Review: Wines of District 7, 2020 Releases
District 9 is a movie about a dystopian future on earth. District 7 is a new, affordable label out of Monterey, produced by Scheid Family Wines, all made from sustainably-grown estate fruit. Let’s try them. 2018 District 7 Chardonnay Monterey – A curious wine. While the body is gummy up front, the palate is surprisingly…
Review: GlenDronach Kingsman Edition Vintage 1989
The movie The King’s Man may be eternally delayed due to Covid-19, but that doesn’t mean a whisky to honor it isn’t hitting the market from GlenDronach. (You may also remember a GlenDronach release for Kingsman: The Golden Circle and even the Old Forester Statesman bourbon, for the same movie.) So here we go again, and like…
Review: 2017 Tolosa 1772 Pinot Noir Edna Ranch
This pinot noir is the flagship wine of Tolosa Winery, arguably the blue chip operation in the quirky, remote Edna Valley of California. Bright and citrusy, this is a surprising wine that kicks off its ultralight body with unusual notes of strawberry and pineapple, before settling into a more familiar groove that blends notes of graphite…
Review: Aberfeldy 18 Years Old Finished in Bordeaux Casks and Exceptional Cask 20 Years Old (2020)
Keeping track of Aberfeldy’s single malt releases — “the golden dram” — can be tricky, as there are two separate ranges of whiskies, a core range comprising 12, 16, and 21 year old malts and the Exceptional Cask Series, which offers 18, 19, and 24 year old whiskies. Today, Aberfeldy launches one new whisky in…
Review: Bahlsen Baileys-Flavored Cookies – Choco Leibniz and First Class
At present you can find Baileys Irish Cream in various foodstuffs located all around your grocery store: In fudge, candies, brownie mix, non-dairy coffee creamer, baking chips, cake mix, and more. The catch with all of these? None of them have any booze in them! That changes with Bahlsen’s Choco Leibniz Baileys cookies, which are…
Review: Novo Fogo Sparkling Caipirinha Cocktails
Cachaca producer Novo Fogo recently “rebranded, repackaged, and refined” its line of canned sparkling caipirinhas, which now includes three flavors, now featuring less sugar in the mix. The company’s silver Brazilian cachaca is the base for all of the products, with all natural ingredients used for flavoring. We tried the trio in their new incarnations.…
Review: Admiral Rodney Rums – Princessa, Royal Oak, and Formidable
Admiral Rodney is a line of St. Lucia-based rums from Spiribam, which is best known as the home of Rhum J.M, Clement, and other island rums. Admiral Rodney hasn’t been readily available in the U.S., but that changed last year when Spiribam brought the brand here in earnest. Three editions were launched in 2019 —…
Recipe: Toronto
We love Fernet-Branca as a digestif for its wacky level of bitterness, but in cocktails, you have to tread lightly with such an intense ingredient. The Toronto, popularized by Jamie Boudreau of the famous Canon in Seattle, is a great example of how a little Fernet-Branca can go a long way in a mixed drink.…