2019 Vinho Verde Review: Bico Amarelo and Quinta do Ameal Loureiro
These two Vinho Verde wines from Portugal’s Quinta do Ameal are newly available in the U.S. Both are built around the Loureiro grape, a grape indigenous to this reason which is said to make wines that have aromas resembling laurel flowers. Traditionally blended, it also appears in this duo as a 100% varietal wine. 2019…
Review: Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2020
Diageo has been dropping 12 year old cask strength versions of Lagavulin for as long as I can remember, and nothing much has changed this year — it’s still aged in refill bourbon barrels — except that 2020’s release is available in the U.S., unlike the 2019 edition. Don’t come looking for a lot of…
Review: Ron Barcelo Imperial Onyx and Gran Anejo Dark Series Rum
We’ve covered the rums of Ron Barcelo in the past, but we’ve missed a couple of its darker-themed expressions, including Barcelo Imperial Onyx and Barcelo Gran Anejo Dark Series. What makes these rums so dark and onyxy? Heavily-charred bourbon casks are used to age both of these rums. Additional details can be found in the…
Review: Pratt Standard Old Fashioned Syrup
We reviewed the whole lineup of Pratt Standard cocktail syrups earlier this year, and we were suitably impressed. Just in time for the holidays, the Washington, D.C.-based apothecary is out with their newest concoction, Old Fashioned Syrup. While Pratt Standard’s other offerings are exceptional additions to a slew of somewhat complicated cocktails, this newest is…
Review: Talisker 8 Years Old Limited Edition 2020
At 8 years old this is the youngest whisky in the 2020 Diageo Special Releases (2019’s was a 15 year old Talisker), though it does offer one unique spin: It’s aged in refill casks then finished in pot-still Caribbean rum casks, a first for this distillery (and, I think, a first in the Special Releases…
Review: 135 East Hyogo Dry Gin
Kaikyo Distillery has become best known in the U.S. as the producer of the two Hatozaki whiskies which are available on our shores. Now America is being introduced to a white spirit from Kaikyo, which was originally launched in the country in 2017. 135 East Hyogo Dry Gin is named for the longitude line which…
Review: Nik Weis 2019 Urban Riesling and 2018 Wiltinger Kabinett
Nik Weis St. Urbans-Hof is a riesling winery in Germany’s Mosel region. Thanks to its gentle sweetness, hearty body, and low alcohol level, riesling is a great choice for white wine for cooler months. Today we take a look at two of Weis’s new bottlings, both available fore $20 or less. 2019 Nik Weis Mosel…
Review: Schofferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen (2020)
We first encountered Schofferhofer Grapefruit back in 2015, and since that time it’s been reformulated. No longer made with cochineal color — it now uses beta-carotene to give it its orange-pink hue — and it’s now billed formally as a blend of 50% hefeweizen and 50% grapefruit soda, though that fact could have eluded me…