Review: Trapiche 2017 Iscay Syrah-Viognier and 2020 Oak Cask Cabernet Sauvignon
We are back with another round from Mendoza’s Trapiche vineyards after being delighted by its Oak Cask Malbec and Medalla Cabernet Sauvignon earlier this year. With expectations high, let’s uncork. 2017 Trapiche Iscay Syrah-Viognier – A deep and heavy on blackberry nose deceptively brings malbec impressions to mind, but the palate corrects that assumption with…
Review: Col. E.H. Taylor 18 Year Marriage
We’ve been dragging our feet on Buffalo Trace’s recent installments to the E. H. Taylor, Jr. line, but it’s not entirely our fault. Every bottle in the standard Taylor lineup has become a hot commodity, which means limited releases like this one are now almost impossible to track down, let alone afford once you actually…
Book Review: Claridge’s – The Cocktail Book
When stepping into the bar at Claridge’s, the art deco design isn’t just a half-baked attempt or superfluous fly-by-night trendy imitation of the golden age, it’s the genuine article. The aesthetic and care to detail are something to be respected, the entire experience classy from start to finish. So, it makes sense that Director of…
Review: Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin
London-based Sipsmith is one of the most underrated, under-the-radar gins on the market. Recently it took things in a surprising direction by releasing this limited-edition expression, a strawberry-and-mint infused version of its classic gin. Part of the limited-edition Sipping Series, the first release was flavored chili & lime gin, while a coffee-infused gin is already…
Review: Karbach Clutch City Lager
Ready for a beer that’s as straightforward as it gets? Houston’s Karbach has cranked out a new lager in collaboration with the Houston Rockets basketball team. At all of 4% abv, the lager is best served while watching hoops on TV — and, for most drinkers, probably by the six-pack. Also worth noting: “A portion…
Review: Lost Lantern Spring 2022 Single Cask Releases
Lost Lantern is a fairly new independent bottler of American whiskeys, and it lately seems to have really hit its stride. For Spring 2022, it’s dropping four new single cask whiskeys, some with some truly unusual finishing applied. We were fortunate enough to get the full quartet — none of which yielded more than 272…
Review: Firestone Walker Parabola 2022
Parabola, the flagship in Firestone Walker’s Proprietor’s Vintage Series, is changing things up once again for 2022. While last year’s release saw aging, for the first time ever, in a mix of bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey barrels, the latest edition is a much simpler, all ex-bourbon-aged creation with one catch; the barrels used were…
Review: Nine Banded Bourbon, Wheated Bourbon, and Wheated Bourbon Cask Strength
Nine Banded hit the scene in 2019 with a blended whiskey, made from Kentucky stock and mixed up in Austin, Texas. Now we’re back with three new releases from the brand. They’re all made from Indiana-based MGP stock now, but again they’re all proofed with local, limestone-heavy water (which may explain one commenter’s note about…
