Review: Sons of Liberty Uprising and Battle Cry Single Malt Whiskeys
We’ve covered a number of products from Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Company, located in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, a company that’s best known for seasonal whiskeys like its annually released pumpkin spice-flavored whiskey. The company also runs a small brewery (though the beers are not widely available), and lately it’s been turning those beers…
Review: 2016 Frank Family Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Frank Family’s latest releases have arrived, both from the 2016 vintage and both from the Carneros region. A chardonnay and a pinot noir are both on tap. Thoughts follow. 2016 Frank Family Vineyards Chardonnay Carneros – While buttery and creamy, this chardonnay nonetheless manages to showcase some acidity as well as brilliant fruit, including apple,…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project Rhetoric Bourbon 24 Years Old
It’s hard to believe but Diageo’s Rhetoric line is now at 24 years old, in its fifth installment out of what will eventually be a total of six. As a reminder, the bourbon was sourced from Louisville’s Bernheim Distillery and was made from a mash of 86% corn, 8% barley, and 6% rye. I took…
Review: Samuel Adams New England IPA and Boston 26.2 Brew
Sam Adams has two new brews arriving, one of which you’ll want to make part of your regular rotation, one a special release with charitable aims. Let’s look at both. Samuel Adams New England IPA – It’s only fitting that Boston-based Sam Adams would jump on the hazy “New England style” IPA bandwagon, and this…
Review: Michter’s Single Barrel Bourbon 10 Years Old 2018
The latest in Michter’s annual 10 year old Single Barrel Bourbon releases is here, this 2018 release formally a collaboration between Michter’s Master Distiller Pamela Heilmann and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. What’s a Master of Maturation? While the position of Master Distiller is well established in Kentucky, the position of Master of Maturation is less…
Tasting Report: Jack Rose Dining Saloon’s Premier Drams 2018
Not many bars can throw their own whiskey festival, but when a bar happens to have the largest selection of whiskey in the Western Hemisphere, it becomes an ideal setting. Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, DC held its inaugural and appropriately named Premier Drams festival on March 25, and we were invited. The bar…
Review: GlenDronach Grandeur Batch 9 24 Years Old, Single Cask #415 24 Years Old, and Single Cask #2257 27 Years Old
Whoa, here’s a trilogy of new releases from The Glendronach — a Highland distillery (in the far north of the country) known for its sherry cask maturation — none younger than 24 years of age. These are all very rare releases — though the two single casks releases are U.S. exclusives. Let’s give them a…
Review: Clos du Bois “Lightly Bubbled” Wines
Want a little bubbly but don’t want a monster of a wine like Champagne? Clos du Bois has a new idea: table wine that is “lightly bubbled.” These wines are hardly made in the methode champenoise style but are simply carbonated a bit after the fact. The result is a moderately fizzy wine — a bit…
