Review: Martingale Cognac
There’s a new Cognac on the market, and it’s trying very hard to appeal to a younger generation of brandy drinker. Despite the hipper approach to a very old drink, Martingale Cognac retains the pedigree of a heritage brand. It is the product of Guillaume and Amaury Thomas, fourth generation Cognac-makers whose family distillery has…
Review: Lost Lantern Fall 2023 Single Cask Releases
Indie bottler Lost Lantern‘s latest set of releases focus on old friends from America, with four distilleries returning to the fold. Alongside sequels from Balcones Distilling (TX), Smooth Ambler (WV), New Riff (KY), and Corbin Cash (CA) is a new bottling from what Lost Lantern says its most-requested new partner, Andalusia Whiskey Co. (TX). All…
Review: Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Special Release – Portside
We’ve been keeping tabs on Iowa’s Cedar Ridge for a while now, most recently covering their QuintEssential Signature Blend, a solera style vatting of their American single malt aged for two years in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in up to 20 different cask types. Today, we’re looking at a special release of Cedar Ridge…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Mighty Fine Batch” 2023-03
Finally catching up with the final Booker’s Bourbon release for 2023, complete with a new and increasingly “we’re out of names” moniker: “Mighty Fine Batch.” This batch is named in honor of Booker Noe’s signature phrase he’d use to compliment anything he approved of – from his namesake bourbon to his country ham. If you knew…
Review: Ardbeg Anamorphic and Traigh Bhan 19 Years Old Batch 5 (2023)
Two new releases from Islay’s Ardbeg — the latest Committee Release, Anamorphic, and this year’s annual drop of Traigh Bhan, Ardbeg’s ever-shifting 19 year old expression. Details about each follow in turn. Ardbeg Anamorphic – The story with Anamorphic revolves around barrel charring. After removing the heads of classic Ardbeg bourbon casks, they were scored…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project Castle’s Curse Single Malt 14 Years Old
The latest from Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Project takes a return trip to Scotland in the form of the ominously named Castle’s Curse. Don’t worry, it’s not so scary: It’s just a 14 year old single malt from Teaninich, aged in sherry casks. Single malts from Teaninch are rare but not unheard of, as Diageo uses…
Review: 2019 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Goldrock Estate and Crossbarn Cabernet Sauvignon
Paul Hobbs has rapidly rose to prominence as one of the It Winemakers of California, perhaps because he appears to be so very versatile, producing winning bottlings across a range of styles and price points. Today we look at one of his flagship pinot noirs and a new cabernet released under his (slihtly) more affordable…
Ireland and Iberia: Kindred Spirits – An Interview with Irish Distillers’ Billy Leighton
Quick geography lesson for those who slept through it in school. The Iberian Peninsula is a region of southwestern Europe that includes most of Spain and Portugal, a tiny bit of southern France, and Gibraltar. Like Scotch, Irish whiskey has a long tradition of aging in ex-sherry casks that hail from this part of the…