Review: Original Sin Unfiltered McIntosh Cider
Who knew that the Apple Macintosh computer was named after a variety of apple? Well if you’re Canadian, maybe you did, as the McIntosh is the country’s national apple. Did you know you had a national apple? The variety was first discovered by one John McIntosh, growing in his orchard near the U.S. border in…
Review: Saint James Royal Ambre Rhum Agricole
This agricole style rum hails from the Saint James Distillery in Martinique, and it’s the primary entry in the company’s “gold rum” lineup — a middle ground between white rum and the more fully-aged dark rum category. Saint James Royal Ambre is made from fresh sugarcane juice (as all agricole rums are) and is aged…
Review: Sol Mexican Beer (2019)
Eleven years ago I first wrote about Sol, and when a selection of bottles showed up on my doorstep, I figured it was time to revisit the brand. As of 2019, Sol remains as light as a feather, a classic Mexican lager that looks and drinks like a ray of sunshine. Light granary notes mask…
Review: Skyy Infusions Sun-Ripened Watermelon Vodka
It’s 2019. Is it too late to release a watermelon vodka? (Technically this came out in mid-2018, but you get the idea.) Skyy’s watermelon version of its umpteenth flavored vodka expression, and clearly it has the formula down pretty well. Here we find fresh (sun-ripened, perhaps?) watermelon on the nose, though it’s filtered through a…
Review: Wines of Justin, 2018 Releases
Justin is one of the blue chip wineries of the Paso Robles region, and its wines for late 2018 have all hit the market. Today we look at three of them, plus the 2015 vintage release of Justification to serve as a point of comparison. Thoughts follow. 2015 Justin Justification Paso Robles – 52% cabernet franc,…
Review: Highland Park The Light 17 Years Old
Highland Park’s special edition The Dark didn’t make the very best impression on me when it was released earlier this year, owing to an overbearing sherry profile that was the result of 17 long years in first fill sherry casks. But for its follow up, HP flips the switch and the recipe with The Light.…
Review: Allagash Pictavia
Allagash has had considerable success with Curieux, their widely available, bourbon barrel-aged beer. But starting last year, the famous Maine brewery released it’s first Scotch barrel-aged beer called Pictavia for the former moniker of Scotland. I, for one, did not know Scots were once called Picts. Anyway, Pictavia is appropriately a Scotch ale aged in Scotch…
New Year’s Eve Cocktails for 2019
Ringing in the New Year can be done intimately with a loved one or in a party setting with friends. Today we offer up some great cocktail ideas for wherever the day takes you. To finish up we’ve got a cupcake recipe from Colina Colada Horchata that will complement any plans perfectly. Happy new year!…
