Best Value
Some deals are just too good to pass up. Our Best Value category digests that rarest of breeds: Top-rated products at prices that are incredibly appealing. We include products across the board in this section.
Top Best Value Posts:
Top 10 Bourbons Under $20
Wines of Lula Cellars, 2018 Releases
Jim Beam Distiller’s Cut
You gotta love a first. For his first line extension from Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum, the “Red Rocker” Sammy Hagar has added a Macadamia Nut-flavored expression to this Hawaii-born product. What the heck is this stuff? Distilled from Maui sugar cane, it is steeped with Macadamia nuts and colored blood red (fruit and vegetable juice…
Widely available and incredibly affordable, Martin Codax’s 2012 Albarino from Spain’s Rias Baixas region is easy to like. Offering fresh lemon and pineapple notes, it has a modestly creamy body and a brisk acidity to the finish. A bit of vanilla adds a touch of the exotic. A- / $12 / martincodax.com
Stumbras hails from a large conglomerate in the Baltic region, one of its concerns being distilling. This Lithuanian vodka comes from a distillery that produces a whopping 13 million liters of 350 different beverages each year. The company is the largest producer of spirits in the region. Stumbras produces a variety of vodkas, including many…
A standby of big box stores and mega liquor retailers, La Marca is unmistakable with its Tiffany-blue label and its frequently sub-$10 price tag. Fresh nose, with a touch of green bean edge. The body is toasty and a bit bready, backed with apple cinnamon character and a touch of grapefruit. It’s nothing special, but…
Somewhat sweeter than most dry Rieslings, but still crisp and clean, offering ample citrus, tropical notes, honey, and a finish of lightly roasted nuts. With a little more acidity you’d think you were drinking an Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Fresh and lively, this one’s an easy summer sipper (sorry, January!) but also works well with spicy…
Cruzan, based in St. Croix, is something of an underrated distillery in the world of rum. Now it’s moving ever so slightly upmarket, with the launch of three new premium rums, all part of the new Distiller’s Collection. All three of these rums start with the same base stock — a blend of rums from barrels…
Don’t like bitter amari? Well, you’ll hate Cynar, which isn’t just bitter, it features a picture of an artichoke on its label. You like drinking artichokes, don’t you? We last reviewed Cynar in January 2011. This is a fresh look at the classic spirit. Meant to be consumed either with soda or straight but “always on ice,” Cynar…
Three new wines from Chianti under the Banfi banner (though only one has the Banfi name on the label), all recent releases. Thoughts follow. 2011 Placido Chianti DOCG – A very pretty, lightly floral Chianti, with bright fruit and hints of leather on the nose. The palate is all cherries, all the way, lightly tart…
Just because summer is over doesn’t mean you should stop drinking white wine. These three Sauvignon Blancs are all highly drinkable offerings from the world’s greatest remaining budget wine region: Chile. Here’s what 10 bucks will get you at your local purveyor of affordable hooch. 2012 Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc San Antonio Valley – Fresh and…
A new ultra-cheap wine label from Trinchero: Fancy Pants! The only thing that isn’t fancy is the price, amirite fellas!? Anyway, here’s what they’re like should you fancy a bottle. 2012 Fancy Pants Pinot Grigio California – Lemony nose, with very slight musty notes. The palate offers more citrus, plus distinct peaches and cream. No mustiness here;…