Review: Barrell Bourbon Batch 24
For their latest bourbon batch, Batch 24, the folks at Barrell seem to have stuck to the same general script as Batch 21 and Batch 23. This one is comprised of bourbons sourced from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, with some as old as 15 years. The youngest barrels in the batch, however, skew slightly younger…
Review: Signatory Glenlossie 2008 9 Years Old from Binny’s
While unhealthy for the pocketbook and the credit card balance, a multi-state road trip to Binny’s in Illinois always seems to satisfy the spirit, soul and basement bar. It is a most welcome pilgrimage to escape the day-to-day decline in which we seem to find ourselves. With a full shopping basket and a full heart,…
Review: Templeton Rye Barrel Strength 2020
For three years running now, the folks at Iowa’s Templeton have released a barrel-proof expression of their well-known rye, a sourced whiskey from MGP made with its trademark 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash. This is our first encounter with the release, though you can probably find 2018 and 2019 expressions lingering here and…
Review: Busch Light Apple
It is really hard to know what to make of this, why this happened or for what audience it is intended. A few guesses: an apple-flavored beer, a beer-flavored cider, Johnny Appleseed, The Village Green Anti-Cider Society, Matt “Them Apples” Damon, patrons of Applebee’s happy hour or fans of the FX show What We Do…
Review: Tomintoul 25 Years Old
Fair or not, Tomintoul has acquired a reputation of being safe and pleasant, but nothing that quickens the pulse at the sight of a fresh bottle. I would imagine it to be the kind of malt my father would consume nightly, were I able to claw the can Labatt Blue Light permanently affixed to his…
Recipe: Ward 8
The Ward 8 is one of the less well-known drinks invented during the fifty years or so prior to Prohibition, what’s sometimes called the Golden Age of Cocktails. Supposedly it was named for the Boston administrative area that helped to deliver the winning votes for Martin Lomansey, one of the city’s best known and longest…
Review: Chianti Wines of Selvapiana, 2020 Releases
Fattoria Selvapiana is a storied producer in Chianti Rufina, the smallest subzone in the Chianti region. The winery recently dropped its 2020 releases, four of which we review below. 2018 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina DOCG – Focused cherry notes are tinged with graphite and a touch of saddle leather, with a slight milk chocolate bent emerging…
The Best Orgeat Roundup – Monin, Liber, Torani, Trader Vic’s, and Liquid Alchemist
Orgeat — aka almond syrup — is one of those cocktail ingredients that you really can’t fake. Substituting regular syrup in a mai tai just doesn’t do the trick, as you really need that nuttiness to complete the drink — or anything else in which orgeat is called for. Yes, you can make your own…
