Review: 2014 Sequoia Grove Chardonnay Napa Valley
Sequoia Grove’s latest chardonnay release offers no real surprises, an oaky-buttery wine with equal emphasis on both oak and butter. This year’s offering finds some tropical and golden fig elements bubbling up late in the game (let the wine warm a bit to find more fruit in the mix), with a finish that evokes notes…
Review: Redemption Aged Barrel Proof Straight Rye 8 Years Old (2016), High-Rye 9 Years Old, and Bourbon 9 Years Old (2016)
In late 2015/early 2016, Redemption Rye took the unexpected move of releasing three well-aged straight rye whiskies, all “honey barrels” representing the brand at 7, 8, and 10 years of age. Now Redemption is back again with three more entries into its Aged Barrel Proof line. The twist: Only one is a straight rye; the…
Review: Suntory Whisky Toki
Japan’s Suntory is well known for its single malts, but it also blends whisky from time to time. With Toki (“time” in Japanese), it’s trying something a little different. Specifically, Toki is a blend of a number of Suntory’s other whiskies, including spirits from Hakushu Distillery, Yamazaki Distillery, and Chita Distillery. Some addition information from the distillery:…
Review: Laphroaig Cairdeas Madeira Edition 2016
Laphroaig’s latest annual Cairdeas release is finally here: Cairdeas Madeira. As the name suggests, this is Laphroaig finished in Madeira-seasoned hogsheads. Unlike some Cairdeas releases, there’s no information on how old the spirit is before it goes into the finishing cask. Traditionally it is an 8 year old whisky, but this year Laphroaig has been…
Dining with Sammy Hagar at El Paseo’s Wine Collectors’ Dinner
What’s better than bringing a bottle of wine to dinner? Bringing about 30 of them, then passing them around so everyone can try a bit of each. Such is the idea behind the monthly Wine Collectors’ Dinner at Mill Valley, California’s El Paseo, a fine dining establishment perhaps best known for its celebrity ownership, local…
Tasting the Wines of Roussillon, 2016 Releases
The Roussillon is France’s southernmost wine region, nestled into the wedge formed between Catalonia, Spain and the Mediterranean Sea. Within this region there are dozens of sub-regions, including some well-known ones like Minervois, Corbieres,, Fitou, and Banyuls. The Roussillon is but a small part of the broader Languedoc-Roussillon region, and is often simply lumped…
Review: Stone Citrusy Wit, Go To IPA, Mocha IPA, and Scru Wit
Four new beers have arrived from SoCal’s Stone Brewing — all ready to be sampled and sussed out. Let’s dig right in! Stone Citrusy Wit – What’s the first thing most people do with a wheat beer? Squeeze an orange into it. Stone does that heavy lifting for you with this beer, which adds tangerine and…
Review: George Dickel Distillery Reserve Collection 17 Years Old (2016)
Who doesn’t love a good backstory on a whiskey? Here’s how Tennessee’s George Dickel positions this new 17 year old limited edition release, which is available only at Dickel’s visitor’s center and at a few Tennessee retailers. When Distiller Allisa Henley first discovered George Dickel Tennessee Whisky’s newest 17-Year Old addition to the portfolio,…
