Review: Warre’s Otima Tawny Port 10 Years Old (2017)
I’ve reviewed Warre’s 10 year old Tawny Port twice before, in 2009 and 2012. Now it’s 2017 and time to give this venerable bottling a fresh look. I’ve commented on the relative simplicity of this bottling in the past, and little has changed here, except perhaps for my palate (and level of experience with these…
Review: Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur
Ancho Reyes was our liqueur of the year in 2014. But given the range of chile peppers out there, it was only a matter of time before a follow-up came out. The obvious line extension: Pivot from red ancho chiles to green poblanos and release Ancho Reyes Verde Poblano Liqueur. This is perhaps a more…
Review: NV Szigeti Gruner Veltliner Brut
Sparkling gruner from an Austrian winery called Szigeti — officially Sektkellerei Szigeti? What could be more fun to drink!? This fruit-forward, nonvintage bottling offers lots of juiciness, but keeps things quite dry on the finish. There’s ample green apple, some light peach notes, and a bit of baking spice to mix things up, all filtered…
Cocktail (and Pie) Recipes for National Pi Day 2017
National Pi Day is celebrated every March 14th. Pi, as in the mathematical constant, is celebrated by the eating of pie — because pi is the symbol used in mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter…which is approximately 3.14159. That’s where March 14th comes from? The generally circular nature…
Review: Starr Hill Warm Up and Double Bass (2017)
Two new seasonals (actually wrapping up their residency this month) from Starr Hill. Check them out while you can! Starr Hill Warm Up Winter Ale – This amber ale is spiked with cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg and vanilla for wintertime drinking, but the proportions feel all wrong on my palate. Slightly sour and desperately lacking in malty…
A Visit to Jack Daniel’s Distillery
With sales of nearly 12 million cases per year, Jack Daniel’s is far and away the biggest whiskey brand in the world. No one else even comes remotely close. And if you spend any amount of time at the home of Old No. 7 in Lynchburg, Tennessee, you’ll be told in no uncertain terms who…
Tasting Report: Tre Bicchieri Italian Wines 2017
It’s hard to believe but it’s been a long four years since I’ve attended Tre Bicchieri, a celebration of the best Italian wines as judged by Gambero Rosso, a massive trade group that is pretty much the final word in fine Italian wine. Tre Bicchieri, or “three glasses,” is the highest rating the group offers…
Review: Mount Gay 1703 Master Select Rum 2017
Barbados’ Mount Gay Rum was launched in 1703, and it reserves the name for its rarest rum, a series launched in 2009 that is now called 1703 Master Select. This has become an annual release that has evolved over time, and 2017’s version is now here. (For example, in 2010 it was known as 1703 Old Cask…
