Review: Citadelle Gin Jardin d’ete
Citadelle continues to crank out new gin variations, its most recent being the new Jardin d’ete, a permanent addition to the French company’s lineup. Per the company, “Inspired by a French garden cultivated by Debbie Gabriel, wife of Citadelle Founder Alexandre Gabriel, Jardin d’été is made with melon flesh, whole lemon, yuzu zest and more…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Bardstown Batch” 2021-03 and “Noe Strangers Batch” 2021-04
We wrap up 2021 with a look at the final two special edition expressions of Booker’s Bourbon for the year, 2021-03 and 2021-04. Let’s see how they compare. Booker’s Bourbon “Bardstown Batch” 2021-03 – Aged 6 years, 5 months, 0 days; named for obvious inspiration. The nose here is toasty but not overt with char,…
Review: Stone Hazy IPA and 25th Anniversary Triple IPA
Is every craft brewery having a 25th anniversary this year? Let’s catch up with California’s Stone, which recently dropped as new hazy that does not have tangerines and such in it — plus a monster triple IPA brewed special for the anniversary. We tried them both. Stone Hazy IPA – Yep, just Hazy IPA. It’s a…
Review: Hancock’s President’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Ah, Hancock’s President’s Reserve, the redheaded stepchild of the Buffalo Trace single barrel bourbon lineup. It’s a bit of an off duck, not just because of the peculiar number of possessives in the name. Firstly, the proof is unusual and not quite the Buffalo Trace standard. The distribution is limited, even for a Buffalo Trace…
Review: Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Years Old Batch 3 (2021)
When Ardbeg’s first edition of Traigh Bhan dropped in 2019, we were instant fans of the 19 year old Islay malt that was the latest (and oldest) addition to the distillery’s permanent lineup. Now Traigh Bhan has settled into annual batch status, which Ardbeg is describing as “rare and ever-changing,” with slight changes to cask…
Review: New Riff Red Turkey Wheated Bourbon
When it first hit the whiskey scene, Kentucky’s New Riff Distillery promised a “new riff” on tried-and-true Kentucky whiskey-making tradition. And boy have they started delivering recently. On the heels of their 100% malted rye release earlier this year, the whiskey tinkerers from Newport are adding another innovation to their lineup with Red Turkey Wheated…
Review: 2017 Castello del Terriccio Tassinaia Toscana IGT
Castello del Terriccio can be found in Tuscany’s Maremma region, where it specializes in so-called Super Tuscan wines, including its luxe Lupicaia and the more affordable Tassinaia, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, reviewed here. A beauty of a wine, Tassinaia is intense with notes of graphite and slate, but balanced with darker fruit notes…
Review: Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon
Hot on the heels of our coverage of its gin, Still Austin Whiskey Co.’s latest whiskey has arrived, its first ever cask strength bourbon, now available as a limited release. Roughly 2200 cases of the “at least two years old” bourbon were produced. Made from 100% Texas grains, the new expression contains the same mash…