Review: Wines of Oda al Vino & Am, 2020 Releases
Oda al Vino and Am are Chilean wine brands owned by St. Stephen Organic Vineyards, which is co-located in Chile’s Colchagua Valley and San Jose, California. St. Stephen produces only organic wines and is so devoted to sustainability that it recently addressed the United Nations Climate Change Division on the matter. We tried the most…
Review: New Riff Single Barrel Rye
When we reviewed New Riff’s rye whiskey release last spring, we mentioned that, like its bourbon, a single barrel program wouldn’t be far behind. Well, sure enough, New Riff single barrel rye started popping up last summer, although private barrels don’t seem to be quite as prevalent as the bourbon. On a recent trip to…
Review: Crew Bottle Co. Bottles
If you want to make your own bottled cocktail, the conventional method has been to simply upcycle an empty 750ml bottle by washing it out and filling it with your own ingredients. Crew Bottle Co. offers an upscale take on the idea, taking a standard 750ml bottle and outfitting it with a rubberized, removable base.…
Review: Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Very Small Batch Bourbon (2020)
We first reviewed Jefferson’s Reserve seven long years ago, and it’s high time for a revisit. As far as we can tell from the packaging, this “Very Old, Very Small Batch” bourbon remains unchanged, but since the father and son owners, Chet and Trey Zoeller, have always been up front about the fact that they…
Review: Wines of Enrico Serafino, 2020 Releases
Let’s take a little trip to Italy, courtesy of producer Enrico Serafino: In the steep hills of the Northwestern Cuneo province in Piedmont lies the Roero subregion. The region is often overlooked given its prestigious neighbor, Langhe, but Roero commands its own attention and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its enological…
Review: Sabor Dominicano Mamajuana
I was delighted to discover — if only so I could say it out loud — the unique beverage Mamajuana (sometimes Mama Juana) on a recent visit to the Dominican Republic. Dating back to the 1950s, Mamajuana is the unofficial national beverage of the Dominican, an odd combination of rum, honey, and red wine that…
Review: NV Faire la Fete Brut and Rose Cremant de Limoux (2020)
Faire la Fete is a brand of Cremant-style sparkling wines, made in the Limoux region of far-southern France and known for its restraint in the use of sugar in its wines. (Faire la Fete Brut has 6 g/liter of sugar, while Veuve Clicquot “Yellow Label” has 9.5 g/liter.) Today we take a fresh look at…
Review: Reservoir Distillery Hunter & Scott Bourbon
We reviewed the core offerings from Richmond’s Reservoir Distillery back in 2017. Their unique mashbills (all 100% single grain locally sourced) and small barrel aging program made them unique among many craft-whiskey producers at that time. Fast forward three years and Reservoir is probably even more unique today, as many craft distilleries have traded small…
