Review: Franklin & Sons Sparkling Pink Grapefruit
The London company may have an established on date of 1886 on the front label, but Franklin & Sons is a new brand to me in the U.S., at least. (Turns out the brand was relaunched in 2015 after a few decades of dormancy.) Now aiming to compete with high-end mixer makers like Fever-Tree and…
Review: Stagg Bourbon Batch #23A (2023)
It’s been two years since Drew’s review of Stagg Jr. Batch 15, and we’re now taking another spin with the whiskey — RIP to the “Jr.” designation — after a short hiatus. It’s understandable: in the time since Drew’s review, bourbon has, somehow, managed to become even boomier, the average consumer is exceedingly educated, and…
Review: 2015 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 Seleccion Especial
The first ever Seleccion Especial — generally used as a top-tier designate above Rioja’s Gran Reserva classification — from La Rioja Alta has arrived. Produced in 2015, the operation felt that 2023 was finally the time for this wine to be released, marking a first in the 120 years of the winery’s history. Crafted from…
Review: Milam & Greene Unabridged Volume 2
Milam & Greene’s Unabridged label gets its second installment, although this year there’s no mention of compadres Noah Rothbaum and David Wondrich having a hand in the blend. Master distiller Marlene Holmes says that there’s older stock in this release than in Unabridged Volume 1, but it remains a cask-strength blend of rare casks from…
Review: Johnnie Walker Red Label (2023)
As I slowly continue the journey of organic erosion and cognitive decline we all inevitably face, I find my tastes occasionally regressing, drifting back to various points of origin. Sometimes it is out of necessity as to what is being served, but there are times when it’s to find out just how much my palate…
Book Review: Modern Caribbean Rum: A Contemporary Reference to the Region’s Essential Spirit
2023 was supposed to be a big year for rum, or so said several reputable booze trend analysts. Well, we’re two thirds of the way to 2024, and I still don’t feel like the category has had its moment yet. And I’m honestly not sure why. Rum is as venerable as whiskey or tequila, and…
Review: Old Pulteney Coastal Series – Pineau de Charentes
Old Pulteney has launched a new range of whiskies called the Coastal Series, which is perhaps redundant on account of all of Old Pulteney’s whiskies are coastally born — but I promise there’s some logic here. The Coastal Series will comprise four different whiskies with different finishes, each from locations which are also coastal in…
Review: 2022 Lagar de Cervera Albarino
Lagar de Cervera is part of a La Rioja Alta operation that produces white wines — particularly albarino. This wine is sourced from plots in the O Rosal and O Salnés sub-zones, which are part of Rias Baixas, the premiere albarino-producing region in Spain. It’s a slightly sweeter style of albarino than is typical from…