Tasting Report: Whiskies of the World Expo San Francisco 2012
Kudos to Douglas Smith for putting together this event, easily the best installment of the Whiskies of the World show that I’ve experienced since I started this blog six years ago. Loaded with whiskies you rarely see in the U.S. or even at whisky shows, WotW 2012 also had plenty of long-time favorites on hand…
Review: 2009 Murietta’s Well The Spur Livermore Valley
This wine is a pretty different blend than last year’s version, and frankly it’s much more successful. For 2009, the composition is 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 21% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petite Sirah, and 4% Merlot, all from Livermore Valley. To put that in comparison, in 2008 the percentage of Malbec was…
Review: Rhum Clement Premiere Canne and Sirop de Canne (2012)
Today we take a fresh look at Rhum Clement, a Martinique-based producer of rhum agricole, which is rum made not from molasses (the norm) but of free-run sugar cane juice. This year Clement celebrates its 125th anniversary, and it’s redesigning its packaging and adding a new product, Sirop de Canne (a bottled sugar syrup). We…
Review: Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky
The name says it all, pretty much: Canadian Rye whisky (a blend of whiskys aged 3 to 7 years — the 3, 5, and 7 refer to barrel ages) blended with Quebecois Canada 1 Light maple syrup (and caramel color). Distilled four times, it is aged in used Bourbon barrels and bottled at an odd…
Review: 2009 Chamisal Vineyards Pinot Noirs
South of Paso Robles, north of Santa Maria, even further north of Santa Barbara, Edna Valley is a region near San Luis Obispo, where a handful of Pinot-focused wineries can be found. Here Chamisal, a smaller winery that’s part of the Crimson Wine Group (which owns Pine Ridge and Archery Summit, among others), produces a…
Book Review: Thin Skins: Why the French Hate Australian Wine
I didn’t know the French hated Australian wine. Not specifically, I mean. I thought they hated all wine that wasn’t French. And I thought that everyone hated Australian wine. Aussie wine writer Campbell Mattinson does a good job at reminding us it wasn’t always this way. Australian wine came from a place of no repute…
Review: Hiram Walker Watermelon Sour Schnapps
Wow. No. “All natural flavors” don’t get more horrifying than this. Or more Kool-Aid pink in color. I could go into detail about the flavor that reminds me of Jolly Ranchers melted into Chinese sweet & sour sauce, but let me leave it at this: I would have trouble imagining even the most desperate bum…
Review: 2011 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier California
One of precious few wines with a plus sign in the name, Pine Ridge’s unique blend of acidic Chenin Blanc and ultra-fruity Viognier comes together in rather spectacular and highly drinkable fashion, all for $12 a bottle (or even $10 if you shop around). A greatest hits collection of these two lesser-regarded wine grapes, Pine…
