Review: Eins Zwei Zero Non-Alcoholic Sparkling Blanc de Blancs and Riesling
These non-alcoholic sparkling wines, like many, are made in Germany (these hail from the Rüdesheim region) and sold stateside by online merchant The Zero Proof. Curiously, while the first wine on the list is bottled with a crown cap, the second has a Champagne-style cork to contend with. Otherwise, we don’t have a whole lot…
Review: Goslings Spirited Seas Ocean Aged Rum Vol. 1
It’s been a minute since we’ve seen anything from Bermuda’s Goslings Rum brand, but it’s back and with a vengeance. This new rum is finished on a container ship that travelled between Bermuda and somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, back and forth, over and over, bobbing around for a total of 59,920 nautical miles before returning…
Review: American Single Cask 2bar Spirits Bourbon
Independent bottlers of whiskey are quite common in Europe, but have only recently started to create a presence within American whiskey. Within the American whiskey community, independent bottlers seek to transparently feature exceptional casks from some of the best small distillers. If an independent bottler chooses to work with a distiller, it can usually be…
Review: Old Forester The 117 Series – Rum Finish
Old Forester‘s effusive 117 Series — named after the distillery’s former address at 117 W. Main St. in Louisville — is back with its latest expression, featuring a rum cask finish. There’s a certain serendipity with this release thanks to new Old Forester Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo, who I met in New Orleans at…
Review: Forthwest Whisky, Giant Peach, Shiny Apple, and Spice of Life
Move over Crown Royal. There’s a new kid on the flavored Canadian whisky block. Forthwest Whisky Co. launched earlier this year with a portfolio of three flavored offerings and one unflavored blend. The whiskies are all sourced from an unspecified Canadian producer and finished at Oregon’s Hood River Distillers with glacier-fed spring water from Mt.…
Review: Maestro Dobel 50 Anniversary Series Tequilas – 1968, 1969, and 1970
In 2022, Maestro Dobel dropped a rare extra anejo tequila dubbed Dobel 50 1967, named in honor of its founder’s birth year. Now Dobel is back with not one follow-up but three, collectively dubbed the Anniversary Series — Dobel 50 1968, Dobel 50 1969, and Dobel 50 1970. While 1967 was finished in sherry casks, the…
Review: Hoopes 2022 Rose and 2018 Syrah
Napa’s Hoopes Family Vineyard has flown under our radar for years, but recently we got the chance to evaluate two of its latest releases, a surprising syrah and a rose made primarily from Napa’s benchmark grape, cabernet sauvignon. Let’s dig in. 2022 Hoopes Rose Napa Valley – Rose of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 10%…
Review: Green River Full Proof Bourbon
Last fall, right around the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Ownesboro’s own Green River Distillery launched their first cask strength expression, a single barrel of their rye bourbon mashbill (70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley) available only at the distillery and by the barrel to select retailers. Now high-octane Green River bourbon is coming to the…
