Review: 2018 Pfendler Petaluma Gap Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
We’re excited to dip back into the wines of Pfendler, which recently brought in a new winemaker, Erica Stancliff. While she didn’t work on the 2018 vintage from start to finish, she did oversee the final blend. More importantly, you’ll note that Pfendler’s wines now both sport the newly minted Petaluma Gap AVA on the…
Review: Papa’s Pilar Rum Marquesas Blend
By my count, this is the sixth release of Papa’s Pilar Rum — named in honor of Ernest Hemingway — with four of those releases limited edition (and semi-experimental) bottlings. Papa’s Pilar Rum Marquesas Blend is a blend of seven rums “aged up to 24 years and sourced from countries spanning the Caribbean, U.S. and…
Review: Guillotine Vodka – Straight and Heritage Edition
Guillotine Vodka hails from France (where else?) where it produces two versions of the spirit. The standard vodka is, like many French vodkas, distilled from grapes, while the Heritage Edition is “aged” (their quotation marks) in Cognac and Armagnac barrels “made from very special Limousin oak.” We tried both. Let’s dig in. Mind the price…
Review: Lagavulin 12 Years Old Limited Edition 2019
A 12 year old version of Lagavulin is invariably a part of the Diageo Special Releases, though this one isn’t going to be available in the U.S. There are no big surprises in this release, aged in refill bourbon barrels, and that’s probably for the best. The nose is heavy on the smoke, the usual…
Review: Wines of Left Coast Cellars, Late 2019 Releases
This review marks our third go-round with Oregon’s Left Coast in the last year. This quartet of wines were all released at the tail end of 2019 and are designed for cooler weather sipping — including the first sparkling wine from Left Coast we’ve encountered. As always, all wines hail from the Van Duzer Corridor,…
Review: Compoveda Tequila Extra Anejo
SipTequila is an online tequila shop specializing in high-end bottlings, and recently it pulled a trick that not even the whiskey merchants are doing: It launched its own private label brand (not a barrel pick) called Compoveda. Compoveda exists solely as an extra anejo. It is crafted from 100% blue weber agave (source unknown), then…
Review: Petal Sparkling Botanical Blend Mixers
Who doesn’t love a good Gin & Tonic, Vodka Soda, or Dark & Stormy? While premium sodas from Fever Tree and Top Note have elevated the classics, perhaps there’s room for a newcomer to offer original flavors that taste just as great when mixed with a spirit as they do on their own. Enter Petal,…
Review: Dalwhinnie 30 Years Old Limited Edition 2019
Central Highlands-based Dalwhinnie has shown up a few times in the Diageo Special Releases, but this 30 year old, aged in a variety of casks, is its oldest to date. It’s quite a treat, too. The nose is pretty and floral, lightly perfumed with notes of sandalwood making for an instantly evocative aroma. The palate…
