Spirits
Inspired by Cognac, made in America, Omage is the brainchild of Julious Grant, a 30-year wine and spirits industry veteran with brandy in his blood. Omage is made from California-grown grapes (the varieties aren’t specified) with methods similar to those used in Cognac, all intended to mimic the king of all brandies. That said, it’s…
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Coors – yes, that Coors – is now making whiskey. In case this is news to you, check out Chris’s review last year of their surprisingly solid inaugural whiskey offering, Five Trail. That bottle was a unique blend of bourbon and single malt produced in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Co., a distillery exceedingly adept at…
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We’re back with another new Drumshanbo gin from Ireland’s The Shed Distillery. Like the 2021 addition to the portfolio, Drumshanbo With Sardinian Citrus, the name is self-explanatory if a bit awkward. The focus for this new gin, once again, is on the citrus component in the ginbill. The distillery’s founder, PJ Rigney, apparently fell in…
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We have seen a number of tequila brands fronted by celebrities, but this is the first I know of to be fronted by a celebrity company. Ravella is a new tequila brand being released by 11 Ravens, a high-end manufacturing company known for its custom luxury game tables, including billiards, table tennis, poker, and more.…
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Everyone’s getting into the single malt game now that the official TTB rules have been proposed — Jesus, even Jack Daniel’s has a single malt — so it’s only natural that Yellowstone would drop one sooner or later. Like most of Yellowstone’s production, this one’s also sourced — this one from Indiana, which is proof…
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In the past, a mention of honey and whiskey on a bottle label typically meant you had stumbled on a liqueur (whether that label said so or not). But in recent years, some distilleries have endeavored to infuse their whiskeys with honey in a different way, often by using a honey-filled finishing cask — a…
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On June 3, Ardbeg will release its latest “Ardbeg Day” limited release during the annual Fèis Ìle festival. As usual, the distillery will be celebrating with an oddball special edition: Ardbeg Heavy Vapours. Why the name? Let’s dive in: For the first time ever at Ardbeg its whisky has been distilled without a purifier – the…
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Willow Creek Distillery is one of those rare operations that’s an offshoot of a winery: Specifically, Paso Robles-based Opolo Vineyards, which we have covered regularly over the years. Willow Creek got going in 2013 with the intent of producing spirits to accompany their wines; as you can imagine, the operation focuses heavily on brandies (grape…
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People seem to love a little something red in their cocktails. Aperol, the beloved, ruby-colored Italian liqueur, has been having a moment for a while now. If you disagree, try finding a respectable bar that doesn’t offer their eponymous spritz. The gin boom of recent years has also fueled a Negroni craze, meaning Campari, that…
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Calirosa, which ages its tequila in red wine barrels from California, is back with a new expression. No, it’s not a reposado — though the company finally now makes one — but an extra extra anejo, aged for five years, roughly three times the length of aging of the anejo offering and two years longer…
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