Review: Wines of Kendall-Jackson, 2019 Releases
A trio of new releases from Kendall-Jackson have arrived, and we’re digging into these affordable offerings… which offer a little bit of something for everyone. 2018 Kendall-Jackson Avant Unoaked Chardonnay California – Why more producers aren’t making unoaked chardonnay I’ll never understand. This bottling is loaded with fresh fruit — lemons, figs, red apples, and…
Review: Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We’ve kept tabs on the annual Yellowstone Limited Edition releases from Kentucky’s Limestone Branch Distillery since 2016, but somehow, we never got around to reviewing its standard bourbon offering, Yellowstone Select. Well, that changes today. While past releases of Yellowstone Select were entirely sourced, this bourbon is now a blend of Limestone Branch’s own distillate…
Review: Balcones Pot Still Bourbon, Rye, “1,” and Baby Blue Whiskey (2019)
Waco-based Balcones is one of the most innovative distilleries in Texas, with new expressions constantly trickling out of the operation. The latest to arrive is Balcones Texas Pot Still Bourbon , which is distilled in Forsyth pot stills from a four-grain mash of roasted blue corn, Texas wheat, Texas rye and malted barley, then aged…
Tasting Virginia’s Best Wines, 2019 Releases
After being pleasantly surprised in tasting recent wines from Virginia, we were asked to check out the 2019 Governor’s Cup Case, a selection of a dozen wines that won gold medals in the 2019 Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition. This mixed case from producers all over Virginia showcases a variety of styles, but all are…
Review: El Tesoro Tequila Paradiso Extra Anejo
While not quite as extreme as El Tesoro’s $200 80th Anniversary bottling, the more commonly available Paradiso Extra Anejo is every bit as much of a delight. Created in collaboration with Alain Royer of A. de Fussigny Cognac, the twist is that this extra anejo is aged for five years in French oak, ex-Cognac barrels…
Review: Santo Cuviso Bacanora Blanco
Santo Cuviso is bacanora, which is not tequila, but rather a close cousin, much like mezcal. Made from a different species of wild agave — Agave Angustifolia (aka espadin, commin in mezcal) — in the Mexican state of Sonora, not Jalisco, Bacanora was reportedly so special it was considered a holy sacrament by the Jesuit…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Shiny Barrel Batch” 2019-02
The second special Booker’s release for 2019 has arrived, “Shiny Barrel Batch,” designated by bottle code 2019-02. Per the distillery, “This newest expression is an ode to a bygone distillery “tradition” where back in the day, there were the barrels certain rackhouse workers liked to sneak a taste from, and in doing so, they rubbed…
Review: Pusser’s Rum – 15 Years Old, Gunpowder Proof, and Painkiller Mix
Pusser’s (slang for “purser’s,” as in the purser of a ship) is a surprisingly new rum brand that only dates back to 1979. The company celebrates the British Royal Navy, but it’s actually based in Charleston, SC. Its rum is currently sourced from Guyana, where it is distilled in wooden pot stills. (Previously the brand…
