Review: The Clover Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey 10 Years Old
The famed golfer Bobby Jones won all of his big tournaments during Prohibition, including the only Grand Slam title anyone has ever won, so it’s safe to assume he had an illegal, celebratory tipple or two off of the course (and maybe on it, too). He may have had to be discreet back then, but…
Review: Spirit Works Bourbon
Sebastapol, California-based Spirit Works is well-known around here for its gin and vodka products. Recently it got into the world of whiskey, releasing its first ever bourbon. This is an unusual four-grain whiskey, featuring a mash of 60% corn, the rest a mix of wheat, rye, and barley. All grains are organic and the corn…
Review: Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001
This new special edition bourbon from Bulleit is named Blenders’ Select (surely mislabeled as Blender’s Select in more than one location), as it was personally crafted by Eboni Major, the brand’s blender. Wait, doesn’t Major blend all the whiskeys there? Yes, but this takes the juice in a different direction, using just three of the…
Review: Schlafly Summer Lager and Topical Saison
Two summertime releases from St. Louis’s Schlafly. Let’s go! Schlafly Summer Lager – A Helles-style lager from Schlafly, brewed with German Mittelfrüh hops. Malty and bready, it has that unmistakably German kick — slightly vegetal, slightly woody — and a finish that calls out for a pretzel with mustard. A bit light on its feel…
Review: RumChata Limon Liqueur
If you had asked me what I thought the first line extension from RumChata — the horchata liqueur — would be, “lemon” would not have been at the top of that list. But here we are, staring down RumChata Limon to see how sweet and sour come together in cream liqueur fashion. As a refresher,…
Review: 2018 Archery Summit Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
A pair of new releases, summer-friendly, from Oregon’s well-known Archery Summit. 2018 Archery Summit Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills – Surprisingly tight and a little sour up front, this wine exudes notes of lime and unripe apple, both unexpected. The wine does open up as it develops in the glass, with notes of vanilla, coconut, and baked…
Review: Kilbeggan Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Venerable Kilbeggan turns its attention to single pot still whiskey with this a limited edition release that follows the classic recipe of blending malted and unmalted barley — plus 2.5% oats — in the mash before distilling in a pot still. Why oats? Per the company, “In the late 1800s, oats were grown across the…
Review: Gin Lane 1751 London Dry Royal Strength Gin
This is round 3 (of 4 products in total) with Gin Lane 1751, as we turn our attention to the brand’s “royal strength” — in lieu of navy strength — offering. Pot-distilled and made in the London Dry style, as the name suggests, it is flavored with eight botanicals: juniper, star anise, Seville orange, orris…