Review: 2018 Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Pecorino Terre di Chieti IGT
This bottling of budget-friendly pecorino from Umani Ronchi is born in the Terre di Chieti region, in the foothills of central Italy’s Abruzzo region. Ultra-floral on the nose, this wine hovers closely around notes of jasmine, lavender, and honeysuckle, with hints of clover honey, buttered biscuits, and lemon peel all working their way into the experience.…
Review: Writers’ Tears Double Oak Irish Whiskey
We reviewed the core offering from Writers’ Tears back in 2016 when it finally came ashore from Ireland courtesy of Walsh Whiskey (which also produces The Irishman line). The Writers Tears expressions include several unique finished whiskeys, as well as a rare cask strength offering, none of which we’ve been able to track down, unfortunately.…
Review: Highland Brewing Metal Rat
This is our first spin with Asheville, North Carolina-based Highland Brewing’s beers, and we’re starting off big. Metal Rat is a collaboration with Seattle’s Lucky Envelope Brewing, making this a true cross-country collaboration. Designed to celebrate Chinese New Year, the beer is unique hazy IPA that’s brewed on both coasts and is made with Lotus…
Review: TOPO Vodka, Wheat Whiskey, and Spiced Rum (2020)
We tasted the clear spirits of Top of the Hill Distillery (TOPO), including their white whiskey, way back in 2013. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based distillery has been hard at work tweaking, adding new products, and barrel-aging their whiskey since then, so we thought we would check in on their latest offerings. TOPO is one…
Review: Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer
When it comes to making Moscow Mules and Dark & Stormies, there’s a new mixer choice in town: Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer, billed as “Extra Spicy.” Available in cans and bottles, it is the usual high-end offering, made with cane sugar and bottled unfiltered with visible specks of ginger in the mix. (A sugar-free version, made…
Visiting the Breweries of Flagstaff, Arizona’s Craft Beer Capital
With eight breweries, two of which have expanded into second locations in recent years, it’s not surprising Flagstaff’s been described as the Craft Beer Capital of Arizona. Better-known as a stopping point on Route 66, the Mother Road, the city has a population of about 70,000, and almost half of those are students. No wonder…
Review: Wines of Tenuta di Fessina, 2020 Releases
We last encountered the wines of Tenuta di Fessina — which are bottled under several different labels — just a year ago. Today we look at Fessina’s new vintage releases (sans the Musmeci release, which wasn’t available for review) for 2020. Thoughts follow. 2017 Tenuta di Fessina Erse Etna Bianco DOC – A blend of…
Review: Westland Peat Week 2020
After six years of special releases, Westland Peat Week should need no introduction, but we’ll give it one all the same. Peat Weak is a special annual release from the Seattle distillery that, like Balvenie, is made for only one week out of the year. Again, Westland makes peated whiskey all the time, but Peat…
