actually pretty much exactly what I thought the Plata would taste like as a Reposado. A- / $25
Peligroso Reposado has been as close as there is to a “house” reposado at Drinkhacker HQ for some time, and I’ve been bugging Peligroso to send the Anejo expression, figuring if the reposado was this good, the anejo had to be even better.
Peligroso Anejo is made from 100% Highlands agave and aged 12 to 18 months in ex-Tennessee whiskey barrels. It is bottled in an opaque, black bottle — I presumed to amp up the “dangerous” mystique of this slightly overproof (84 proof) tequila — but after pouring, the real reason becomes a bit more evident. In the glass, this is the lightest-color anejo I’ve ever seen. Comparing it next to Peligroso Reposado (which is light to begin with), it’s hard to tell a difference.
Continue reading “Review: Peligroso Tequila Anejo” »
This Stags Leap-based winery (Lede is pronounced “lady”) produces just Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon — and fetches a pretty penny for them. The 2009 Cabernets — in two versions — are now hitting the market. Thoughts follow.
Continue reading “Review: 2009 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignons” »
Chile celebrates its Independence Day on September 18, and this year the country took the opportunity to revive the battle its been locked in with Peru over who originated — or makes better — the South American spirit of Pisco.
Distilled from grapes, Pisco is essentially unaged (usually) brandy, though in Chile they are more apt to drop their Pisco in an oak barrel for a few months or years than they are in Pisco.
Continue reading “The Pisco of Chile: Control C and Espiritu de Elqui Reviewed” »
Is anyone not getting into the white whiskey game? JD, High West, Buffalo Trace… everyone’s got one.
Why not Jim Beam, then?
Jacob’s Ghost — named after the founding father of Jim Beam, Jacob Beam, who distilled his first whiskey in 1795 — is a white whiskey with a twist. Made from the same mashbill as Jim Beam’s white label, this isn’t white dog bottled right off the still. Instead, it’s aged in barrel for a full year, then filtered to get most of the color out of it.
A year in barrel will give a lot of color to a whiskey, and you’ll notice that Jacob’s Ghost is not entirely clear. It’s a very pale yellow — on par with a very light white wine — that really does come across as a bit ghostly.
That year really makes all the difference. The burly petrol notes of true white dog are mellowed out, leaving behind a smoother white whiskey than you might be accustomed to.
The nose offers few clues. Very sweet, it’s got a distinct marshmallow character to it. Touches of oak, but very mild on the nose.
The body follows suit: Big marshmallow notes. Sugar and vanilla all the way, with just a touch of corn — think Fritos — on the finish. Everything you’re expecting in a white whiskey is simply not present here. No roughness, no vegetal notes, no fire water. It’s sweet enough to make you feel like it’s doctored — though I don’t actually believe that.
What Jacob’s Ghost is lacking is complexity. This is a very young, and very sweet whiskey, through and through. I’d wager most tasters would have trouble guessing what this was at all. Is it vodka? White rum? Tequila? Try serving this to your whiskey friends and watch their heads spin.
Fun stuff. I’m into it.
On sale February 2013. 80 proof.
A- / $22 / jimbeam.com
Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Whiskey, White Whiskey
Chenin Blanc is far from what anyone would consider a Big Wine in the U.S. right now, but that hasn’t kept the Clarksburg Wine Company from releasing not one, not two, but three takes on the grape, a standby of the Loire Valley in France. Based in the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, near Sacramento, California, Clarksburg’s facility is home to lots of wineries and, apparently, lots of weddings.
Here’s how Clarksburg’s three Chenin Blancs stack up, whether you’re getting hitched or not.
Continue reading “Review: 2010 Chenin Blanc Wines of Clarksburg Wine Company” »
Every year Woodford Reserve launches a limited edition (and quite expensive) whiskey that shows off the creativity of its master distiller, Chris Morris. This is Woodford’s seventh iteration of the Master’s Collection.
As the name implies, Four Wood is a Bourbon with a unique finishing program. Standard Bourbon, finished in newly charred American oak, is finished in one of three different types of barrels: maple, Sherry wood, and Port wood. (Woodford has experimented with maple in a past Master’s Collection.) The three barrel-finished whiskeys are batched together — the ratio is undisclosed, as are the ages of these whiskeys — and bottled as Four Wood.
The nose offers that big wood rush that’s classic Woodford, lots of lumberyard character that masks what you’re about to get into. On the tongue, it’s woody as expected, but surprisingly sweet. Chocolate notes are prevalent, plus lots of fresh red/black fruit — the Port finish overpowers everything with black cherry and raisin notes. Sip this whiskey long enough and orange elements, driven by the sherry finish, come along as well. That’s a good thing, but it does give Four Wood a bit of a fruit salad feeling, with a whole lot going on in the fruit department and not enough spice to back it up. Not bad, but there’s a bit of an embarrassment of riches in the sweetness department here.
A- / $100 / woodfordreserve.com
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang out… and we’re gonna drink this new liqueur from the increasingly huge portfolio of products from Kahlua: Kahlua Midnight.
Midnight is a major departure for Kahlua, which has to date been happy to create new versions of its signature coffee liqueur by adding additional flavorings like you’d find in a coffee shop (various incarnations now include cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut, mocha, and peppermint versions). Midnight is something different: A 70 proof monster mix of the classic coffee liqueur with rum.
In truth, even the standard 40-proof version of Kahlua has rum in it (it’s touted on the label), but it’s watered down and sugared up so those Desperate Housewives can sip it all day. At 70-proof, Kahlua Midnight is nearly full-strength booze, more rum than Kahlua — though it’s still just as black as before (caramel color is added). In case you’re unclear, the bottle is completely different than the standard tiki-friendly Kahlua one.
In all honesty, Kahlua Midnight — in taste — is not a great departure from its mother, standard-grade Kahlua. The coffee is clear on the nose and the palate. Rum, as with regular Kahlua, is really just hinted at, indistinctly and more on the undercarriage of the nose than in the body, where the strong coffee character is simply overpowering to anything underneath it. It’s got more of a boozy kick in the middle, but the finish is mild, dominated by a clear, fresh-ground coffee character.
What’s the point of Midnight? It’s primarily meant for consumption straight, on the rocks. God help the hacker that uses this stuff in lieu of standard Kahlua and doesn’t realize what he’s getting into.
A- / $24 / kahlua.com
Posted in Flavored Rum, Liqueurs, Rated A-, Reviews, Rum
Everyone is getting in on the rye game, and the latest to join the party is George Dickel, which has crafted this whiskey from 95% rye and 5% malted barley, then aged it for five-plus years. Sourced from Indiana (where plenty of rye is being produced for just about everyone), it’s still made to Tennessee whiskey specifications: Chilled, filtered through charcoal, then bottled at 90 proof.
As with Dickel’s corn-based whiskeys, Dickel Rye is very silky smooth, that “charcoal mellowing” having done its duty admirably. But there’s ample rye character here — chewy raisin bread with ample cinnamon notes. Vanilla a-plenty. Cocoa powder finish. Overall, the body is light and easygoing, a pleasant and sweet rye that would work well in any cocktail.
Compare to Bulleit Rye.
Shipping in November 2012.
A- / $25 / dickel.com
Posted in Rated A-, Reviews, Rye, Tennessee Whiskey, Whiskey
Whiskey is (basically) made from beer, so why not make it from really good beer?
For its long-awaited R5 whiskey, California’s Charbay (best known for its high-end flavored vodkas) took Bear Republic’s beloved Racer 5 IPA and put it through a still. This is not an inexpensive task: 10 gallons of beer distill down to 1 gallon of whiskey. Double-distilled in copper pot stills, the resulting whiskey is being released in two versions: “Clear,” an unaged version, and “Aged,” which spends 22 months in French oak barrels.
We got our hands on both varieties; both are bottled at 99 proof. Thoughts follow. Continue reading “Review: Charbay R5 Clear and Aged Hop-Flavored Whiskey” »
Posted in Rated A-, Rated B+, Reviews, Whiskey, White Whiskey
Breggo is a blue chip winery in Mendocino, based in Boonville and the proprietor of the Savoy Vineyard, located in the heart of this region’s Anderson Valley. While Breggo makes a wide range of wines, Anderson Valley is Pinot country, and this 2010 bottling is the flagship.
The 2010 Savoy Vineyard bottling features a shocking amount of herbs, dill, and licorice, atop a very deep core of black cherry and luscious wood that, when put together, comes across as almost whiskey-like. This is no delicate Pinot but rather a powerhouse of fruit and oak that builds itself into a punchy, Port-like finish. Quite pleasing, but no wallflower.
A- / $55 / breggo.com
