Review: Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
From the same folks who brought you Masterson’s awesome 10 Year Old Rye — in Sonoma, California, of all places — comes this new gin, inspired by a recipe (it’s said) drawn from an equally odd location: Lucca, Italy. Some backstory, courtesy of the company (an affiliate of the Sebastiani wine empire): Company president August…
Review: Wines of Round Pond, 2012 Releases
Based in Napa Valley’s vaunted Rutherford district, Round Pond goes against the grain by making comparably affordable wines — including a delightfully drinkable $30 all-Napa Cabernet. Founded in 2002, the wines seem to be hitting their stride. Thoughts on three new releases follow. 2011 Round Pond Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley Rutherford – A very mild…
Review: Kilchoman Machir Bay
Here it is, at long last, the first general release whisky from Kilchoman, which opened in 2005 as the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years. After years of quarterly “preview” releases, many of which we’ve reviewed here, the distillery is putting out a general release spirit with ongoing availability. (Machir Bay is one…
Review: Crown Royal XR Extra Rare “Blue Label” – 2012 LaSalle Distillery Release
In 2006 Crown Royal released its first XR bottling, a whisky that didn’t joke when it used the “extra rare” moniker on the label. Crafted from whiskies salvaged from its Waterloo distillery, which had actually burned down, it’s safe to say that if you haven’t picked up the 2006 Crown Royal XR by now, you…
Review: Buffalo Trace Distillery Single Oak Project Bourbon Round Five
Haven’t had enough of the Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project? Don’t worry, we’ve got three more years of it to go. Round Five of this incredibly curious project is upon us, with 12 new Bourbon bottlings up for your consideration. This time out, the three variables being focused upon are recipe (rye vs. wheat —…
Review: NV Lanson Brut Black Label Champagne
I was unfamiliar with the Lanson Champagne house before this bottle showed up. Now color me a fan. Founded in 1760, this house is actually the world’s fourth oldest, and it was family owned until 1980 (when it changed hands many times). Lanson’s flagship Brut bottling is a classically composed, non-vintage wine of 35% Chardonnay,…
Review: Upland Brewing Co. Gilgamesh
Hailing from Bloomington, Indiana, Upland Brewing Co. is creating a stir among craft beer circles for its extensive souring program, which seeks to produce traditional lambics, gueuzes, and Flanders-style ales within the United States. This effort has notably spawned over eight different varieties of fruited lambics as well as the beer that is the subject…
Book Review: The American Cocktail
When I cracked open this tome, subtitled 50 Recipes that Celebrate the Craft of Mixing Drinks from Coast to Coast, I was expecting another treatise on classic cocktails through the ages, maybe separated by regions of popularity: Margaritas and daiquiris in the south, Manhattans and martinis up north. What I missed was that the book…
