Robert Lublin
I recently had a chance to sit down with Padraic Coll, co-founder of the Clonakilty Distillery, when he visited Boston to discuss the company’s whiskey line and future plans. One of Clonakilty’s more exciting projects is collaborating with local breweries across the U.S., aging their Irish whiskey in a variety of distinctive beer casks. They…
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The grapes for Borsao’s flagship wine are grown on the slopes of the Moncayo mountain in Campo de Borja, Spain. It pours medium ruby colored in the glass and exudes enticing notes of ripe blackberries and pepper on the nose. The palate follows suit and shows additional depth. Balanced with bright blackberries and gentle pepper…
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We have previously reviewed Malfy Gin Originale as well as their Gin Rosa and Gin Con Arancia expressions, but Malfy’s first gin, Malfy Limone Gin, is the one we are finally trying today. Botanicals for this Italian gin include juniper berries, coriander seeds, Mediterranean lemon peel, Mediterranean orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark, liquorice root,…
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It was less than a year ago that we reviewed the first batch of this exciting collaboration between (otherwise unrelated) Breckenridge Brewery and Breckenridge Distillery in which they shared barrels used for their beer and whiskey. (As a refresher: Breckenridge Brewery brewed an Imperial Oatmeal Stout which was aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels. After…
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Catedral is a California-based brand started by father-daughter duo Jeff and Sydney Block. For each of the six varieties of mezcal they offer, they partner with a different Master Mezcalero. The Espadín we are trying today was made by Jorge Octavio Cardaz Cualtamirano in the mountains outside Oaxaca City, Mexico. Let’s give it a try.…
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Chemist Spirits was founded by Debbie Word in 2018 in Asheville, North Carolina and recently garnered attention by being featured in the 2022 Daytime Emmy Awards gift bag. I wasn’t invited to the event, but I am always excited to try a new gin even if I can’t rub elbows with Susan Lucci. To make…
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We previously reviewed Graham Beck Brut sparkling wine, and today we are sampling their Brut Rosé. Both are made in the Méthode Cap Classique, which is the South African terminology for the traditional Champagne method of having secondary fermentation occur in the bottle. Both also use the same grapes, but in different proportion. For the…
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In previous years, Castle and Key’s Harvest Seasonal Gin has changed recipes with each autumn release, but starting this year, the recipe will remain consistent annually. But not to worry. They have no plans to stop experimenting with other gin releases. Harvest Seasonal gin begins with their signature, high-rye mash bill: 17% yellow corn, 63%…
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Melon de Bourgogne is a grape varietal rarely grown in the U.S. It is much more common in the Loire Valley where it is used to make Muscadet wine. But Grochau Cellars grows it successfully in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. They use sur lie aging (aging the wine on the lees) for 8 months…
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As you might expect, Grenache Blanc wine is typically made with Grenache Blanc grapes, a white varietal related to the red Grenache grape. Dobbes winery, however, makes their Grenache Blanc using red Grenache grapes, but excludes the skins. The grapes for this wine are harvested from the Crater View Vineyard in the Rogue Valley of…
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