Review: 2018 Brecon Mourvedre and Cabernet Franc
Brecon can be find in California’s idyllic Paso Robles region, where it sells its wines exclusively through its tasting room. We recently tasted two expressions, both intense reds from the 2018 vintage. 2018 Brecon Mourvedre Paso Robles Adelaida District – Intense from the get-go, this wine punches you in the throat with the elements of…
Review: Heaven’s Door Bourbon Bootleg Series Vol. II
Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Whiskey got a limited edition release late last year with the launch of the Bootleg Series — the 2019 bottling being a 26 year old bourbon finished in mizunara oak. We didn’t get a chance to taste it, but we did get a sample of the 2020 edition in the Bootleg…
Review: Lagunitas Sucks (2020) and Born Yesterday Pale Ale 2020
Lagunitas’s late 2020 seasonal beers are here, and we drank them. Lagunitas Sucks (2020) – An old seasonal reissued in honor of 2020, this dry-hopped double IPA is made with four types of cereal grains — barley, oats, wheat, and rye. It’s creamy and immersive, punchy with bitterness but never overdone. Instead it lets the…
Review: Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1
What do you get when you put a former Whisky Advocate writer and an Astor Wine & Spirits sales manager together? Why, a blend of American single malt whiskies all vatted together and released as a wildly unique experience. Inspired by Scotland’s independent bottlers, Adam Polonski and Nora Ganley-Roper are releasing Lost Lantern as a series of…
Review: 2017 Archery Summit Vireton Pinot Gris Willamette Valley
This Oregon pinot gris is whole-cluster pressed, which really brings out the wine’s substantial and exotic fruit elements. Boldly floral with notes of orange blossoms, the flowery notes nicely complement elements of red apple and melon — before a curious tropical character emerges. Archery Summit’s tasting notes peg this as guava, and they’re dead on…
Review: Wonderland Blend of Straight Whiskeys
Wonderland Distilling can be found in Muskegon, Michigan, and recently it dropped its very first product, a Blend of Straight Whiskeys. Not much is known about the source of these whiskeys — they appear to be distilled on site, and at the very least are distilled in Michigan — but we do know what’s in…
Review: Dow’s Tawny Port 10 Years Old and 20 Years Old (2020)
It’s only been a year since we looked at Dow’s two entry-level Tawny Port releases, one a 10 year old and one a 20 year old. We just got fresh bottles of each, so let’s take a spin back into these expressions to see what, if anything, has changed. Dow’s Tawny Port 10 Years Old…
Review: Teremana Tequila – Blanco and Reposado
2020 has seen a raft of celebrity-branded wines and spirits, but none is arguably bigger than Teremana, which is backed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Teremana is a pot-distilled spirit made with 100% Highlands agave. It’s currently available in blanco and reposado expressions; no anejo at this time. We received both for review. Let’s drink…