Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Heavy Char Rye Whiskey 8 Years Old (2019)
For the 13th edition of Heaven Hill’s resoundingly popular Parker’s Heritage Collection Limited Edition bottling, the distillery is releasing a rye — surprisingly the first appearance of rye in the entire series. What’s distinguished here is that the rye spends its eight years of aging time in level 5 charred barrels — a very heavy…
Review: Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale (2019) and Bel Air Sour
Uber-hot Brooklyn Brewery has two new offerings on the table, including a summer seasonal and a year-round sour. Thoughts on both follow. Brooklyn Brewery Summer Ale (2019) – A “sunny pale ale” per the label, Brooklyn’s seasonal Summer Ale is as simple, light, and approachable as the name suggests. Lots of lemon lights the path,…
Review: Single Cask Nation Clynelish 9, Ledaig 13, Ledaig 15, Glenburgie 20, Clynelish 23, and Cameronbridge 26
Our fourth round of independent bottlings from new Scotch whisky producer Single Cask Nation starts now, with a sextet of releases just now hitting the market. (A pair of releases that were part of this outturn, from Imperial and Port Dundas, were unfortunately not available for review.) Single Cask Nation Clynelish 9 Years Old –…
Review: Stirrings Simple Margarita Mix and Margarita Rimmer
Stirrings was one of the first companies to make a splash in the burgeoning premade mixer business, and the brand now dominates shelf space on the mixer aisle. While Stirrings has 13 mixers at present along with a host of other syrups, rimmers, and other nonalcoholic products, today we look at the flagship: Stirrings Simple…
Review: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon
Willett continues to be one of the hottest names in Kentucky bourbon and rye. The distillery, starting in 2008, built a cult following with its Family Estate line of sourced whiskeys, the origins of which still remain rumors (at least some barrels probably came from their Bardstown neighbor, Heaven Hill). In addition to Family Estate,…
Review: NV Blue Nun 24K Gold Edition
Blue Nun has a sparkling wine? With gold flakes in it? Your wishes have been granted, America: If you want to roll like a baller without having to shell out for Armand de Brignac, good old Blue Nun can get the job done for a little more than a ten-spot. What’s in this gold-encrusted bottle?…
A Visit to Islay’s The Botanist Gin Distillery
If you want to get ahead in the distilling business, it seems a good idea is to start as a tour guide. At the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay, the Scottish island renowned for peaty malts like Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, two of the top men both began their careers as tour guides. Adam Hannett, the…
Review: 2018 Studio by Miraval Rose IGP
My wife had to remind me that Miraval wasn’t just a storied winery in Provence, it was also one with pop culture cred, being owned in part by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. (No idea how well that’s working now that they’ve split up.) Today the expression of Miraval you’re most likely to encounter is…
