Book Review: Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs
Brad Thomas Parsons is no stranger to bitter herbal liqueurs. He took the craft cocktail scene by storm with his 2011 book Bitters: A Spirited History Of A Classic Cure All, and taught the common drinker how to properly use those little brown bottles behind the bar. Not happy with showing only one side of…
Review: Chieftain’s Batch #10 – Linkwood 1991, Glenrothes 1997, Glenturret 1990, Bowmore 2002
A new batch of whiskies from indie bottlers Chieftain’s has turned out six new releases. Today we look at four of them. Thoughts follow. Chieftain’s Linkwood 1991 24 Years Old – When I think of great, beautiful Speyside whisky, this is what it tastes like. Aged 24 years in (ex-bourbon) hogsheads, this whisky is soft…
Review: 2015 Bodega Chacra Barda Patagonia
This wine hails from the very south of Argentina. A low-alcohol (12.8%), 100% organic pinot noir, it is a classic but surprisingly light-bodied and versatile pinot, with a deft interplay of fresh and dried fruits, gentle florals, citrus peel, and a little milk chocolate. The finish is clean, with just a touch bacon that adds…
Review: Wyoming Whiskey Single Barrel 2016, Outryder 2016, and Double Cask Limited Edition
Since the 2015 launch of their first whiskey, Small Batch Bourbon, Kirby-based Wyoming Whiskey has made a name for itself in the craft distilling world with a steady release of high-quality offerings that manage to showcase creativity and pack in a lot of complex flavor despite their youth (all are around five years old). A Single…
Review: The Wines of Game of Thrones, 2017 Releases
Listen close and you can hear the theme song. Yes, we’re still three months away from season seven of GOT, but if you’re jonesing for a taste of Winterfell — well, Dorne seems more wine-friendly — then check out these wines licensed with the Game of Thrones logo and motif. The grapes are sourced from all over…
Recipes for National Gin and Tonic Day 2017
When we were buying extra gin and tonic water to make the recipes below, the checkout clerk noticed our items and started singing. He said he belongs to a group that perform songs from the burlesque era and said many of them are about gin and tonic. So, in a way we celebrate a bit…
Review: Nightshade Margarita Classic Lime
Nightshade — officially “Nightshade Experience” is a new brand of ready-to-drink margaritas which are made from premium ingredients. The Classic Lime, reviewed here, includes blue agave silver tequila (not necessarily 100% blue agave tequila, mind you), triple sec, and lime — which is lumped in with “a unique mixture of natural flavors.” The margarita —…
Review: Mezan Single Distillery Rum – Guyana 2005 and Panama 2006
We last wrote about Mezan in 2015, when we looked at its XO Jamaica bottling. The rums here are something a bit different. While the Jamaica is a blend of various distilleries’ products, these two rums are sourced from single distilleries (“some founded centuries ago, others no longer in operation”) and, in fact, from single…
