Review: 2016 Oremus Tokaji Dry Mandolis Furmint
Furmint is the grape that Tokaji, the famous Hungarian sweet wine, is made from, but lately dry wines made from furmint have been making their way to the U.S. In 1993, famed Spanish producer Vega Sicilia acquired a vineyard known as Oremus — which dates back over 400 years — and is now making oak-aged…
Review: A. Smith Bowman Virginia Rum
Buffalo Trace’s Virginia-based outpost, A. Smith Bowman, makes a ton of whiskey, but they also make rum — at least, experimentally. Here’s a new entry into Bowman’s Experiment Series collection called, simply, Virginia Rum. Some details: A. Smith Bowman Distillery is announcing the second release in its Experimental Series, which includes distilled spirits from a…
Review: Little Pie Company Ruffino Salted Caramel Prosecco Pie
Ladies and gentlemen, the holidays are upon us, and that means the desserts are going to be flying. How do you integrate upscale drinking into your after-dinner game? Sure, you can tipple on a glass of hooch and dip your cookies into it… or you can bake the booze right in! The folks at Italy’s…
Review: Chicken Cock Double Barrel Bourbon 10 Years Old
The most unlikely name to be revived in the spirits business continues its march upmarket: Chicken Cock, which dropped an outstanding 8 year old single barrel bourbon last December, ups the ante with this, a 10 year old monster with a twist. Made from the same MGP-sourced stock as the 8 year old (from a…
Review: 2016 Gnarly Head 1924 Double Black Cabernet Sauvignon and Red Wine Blend
1924 is Gnarly Head‘s “limited edition” label, as silly as that sounds. The “1924” designation is a nod toward Prohibition; these are the wines folks apparently liked to drink back in the day. (See more context in the comments.) Here’s a look at two of the sub-brand’s most recent releases, both heavy duty reds —…
Review: One Eight Distilling Untitled Whiskey No. 10 and No. 11
Washington, DC’s One Eight Distilling has been bottling its own rye and bourbon under the District Made brand for a year or so now. But the Untitled series that started their foray into brown spirits hasn’t taken a back seat. While harder to find, the line continues to be a successful outlet for experimentation with…
Review: Goose Island Islay Scotch Barrel Imperial Stout
Goose Island is well known for its Bourbon County barrel-aged line, but there are several other beers in their Barrel House offerings that don’t touch a bourbon barrel. One of those is this: Islay Scotch Barrel Imperial Stout. This beer is aged in barrels from Scotland’s Ardbeg Distillery, which uses malt peated to between 50 and…
Tasting Report: Madeira Wine 2018
It’s been two years since we took a deep dive into Madeira, but recently representatives from this unique, fortified, island-grown wine style arrived in San Francisco with their latest wares in tow. This includes some classic brands and one new one — a cooperative of all-female winemakers called CAF being the first new winemaking operation…
