Review: Copper & Kings Immature Brandy and Craft Distilled Brandy
Yes Virginia, they make stuff other than bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky. Copper & Kings, which only opened last year, is a craft distiller of brandy (and a bunch of absinthes, which we’re reviewing soon), which are copper pot-distilled “just twice for character and taste.” Made from Muscat (or French Colombard, depending on what you read),…
Cocktail Recipes for Labor Day, 2015
So this week we’ve published our 4,000th post on the site, and this is our 230th recipe entry. So if you can’t find anything interesting to drink in 5.75% of our publishing history, I don’t know what to tell you. But what I can tell you is that summer is coming to an end. While…
Review: Indian Summer Gin
A touch of saffron gives this newly-arriving gin (from Duncan Taylor in Scotland) a light yellow hue, adding to an otherwise relatively straightforward botanical bill that angelica bark, almonds, coriander seed, cassia, juniper berries, lemon peel, licorice root, orris root and orange peel. The nose is largely in keeping with tradition: juniper, strong citrus peel notes,…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Oven Buster Batch” 2015-04
We’re just now catching up with Booker’s, which is spending 2015 and beyond releasing some different, limited-release versions of this beloved bourbon brand. Booker’s may not be my go-to bourbon brand, but I have an immense respect for the craftmanship that Fred Noe puts into it and the depth of flavor it provides whenever I sample…
Review: Highspire Pure Rye Whiskey
100% heirloom rye. Double pot distilled. Aged for 130 days in used Paso Robles wine barrels. Chill filtered. Finished with oak staves. Made in Kentucky. Winemaker Austin Hope has turned to whiskeymaking with this foray into distilling with Highspire, a very young rye (not legally able to be called one due to its odd production…
Review: Parker’s Heritage Collection Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey 8 Years Old (2015)
What a terrifying sight to unwrap a box featuring Heaven Hill’s latest and always highly-anticipated annual release of the Parker’s Heritage Collection… only to see in big, gold, italic type, the word Malt. Yeah, now it’s Heaven Hill that is taking a stab at making a Kentucky Straight Malt with this non-bourbon release, the second…
Review: Wines of Argentina’s Alamos, 2015 Releases
An affordable Argentinian icon, Catena’s Alamos brand is out with three new releases. Let’s try ’em all! 2014 Alamos Torrontes Origin Salta – Extremely aromatic and perfumed, a field of white flowers in a summer rainstorm. Big apple and white peach notes and honeysuckle dominate the palate, with a very fragrant finish quickly following (and…
Review: Wines of CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs, 2015 Releases
We’ve covered the wines of Paul Hobbs in the past, but this year we look at a larger collection of five offerings. Thoughts? Here they come! 2014 CrossBarn by Paul Hobbs Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – Fresh and easygoing, blending tropical notes with gingerbread cookies up front. The finish is creamy and caramel-focused, but it’s not…
