Review: Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon (2022)
Garrison Brothers, my neighbors down the road in Hye, Texas, recently released its 2022 Cowboy Bourbon, an annual release that we have somehow missed reviewing to date. Drawn from 8- and 9-year old barrels and bottled uncut and unfiltered, it’s one of the distillery’s most prized expressions. Let’s give it a whirl. The reddish-hued spirit…
Review: Prospero Tequila – Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo
Made by Master Distiller Stella Anguiano and fronted by pop star Rita Ora, Próspero Tequila first became available in 2019. Female distillers, particularly of tequila, are rare, but Stella Anguiano has paid her dues. She has been making tequila for over 30 years, including working at the Orendain family distillery for 20 years. Próspero tequila…
Review: Malbecs of Catena Zapata, 2023 Releases
Bodega Catena Zapata is the oldest Argentinian family winery, producing under family ownership since 1902. The winery is credited with making Argentina synonymous with malbec, though it also produces a wide range of international varietals. Today we look at three wines produced by the fourth generation of Zapata — all of which were sampled from…
Review: Uncle Nearest Straight Rye
Uncle Nearest began its foray into rye whiskey earlier this fall with the limited release of Uncut/Unfiltered, a burly, cask strength bruiser that I came to appreciate (with some revisiting and a healthy splash of water). For their next addition to the rye side of the portfolio, the distillery is introducing Uncle Nearest Straight…
Review: Daviess County Bourbon Lightly Toasted Barrel Finish
In a world of “heavy char” bourbon releases, the Lux Row/MGP-owned Daviess County recently hit the ground with the opposite approach, a whiskey finished not just in the now de rigueur toasted barrel but specifically “lightly toasted” ones. It’s the first in a series of toasted barrel releases that will be coming out annually. Daviess…
Review: Kentucky Peerless Rum-Finished Bourbon and Absinthe-Finished Rye
Two new special editions from Kentucky Peerless — which has moved from the world of standard-grade bourbons and ryes into really wild territory. Absinthe barrel finishing? That’s a new one for us. To wit: Kentucky Peerless Bourbon Finished in a Rum Barrel – Rum-finished whiskeys often seem to be missing out on much of the…
Review: Luxardo Antico Sour Cherry Aperitif
Don’t call it a liqueur, because it isn’t: Luxardo Antico is a new type of aperitif, essentially a vermouth made from cherry juice. Per the company: Luxardo Antico is Luxardo’s own interpretation of a vermouth. When Luxardo marasca cherries are harvested at the beginning of every summer, part of the juice is separated and left…
Review: Waterford Distillery Peated: Fenniscourt 1.1 and Peated: Ballybannon 1.1
Waterford’s Single Farm Origin series is billed by the distillery as an “uber-provenance” range of single malts. When we first explored them back in 2020, they weren’t exactly uber, but their unique qualities were undeniable (whether terroir-driven or not). Since then, there have been so many of these Single Farm releases, we honestly haven’t been…
