Review: Mr. Pickles Gin
Named after the pit bull rescued by Wolf Distillery Master Distiller Ben Green, Mr. Pickles Gin carries the adorable face of the eponymous pup on the front of the bottle, and I’ll admit it, I’m smitten. The fetching blue bottle bearing a sweet-faced dog surrounded by flowers speaks directly to my heart. But let’s check…
Review: 2021 Etude Pinot Noir Carneros
Etude has earned its reputation for making excellent pinot noirs and we’ve enjoyed them in the past, so it is a pleasure to pour the newly released 2021 vintage of their Carneros Pinot Noir. This wine really shows the brand’s character. On the nose and palate arrive big, rounded notes of black cherry, sour cherry,…
Review: The Macallan Sherry Oak Cask 12 Years Old
We’ve dabbled with reviews of various Macallan releases both high and low, but one of the most commonly available bottlings has eluded these pages for more than 15 years: Macallan Sherry Oak Cask 12 Years Old. This mainline expression couldn’t be more straightforward, spending 12 years maturing fully in Spanish sherry casks before bottling. No…
Review: Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled in Bond Fall 2019 Vintage
Earlier this fall, Chattanooga Whiskey rolled out its second annual bottled in bond release for 2023. And like the spring release from this year, this latest expression utilizes specialty toasting to complement the distillery’s unique grain bills. The particulars are below. As with previous vintages, Fall 2019 was exclusively produced at Chattanooga Whiskey’s Riverfront Distillery,…
Review: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C923 (September 2023)
We’re just a bit late getting to the final Elijah Craig Barrel Proof release for 2023, but here we are at last. As a refresher, with ECBP B523, producer Heaven Hill dropped the 12 year old age statement and let the age of ECBP float. While B523 was shy of 11 1/2 years old, C923…
Review: Barrell Cask Finish Series – Tale of Two Islands and Amburana
Barrell’s always been good at names. Dovetail, their breakout evergreen release, is intended to evoke the dovetail joint, a nod to the precision that goes into its blending process. Seagrass, arguably its most successful blend, calls to mind the oceanside with its rye finished in rum, Madeira, and apricot brandy barrels. Vantage? A nod to,…
Review: Glen Scotia Double Cask Rum Finish and Seasonal Release 12 Years Old (2022)
Slowly but surely, we’re getting around to the full portfolio of single malts from Glen Scotia Distillery. Their neighbor Springbank remains the better known Campbeltown distillery, but with a growing presence stateside and a widening portfolio of both premium, well-aged offerings and impressive NAS bottlings like Victoriana, the word is certainly getting out. Today, we’re…
Review: Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Bourbon and Remus Gatsby Reserve 2023
MGP/Ross & Squibb’s Remus special editions are here at last. We’re covering them both on one mega-review, so let’s dive into each. Remus Repeal Reserve Series VII Bourbon – Repeal Reserve is out once again, and for the seventh year running it takes a whole bunch of old, high-rye bourbons and mashes them together into what…