Review: 2020 The Critic Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
Opici Wine & Spirits is a New Jersey-based importer that has set its sights on the world of wine. The two new bottles under “The Critic” label — which seem to be daring the likes of us to take a stab at it — are both sourced from Napa Valley fruit but land at $20…
Review: Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #7 and Discovery Series #7
The seventh editions of Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s Fusion and Discovery Series have hit the shelves. While the concept behind the two hasn’t changed, this latest pair of releases does appear to mark a new level of complexity and uniqueness, at least in their basic construction. The blending wizards at Bardstown Bourbon Co. have rarely combined…
Review: The Pathfinder Hemp and Root
The Pathfinder Hemp and Root is a unique little oddity: fermented from hemp and then distilled, the non-alcoholic spirit is then infused with a variety of botanicals, including wormwood, angelica root, ginger, sage, juniper, saffron, orange peel, and Douglas fir. Note that though it’s made from hemp, there’s no THC in the product. The Pathfinder…
Review: Duke Tequilas – Reposado and Extra Anejo
Well, pilgrim. You thought John Wayne would be satisfied with just a bourbon bottled in his name? Well guess what, now The Duke has lent his signature to tequila, which is available in three (unexpected) expressions, reposado, anejo, and extra anejo. No blanco here, folks. John Wayne only consumes oak-aged spirits, it seems. A slight…
Review: 2020 Domaine Bousquet Alavida Malbec
The label of this wine does its very best to inform customers that this Domaine Bousquet offering is a bottle for celebrating, with numerous toasts and well-wishes from around the world in a handwritten font and lively colors. “A La Vida,” when translated, bears a resemblance to the Hebrew toast “L’chayim,” which means “to life!,”…
Review: Avion Tequila Reserva Cristalino
The latest tequila distillery to jump on the cristalino craze is Avion, which formally drops this into its oversized Reserva Range. Avion’s Cristalino is a blend of añejo and extra añejo tequilas that is then double charcoal filtered to clear. Let’s give it a whirl. Initially, the nose is decidedly on the green side, with…
Review: High Camp Highball Shaker
High Camp makes a pretty cool travel flask, and recently it expanded its repertoire to include a natural addendum: a shaker perfect for outdoor environs. Unlike the partially magnetically sealed flask, the High Camp Highball Shaker includes three components that all screw together, making for a higher-grade seal. The components includes a 20 ounce vessel,…
Review: Tequila Don Julio Primavera
Tequila Don Julio Primavera is a special edition of the distillery’s reposado, finished in casks which previously held wine infused with macerated orange peels, “striking the balance of citrus and honey.” It’s a unique approach to tequila, but does a special wine cask (and a funky, rounded-base bottle) merit a $150 price tag? (One whose signature…
