Review: Buzzard’s Roost Single Barrel Straight Rye
Buzzard’s Roost Sippin’ Whiskey is yet another addition to the seemingly unending line of non-distilling producers crowding the whiskey shelves today. The brand was started by Bourbons Bistro founder Jason Brauner, who personally took part in more than 100 barrel selections over his career and supposedly pioneered the idea of private barrel picks for restaurants.…
Review: Stronachie 10, 12, and 18 Years Old
Located in central Scotland, the county of Perthshire was home to the original Stronachie distillery until its doors closed in 1928, after nearly a three-decade-long run of operations. Independent bottlers AD Rattray purchased an original brand at auction, and with the quiet assistance of Benrinnes, resurrected the brand a few years ago. The core range…
Tasting the Wines of Wine Insiders, 2020 Releases
Wine Insiders is a retail website “dedicated to helping wine connoisseurs find the best wine for them.” The focus, as with many retailers along these lines, is on value, with bottles starting as low as $10 a pop. There’s also a subscription service — the Wine Insider Club — which gives you 12 bottles every…
Review: Old Elk Rye, Wheat Whiskey, and Wheated Bourbon (2020)
Last year, Old Elk — the Colorado-based operation run by former MGP master distiller Greg Metze — launched a pair of new whiskey expressions that were sold exclusively in Old Elk’s tasting room. This year, distribution of those releases has expanded nationally, and there’s a new whiskey in the mix, too: a wheated bourbon. (Old…
Recipe (and Kit): Honeycomb Highball
Joji is musician seen in the photo above, and you can tell he’s an awfully happy fellow. Why the long face? Because he hasn’t started sipping on the Honeycomb Highball, a cocktail developed in collaboration with Johnnie Walker and Cocktail Courier, which is selling a kit with all the ingredients you need. The most challenging…
Review: Elysian Contact Haze, Rolling Stone Lager, and Salute the Sun
Today we’re freshening up our coverage of Seattle’s Elysian Brewing, with a look at three beers — two permanent editions, one seasonal. Elysian Contact Haze – This is a very light take on the hazy IPA formula — both in fruit (a touch of mango and a squeeze of pineapple) and in body, which is…
Review: Rhum J.M 10 Years Old Vintage 2008
At the top of Rhum J.M’s Martinique-based lineup stands this infrequent bottling, a vintage-dated rum that spends 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels before bottling. This expression (still column-distilled rhum agricole from estate-grown sugarcane, with no sugar added) hails from the 2008 vintage; you’ll find various other vintages on the market (including 2001, 2003, and 2006).…
Review: Pricklee Superfruit Water
The latest plant to lay claim on the “superfruit” moniker is the cactus fruit, aka prickly pear. Pricklee is a line of non-alcoholic beverages which compete in a vague sense with coconut water. Non-carbonated and sugar free, they’re made with water and prickly pear puree, and are sweetened with agave nectar. “Crafted by pharmacists” as…
