Review: Founders Brewing All Day IPA Session Ale
Another entry into the growing category of sessionable (aka lower alcohol) IPAs, Founders Brewing’s All Day IPA clocks in at just 4.7% abv. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Michigan, the beer is now available in 15-packs of 12 oz. cans, a way, I suppose, to make up for the lower alcohol level. The abv is just…
Review: Celtic Honey Liqueur
Celtic Honey is Ireland’s other answer to Scotland’s Drambuie. As with Celtic Crossing, it’s a mild blend of Irish Whiskey and honey that goes down easy and won’t harm any sensibilities. The whiskey hits you first, vanilla and light wood tones, before the honey kicks in. Alongside the usual lightly earthy, caramel-driven notes, there are interesting…
Review: Wild Turkey Diamond Anniversary Bourbon
Celebrating sixty motherfreakin’ years in the business — Eisenhower was president, people! — Jimmy Russell is a distiller with no equal in the business. He’s the man who has singlehandedly defined Wild Turkey for decades, with son Eddie waiting in the wings for the day his dad, now 79 years old, retires. To mark the occasion,…
Tasting Report: Whiskies of the World Expo San Francisco 2014
Wet weather didn’t stop the masses from crowding onto the San Francisco Belle this year, a rite of passage for Bay Area whisky lovers attending the annual Whiskies of the World Expo. Lots of great stuff on tap this year, particularly from independent Scotch bottlers. Without further ado… Tasting Report: Whiskies of the World San…
Review: Starr African Rum
The strikingly-bottled Starr African Rum hails from Mauritius, home to Penny Blue and Pink Pigeon, the only other African rums I’m familiar with. At first blush, this is a fairly typical white rum. The nose is lightly woody, with notes of coconut, black tea, and caramel. Slightly unusual, but nothing insane. The body really punches…
Review: Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon
Four Roses’ 2014 Single Barrel bottling sneaked up on me, a sample appearing out of the blue for us to review. This year’s whiskey is made from Four Rose’s OESF mashbill — the “lower,” 20% rye mashbill — which has spent 11 years in barrel. OESF is a rarity — In some seven years I’ve never reviewed…
Review: Vodka DSP CA 162 – Straight and Flavored
In 2010, California-based Craft Distillers sold its highly-regarded Hangar One Vodka line to Proximo Spirits. (You may not have even realized this, but now you know.) At the time, Craft signed a strict non-compete agreeing not to make vodka for three years. Well, the three years are up, and Craft is now back at work…
Review: 2bar Spirits Bourbon
Seattle-based 2bar Spirits has extended its line of craft hooch with a new, “100% local” bourbon. Regarding its creation, distiller Nathan Kaiser says, “I can’t disclose exact percentages, but it has significantly more malt, and much less wheat than a typical wheated bourbon mashbill. Barrel entry proof is significantly lower than normal, between 113 and…
