Review: Bunnahabhain 18 Years Old
One of the most-fun-to-say spirits names in the business, Bunnahabhain is situated on the north end of Islay. This 18-year Scotch is a moderately smoky spirit, heavy on salty, seaweed-infused phenol and light on the sweets (a caramel note is there somewhere in the finish, but it’s just a hint, really). Flowery notes are more…
Know Any December 5 Birthdays?
Many catches, but there’s up to $75 in it for ya… We’re offering a $75 bounty for a Bay Area resident turning 75 on Dec. 5, 2008, and a $25 bounty for a local turning 21 on the same day. You see, Dec. 5 is the 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition. Yes, it…
The Really Are Gonna Nickel and Dime Us…
Well, nickel us, anyway: Nickel-a-drink tax: Effective Jan. 1, 2009 Schwarzenegger would hike the alcohol taxes in the stat by a nickel per drink (defined as 1.5 ounces of liquor, 12 ounces of beer, or 5 ounces of wine) What it would bring in: $293 million in 208-09 and $584 million in 2009-10. Funny, we…
Review: Gale Force Gin
One final look at the product line from Triple Eight Distillery — we’ve covered their vodkas and rum already. Surprise: Gale Force Gin may very well be the best thing the company makes. Then again, maybe that’s not such a shock. Nantucket bluebloods consume all the gin in this country already, so they’re probably just…
Review: 2006 Potel-Aviron Cote de Brouilly Vielles Vignes
Beaujolais mania continues at Drinkhacker with this Cote de Brouilly from Potel-Aviron. It’s a really tough wine to crack, with some astringency and hefty earth notes, plus pepper, mint, and tobacco smoke. The core Gamay fruit is straightjacketed by the other elements in the bottle. It’s drinkable (and works better with a big dinner), but…
The Healthy Way to Drink… Drink Beer, That Is
Red wine gets all the press, what with its anti-aging miracle compound. But what about that poor sod, the beer drinker? He’s left out in the cold to get a pot belly and enormous intestinal gas. The genius kids at Rice University want to change that: They’re putting resveratrol, that red wine magic juice, into…
Review: Triple Eight Hurricane Rum
The folks of Triple Eight Distillery (whose vodkas I reviewed here) also produce a rum called Hurricane. Now Nantucket is not typically an area one associates with rum, but the folks in Massachusetts at least do a credible job with it. There’s nothing overly surprising about Hurricane Rum aside from its provenance. Named in honor…
Review: The Glenlivet 12, 15, 18, and 21 Years Old, Nadurra 16 Years Old, and XXV (2008)
After digging Glenlivet’s 25 year old Scotch, the company was kind enough to send samples of the rest of the “core” lineup — the bottles that are available worldwide, year-round, all the time — for comparison. This Speyside giant produces quite a range of whiskys. Some thoughts follow. Glenlivet 12 Years Old (2008) – Your…
