Review: 2022 Domaine Bousquet Alavida Malbec
The first two rounds of Domaine Bousquet’s Alavida were met with praise for presenting a high-quality Malbec at a smart price point while also displaying an impressive list of credentials in the “clean living” column. It’s a USDA-certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher wine enduring an incredibly disciplined and rigorous process that requires an immense…
Grain to Glass and Climate Change: An Interview with Frey Ranch Founder Colby Frey
Frey Ranch sits in a unique segment in American whiskey: a full farm and distillery estate operation, they grow every bit of their own grain, then distill and age on site. And as a Nevada-based operation, they operate in one of America’s driest climates, often putting them at the forefront of climate change’s impact on…
Review: 2018 Baldacci Vineyards Thomas Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
Christened in tribute to the patriarch of Baldacci Family Vineyards and father to winemaker Michael Baldacci, this Cabernet Sauvignon is the beneficiary of grapes harvested from Baldacci’s top two vineyards, located in the Stags Leap and Diamond Mountain districts and carefully selected to showcase the diversity of regional terroir. It is matured for 22 months…
Review: Isle of Raasay Na Sia Single Casks 2023
Earlier this year, we took our first taste of the much-anticipated Isle of Raasay Single Malt. I first tried it in Scotland last summer and then again when our review sample arrived care of U.S. importer ImpEx, and on both occasions I was impressed by the unique complexity this upstart distillery had achieved in a…
Review: Tempus Fugit Cherries
As discussed in our in-depth roundup of cocktail cherries, “brandied cherries” are often a misnomer. Almost all cocktail cherries, even the high-end ones, are stored in syrup or juice (or some combination thereof), with no booze at all in the jar. Tempus Fugit, best known for its intense liqueurs, is one of the exceptions. This…
Review: Barrell Foundation Bourbon and Rye Batch 004
What would bourbon season be without a few new releases from the prolific blenders at Barrell Bourbon? While Jonathan is hard at work tasting the new Cask Finish Series duo (more amburana!), today I’m checking out two somewhat a-typical offerings: Foundation, Barrell’s very first non-cask strength whiskey, and a new cask strength rye. Thoughts follow.…
Review: Santa Teresa 1796 Speyside Whisky Cask Finish
The quality of Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum has remained impressively consistent, at least across our two tastings in 2013 and 2020. Presumably, it’s been that way since Hacienda Santa Teresa, Venezuela’s oldest rum producer, first launched the brand back in 1992. And during all that time, the 1796 Solera expression has stood alone. Until…
Review: Bhakta 1928
Best known for their highly-aged brandy, Raj Bhakta’s eponymous spirits brand is making moves into other categories, including whiskey. They released an Armagnac-cask finished bourbon earlier in 2023, and they’ve also dabbled in rum. Now, they’re mixing up something different altogether: a blended spirits that’s 60 percent rye whiskey, 30 percent Calvados, and 10 percent…
