Review: King Floyd’s Bitters – Orange, Aromatic, and Cardamom – and Rim Salts
My sleepy burg of Novato, California is home to a surprising operation: King Floyd’s, which produces both artisanal bitters as well as a couple of tins of rimming salts. The company was kind enough to send all five of its products our way for review. Thoughts follow. King Floyd’s Orange Bitters – Strong orange notes…
Review: Mixallogy Cocktail Mixers
The world of powdered cocktial mixers continues its march into the market. The latest comes from an outfit called Mixallogy, which uses USDA certified organic ingredients as the basis for three single-serve mixers. One nifty thing about Mixallogy’s approach is that the mixers are all packaged in a small, plastic cup. The cup does double…
Review: Chapter 7 Allt-a-Bhainne 9 Years Old and Aultmore 9 Years Old
We last wrote about the Swiss brand Chapter 7, a newer independent bottler of single malt Scotch, in mid-2017. Now the outfit has released two new releases in the U.S., both single cask bottlings offered at cask strength. Let’s check the duo out. Chapter 7 Allt-a-Bhainne 9 Years Old – Allt-a-Bhainne is a Speyside distillery…
Review: NV Pata Negra Cava Organic
J. Garcia Carrion is the producer of Pata Negra, a typical expression of 100% macabeo grapes that happen to be organic. Crisp apple and pear, plus a touch of cinnamon, are clear signposts en route to a creamy finish that offers hints of banana. Nothing fancy here — this is a sub-ten-dollar wine, after all…
Revisiting the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, 2018
Back in 2011, I took my first trip to Kentucky, endeavoring to visit every distillery that was open to visitors at the time. Since then, a lot has changed, as bourbon mania has led in turn to bourbon tourism mania. In the last seven years, the region, and the Bourbon Trail itself, has exploded with…
Review: 2016 Luca Bosio Moscato d’Asti DOCG
A typical expression of moscato, lightly frizzante, with heavy notes of apricots, peaches, and some sweet apple candy. A significant honey influence gives the wine a little more to work with in the body department, and the finish is surprisingly clean and fragrant. I never drink moscato, but this is something I could gravitate to.…
A Visit to Taft’s Ale House, Cincinnati
You’ll find Taft’s Ale House in the Over-the-Rhine District of Cincinnati, Ohio, a region still grappling with its rapid gentrification, a place where burned-out buildings will dominate one block, chick boutiques the next. Taft’s occupies the remains of a church here, rebuilt and converted into a working microbrewery/taproom, with long picnic style tables replacing the traditional…
Bar Review: Reserve 101, Houston
You’ll find Reserve 101 across the street from the House of Blues in downtown Houston, right on the corner, where the HoB’s enormous neon sign blares through the window. It might be enough to distract you from the place you’ve stepped into, a small bar that just so happens to have the largest whiskey collection…