Review: WhistlePig Single Malt 21 Years Old The Beholden
WhistlePig is famous for its rye whiskeys, so the launch of a single malt comes as a big surprise. Even bigger than that, however, is its age: 21 long years in barrel. Formally known as The Béhôlden, this whiskey comes with plenty of punny, anti-Scotch goofiness that comes across as a bit of smoke and…
Review: Signatory Glen Rothes 2010 11 Years Old from Spec’s
This bottle of Glenrothes — “Glen Rothes” per this label — was independently bottled by Signatory as part of its Un-Chillfiltered Collection in 2021, after 11 years in a hogshead. It’s a single barrel selection “specially selected for Spec’s Texas,” with 252 bottles released at cask strength. It’s essentially a classic representation of Speyside —…
A Visit to Cognac, France – Part 1: Maison Ferrand
To know Cognac the spirit is to know Cognac the place. Cognac is the product of a minuscule region, rigorously protected by law and produced here and only here for centuries. This tiny town in the west of France is fully built by, for, and around the production of the world’s most famous brandy. “Without…
Review: 3 Wines from Beaujolais, 2023 Releases
Beaujolais seems to be a region on the rise, and I find it on more and more wine lists these days. That’s a good thing, because Beaujolais is affordable, versatile, and — as you’ll see in the trio of reviews below — extremely variable in its characteristics and palate. Let’s try three, each from a…
Pairing Bold Flavors and the Ethos of Champagne with Kwame Onwuachi
Chef Kwame Onwuachi is having a moment. Or perhaps a multi-year series of them. Since a Top Chef appearance in 2015 springboarded him into the mainstream eye, Onwuachi’s resume has expanded to include more and more roles. He’s a repeat author, multi-time restaurateur, creative director, and designer. In 2022, he even partnered with Orly Beauty…
Review: McConnell’s Garrison Brothers Whiskey & Pecan Pralines Ice Cream
Whiskey and ice cream are natural — nay, iconic — matches, and Texas-based Garrison Brothers and California’s McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams figured this out long ago. The two companies have partnered twice before on special edition ice creams; this time around they’re pairing McConnell’s fresh cream with Garrison Brothers Small Batch bourbon plus salt-roasted, caramel-coated…
Review: Lalo Tequila Blanco
OK, who’s Lalo? Not a celebrity, but rather Eduardo “Lalo” González, the grandson of the one and only Don Julio González — who you know best as Don Julio. As you can imagine, the concept with Lalo is to go ultrapremium, using Highlands agave to make tequila using traditional processes and Champagne yeast. The company…
Review: Coppa Cocktails Margarita
When I’ve got a hankering for a margarita, the Netherlands isn’t the first country that pops into my mind, so forgive me if I was a little skeptical when a bottle of Dutch-produced Coppa Cocktails Margarita arrived at my door. Packaged in a stylish bottle wrapped in botanical imagery, this ready-to-drink margarita is eye-catching, to…
