Review: Absolut 100 Vodka
With its black label and silver cap, Absolut 100 is an ominous spirit to face down, which probably explains why it’s been sitting on my kitchen counter for three weeks: It scares me. 100 proof of pure vodka, this is a higher-test version of the Absolut that everyone knows so well. Absolut’s characteristic heat is…
Review: 2006 Sebeka “Cape Blend” Shiraz Pinotage
Uncomplicated and full of lush fruit, Sebeka makes for a perfect introduction to South African wine. What, you didn’t know they had wine in South Africa? They do, and it’s generally pretty good. Sebeka’s Cape Blend is 60% Shiraz and 40% Pinotage, a grape bred in the ’20s as a cross between Pinot Noir and…
Review: Ardmore Traditional Cask
I was lucky to get my hands on a bottle of Ardmore’s new single malt, Highland Scotch release, Traditional Cask, which has arrived on our shores with just 3,000 cases available. Non-chill filtered and produced in the Speyside region, it marks Ardmore’s first single malt to be made generally available in the U.S. (The company…
Review: August Schell Lakemaid Beer
Mention fish near my beverage and I get a little skittish: Nothing can spoil your tipple faster than the pervasive stench of fish. Yet, for Lakemaid, August Schell teams up with fishing titan Rapala to cook up a brew with the fisherman in mind. I can attest that not a single bass has come near…
The Best Wine You’ve Never Heard Of
I had my first — and only — bottle of Sean Thackrey’s wine on May 24, 2002, a bottle of the 1995 Orion (which the label professed not to know what grape varietal it was made of but which was likely Syrah), which I found in a mixed case lot at a Bonhams & Butterfield…
Review: 2005 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville – Napa Valley
Founded in 1861, Charles Krug is Napa Valley’s oldest winery. I know this because it says so right on the label of Krug’s 2005 Cabernet. Now operated by Peter Mondavi and his family, Krug wines are still alive and kicking. The 2005 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon Yountville – Napa Valley is actually a curious blend:…
Review: Skyy Infusions Passion Fruit Vodka
Did you know: Skyy is the #4 vodka brand in the U.S.? I always thought Skyy was a west coast thing (they’re based here in S.F.), but I guess they’re really a powerhouse in the biz. With products like this one, it’s easy to see why. Passion fruit, as flavors go, is invariably a big…
Tasting Report: Sonoma in the City, May 2008
Sonoma County’s vintners threw an enormous event in a far-too-small and wholly-unorganized ballroom at San Francisco’s Four Seasons this week, showcasing some of the areas wines (in fact, all 13 Sonoma County AVAs were represented). I only managed to taste a small fraction of the more-than-100 wineries pouring at the event, but some truly inspired…
