A Vertical Tasting of Mayacamas with Winemaker Braiden Albrecht
Mayacamas is a legendary, blue chip Napa winery perched high on Mt. Veeder — above the fog line, in fact. While the winery is well known for its cabernet and chardonnay releases, it also operates a unique library system that consumers have full access to. Each year, winemaker Braiden Albrecht — who’s been with the…
Review: Jura American Rye Cask 14 Years Old
Smell that whisky: Sherry, amirite? As a matter of fact, no: This exciting new release from Jura is a 14 year old that is aged in a combination of American bourbon and rye whiskey casks — the latter being a twist that is a rarity in Scotland. The nose immediately threw me for a loop:…
Review: Redemption Sur Lee Rye
In the realm of non-distilling producers, Redemption has built its reputation on taking MGP juice and bottling it into accessibly priced basics, a variety of cask finishes, and ultra-rare halo releases (including an oft-heralded 18 year rye). Around 2022, Redemption began promoting a new addition to its core lineup: Redemption Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey.…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Malt Whiskey Finished in Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels 14 Years Old (2024)
This year’s Parker’s Heritage Collection release, its 18th edition, is a bit of a mouthful. In fact, what you see in the headline isn’t even the full name. That monster of a name is: Parker’s Heritage Collection Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Reconstructed Heavy Toast Cognac Barrels 14 Years Old. Parker’s has done malt…
Review: Bardstown Bourbon Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon
Break out the cigars. Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin family is welcoming a new addition. High Wheat is the latest in the distillery’s house-distilled core range, and it is distinguished by, unsurprisingly, a whole lot of wheat. In fact, at 39%, it’s one of the highest percentages of wheat in any mashbill across the industry. This…
Review: Wines of Carpineto, 2019 Vintage
Carpineto is a relative newcomer in Tuscan wine production, dating back to “just” 1967. The winery produces all the classics — Chianti, Brunello, and the like — plus a super-affordable Super Tuscan called Dogajolo, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. We didn’t get any Dogajolo, but we did get three more readily identifiable releases from…
Review: Siempre Tequila, (Near) Complete Lineup (2024)
Our first experience with Siempre Tequila was not wholly memorable — and that fact was perhaps not lost on its Canadian brand owners, which, since that 2019 review, dumped its original distillery and upgraded to a new NOM, the well-regarded but fairly busy NOM 1414, Feliciano Vivanco. The new expressions also carry “vintage” production information…
Tasting Sagrantino Wines, Fall 2024
Montefalco is not a city commonly invoked when discussing red wine destinations. Umbria is not a region immediately surfacing to top of mind when thinking about Italian wines, and Sagrantino is certainly not a wine frequently discussed here in the United States. But this dense, fairly disease-resistant grape is starting to quietly make waves, with…
