Review: Wheel Horse Rye Batch 3
In the past we’ve covered the first edition of bourbon and rye from Wheel Horse — sourced from O.Z. Tyler in Owensboro, Kentucky and bottled in Rhode Island. Now the brand is continuing apace with further batches, though there don’t appear to be any changes in the production process. Today we look at Wheel House…
Review: Broken Shed Vodka (2022)
It’s been 10 long years since our last (and initial) look at Broken Shed Vodka, a spirit made in New Zealand and distilled four times from whey. What’s changed since 2012? If my tasting notes are any judge, not a lot. The vodka has a distinct sweetness on the nose which evokes sweet cream, giving it…
Review: Severo Tequila, Complete Lineup
Severo is a new tequila brand from Tequilera Don Roberto, imported by San Francisco’s Hotaling & Co. It’s made from seven year old agave plants, growing region unstated. A little backstory on Don Roberto: Established in 1924, Tequilera Don Roberto is one of two remaining Mexican-owned heritage tequila businesses and is still owned and operated…
Review: Viss Vodka – Ballet Blue and Blush Blossom
Remember how we said that fresh, organic infused vodkas were the hottest trend in the category? Well, they say the exception makes the rule, and here it is in the form of Viss, a candy-colored, heavily artificially flavored vodka that’s imbued with a sparkly substance that makes it shimmer in the bottle and in the…
Review: Savage and Cooke Digits Bourbon 5 Years Old
California’s Savage and Cooke continues to crank out odd but engaging whiskeys, its latest being a collaboration between winemaker-cum-whiskey blender Dave Phinney and famed basketball star Scottie Pippen. Curious, eh? Digits is a 5 year old Tennessee bourbon, but beyond that details are elusive. There’s also a photo of a hand on the label. With…
Review: 2019 Scheid Family Wines VDR
This is our second vintage of VDR — Very Dark Red — to review, the first being 2018’s release of this Monterey County blend, predominantly petite sirah and petit verdot — designed to give this an intensity of color that merits its name. To that end, VDR gets things right, its bold notes of extracted…
Review: Bladnoch Pure Scot Signature, Samsara, and Adela
Now more than 200 years old, the Lowlands-located Bladnoch recently revamped its core range, adding a variety of new spirits to its permanent catalog along with numerous special editions. Today we’re looking at a trio of these whiskies, including one of the distillery’s two new mass-market blends, bottled under the Pure Scot label. Bladnoch Pure Scot…
Review: Wines of Ancient Peaks, 2022 Releases
We’re back with Paso Robles’ Ancient Peaks, with a pair of newly released reds, each intended for wintertime sipping. Let’s dig in. 2019 Ancient Peaks Merlot Paso Robles Santa Margarita Ranch – Very dry, the fruit on this wine feels like a shadow of what it should be. Notes of green herbs and fresh grass are…
