Review: Van Gogh PB&J Vodka
First off, let’s be clear: This is not a joke, and yes, “PB&J” means what you think it does. Van Gogh’s latest creation is flavored to taste like peanut butter and raspberry jelly (some naturally, some artificially), bottled in vodka format. And let’s be frank: This really does smell and taste like peanut butter and…
Cocktail Recipes for National Donut Day 2012
Who knew? Apparently Americans need an extra reason to consume donuts, thanks to a 1938 proclamation by the Salvation Army that declared the first Friday in June to be National Donut Day. A trip to Krispy Kreme is not required, though, to get your fix. Thanks to 360 Vodka, you can drink your donuts and…
Review: Pendleton 1910 Canadian Rye Whisky 12 Years Old (2012)
With 1910 Pendleton (based in Hood River, Oregon) takes its Canadian whisky upmarket, bottling this 100% rye after a lengthy 12 years in oak. (The name is a reference to the first ever Pendleton Round-Up rodeo, which took place 102 years ago.) I’ve previously discussed the standard, blended Pendleton bottling as overwhelmingly sweet, but things…
Review: Twenty 2 Vodka
Hailing from Maine, Twenty 2 Vodka is stilled in small, custom-designed, 50-gallon pot stills (from unspecified grains). Chill filtered through activated charcoal and cut with local water, it is bottled at 80 proof. Twenty 2 prizes itself on its neutrality, and indeed it is one of the cleanest, least flavorful vodkas I’ve encountered. No sweetness,…
Five Wives Vodka Approved in Utah, Banned in Idaho
But Mormons don’t drink, so… Five Wives Vodka has been sold in Mormon-dominated Utah since December without creating too much of a stir, according to the distillery. But the brand — and its not-so-subtle reference to polygamy — is too much for liquor regulators in neighboring Idaho. “We feel Five Wives Vodka concept is offensive…
Tasting Report: Matanzas Creek Winery and Roessler Cellars 2012
Roessler has become a bit of a regular stop for me whenever I’m in Sonoma’s lovely town square, and recently we dropped by to see what was new. Turns out, lots: The winery is launching a new label called WALT, and we stumbled in just a week before the wines were going to be released.…
Review: Wild Turkey Rye 81 Proof
Following on the release of its lower-proof Wild Turkey 81 Proof Bourbon, Wild Turkey is at it again, releasing a new Wild Turkey Rye at 81 proof. Wild Turkey makes a 101 proof Rye at present, but this is not widely available and in fact I’ve never tried it. In fact WT says that a…
Review: Bastille 1789 Blended French Whisky
This isn’t our first encounter with French whisky (see also Armorik, here), although it claims to be the “first hand-crafted whisky from France.” Compared to the Armorik, Bastille 1789 (the year of the French Revolution, in case your history is rusty) is a world away. Crafted in the Cognac region on the western border of…
