Review: Stone/Maine DaySlayer India Pale Lager
This Stone collaboration with Maine Beer Company, based in Freeport, is an India Pale Lager — a hybrid brew that takes the form of a heavily malted beer that’s loaded with tons of hops. The India Pale side of the equation definitely rules the roost here, the hops giving it an almost crushing bitterness — to…
What is Fortified Wine and How Is It Made?
“Silver and ermine and red faces full of port wine” – John Betjeman Fortified wine, that is, wine with a spirit (usually brandy) added to up the alcohol content, is a style that fell out of fashion decades ago. While once enjoyed in the salons of well-off aristocrats throughout Western Europe, these days ports, sherries, and their fellow…
Review: Rioja from Marques de Murrieta – 2012 Reserva and 2007 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva
Marques de Murrieta has been producing Rioja wine since 1852. Here’s a look at two of the most recent (and highest-end) wines from this venerable producer. 2012 Marques de Murrieta Rioja Reserva – Surprisingly thin on first blush, with an almost watery character that washes away what should be some engaging red berries, touched with…
Review: D’usse Cognac XO
I didn’t find much to love in D’usse’s inaugural Cognac, a VSOP, but this upscale update, an XO, has a whole lot more to recommend. All the eaux de vie in the finished product are at least 10 years old — and the black bottle is arguably even cooler than the one used for the…
Review: A Trio of Albarinos, 2017 Bottlings
Albarino — that crowd-pleasing white wine from the north of Spain — is sure to make an appearance on your summer table at least once. Here’s a look at three new releases, all currently on the market. 2016 Atlantis by Maetierra Albarino Rias Baixas – A slightly creamier expression of albarino, this bottling is a…
Review: No. 209 Barrel Reserve Gin – Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay Finished
No. 209, based in San Francisco, is going on a tear with its gin. Not only is it still producing standard and Kosher versions of its straight gin, it’s also out with three barrel-finished expressions, each spending time in a different type of California wine barrel. Today we look at two of those — gin…
Review: Bear Republic Fastback Racer Double IPA
Bear Republic’s Fastback Racer (nee Fastback Racer X3) is a monumental beer — the brewery describes it thusly: “Massive hop additions of Citra and Ekuanot are revved to the limit on a chassis of Rye, Munich, and light caramel malts.” Revved to the limit is about right. The beer comes across as almost syrupy in composition,…
Review: Death’s Door Gin
Death’s Door Distillery, in Middleton, Wisconsin, is one of the most venerable of American craft distilling operations, having been founded way back in 2005. On the eve of the company revamping its labels and brand ID — the gin (new bottle pictured) is now in a “lighter bottle with better grab points and greater balance”…
