Review: Beachwood Brewing Citraholic IPA
Beachwood Brewing is a Long Beach-based outfit we’ve covered before, a BBQ restaurant that recently moved into bottling its own brews. Citraholic is its west coast IPA, focused on Citra hops but also including Warrior, Columbus, and Simcoe in the mix. Despite the heavy use of Citra, the beer isn’t particularly citrusy. Rather, an intense earthiness fills…
Christmas Cocktails 2017
Who doesn’t love a holiday cocktail? Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or another cultural holiday, these cocktails are sure to please you and any guests. We’ve also included an easy appetizer which pairs nicely with beer, plus a holiday cake recipe. Imbibe and enjoy! White Christmas Mojito courtesy of halfbakedharvest.com juice of 1 lime 8 mint…
Review: Wines of Edna Valley Vineyard, Late 2017 Releases
Earlier this year we looked at Edna Valley’s white and rose releases for 2017. Today we tackle three reds, all sourced from Central Coast grapes. 2015 Edna Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir Central Coast – Lots of tobacco and pencil lead on this one, a surprisingly dense rendition of pinot noir, considering its price tag. The…
Review: Haikara Momo Asian Peach Sake
Flavored sake? It’s coming to our shores, starting with Haikara’s Momo, flavored with Asian peach juice. Some details: Umenoyado produced Haikara Sake in effort to embrace America’s increased appreciation of Japanese culture & traditions while adapting the way Americans see and drink sake. Haikara’s flavor profiles as well as the packaging was created for a more…
Review: Redemption The Ancients Collection Rye 18 Years Old
Diageo doesn’t have a monopoly on “orphan barrels,” it turns out. Redemption, which continues to turn out well-aged American whiskey, has launched a new collection of spirits called The Ancients, including an 18 year old rye (reviewed here) and a bourbon that, at 36 years old, stands as the oldest American whiskey I’ve ever even…
Review: 2015 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley
Martini’s lower-end cabernet doesn’t have the nuance of its Napa bottling, but as everyday reds go, it’s approachable enough to work on a typical Tuesday night. Intense flavors of red raspberry, cherry, and plum lead to a semi-sweet finish that is a bit candy-coated, with quite a chocolate-cherry-fueled finish. Best with food, which can cut…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project Entrapment Canadian Whisky 25 Years Old
Crown Royal is undoubtedly one of Diageo’s biggest brands. It only makes sense that some of this classic Canadian whisky would make its way to the company’s Orphan Barrel Project, a collection of oddball lots — usually very, very old — that receive a limited release once or twice a year. Some details from Diageo…
Review: Firestone Walker Inferos
Firestone Walker offers a third release in its “Leo v. Ursus Chronology”: Inferos, an unfiltered imperial rye IPA made with 25 percent rye in the mashbill and 4.7 pounds of hops per barrel. “The remainder of the malt bill includes ESB from Gambrinus malting, as well as Weyermann Carafa malt. Carafa is a specialty malt…