Review: Barenjager Honey & Tea and Honey & Pear Liqueurs
Barenjager, Germany’s classic, beehive-stoppered honey liqueur, got its first line extension, Honey & Bourbon, two years ago. Now it’s launched two more extensions, as honey spirits continue their ascent in the marketplace. Here’s a dive into these new additions, all naturally-flavored, to the Barenjager hive. Both are 70 proof. Barenjager Honey & Tea Liqueur – The nose…
Review: Lolailo Sangria
Made by Bodegas Sanviver in Spain, this budget sangria may not be overwhelming in its complexity, but it sure does go down easy. A basic, fruity red wine gets things started — think strawberries and raspberries — and copious sugar seals the deal. The finish offers a character not unlike a highly sweetened fruit tea,…
Review: Samuel Adams Cold Snap (2014)
For the upcoming spring season, Sam Adams has bottled this experimental brew, originally rolled out at beer fests last October. It’s an unfiltered white ale, a golden wheat blended with ten fruits, flowers, and spices, including grains of paradise, anise, hibiscus, and orange peel. Tasting notes follow. Cold Snap pours, as expected, a cloudy gold…
Review: Abreojos Tequila Silver
Colloquially “open eyes,” this Lowlands tequila is the only 100% agave tequila you’ll find that features an enormous eye-meets-lobster drawing on the label. Inside the frosted bottle you’ll find a standard blanco (reposado and anejo, not reviewed, are also available from Abreojos), made sans resting or aging. The spirit’s nose is initially heavy on earth…
Review: Laphroaig Triple Wood
We’ve written an epic amount about Laphroaig over the years, but somehow one of its core bottlings has eluded a formal review. Laphroaig Triple Wood is officially a seasonal offering, but it’s pretty generally available, with 12,000 bottles produced for the U.S. market in 2012. (No figures were offered for 2013.) You’ll even find the…
Review: Exclusiv XO Napoleon Brandy-Flavored Vodka
Flavored vodka gets a whole new whaaaaaa? factor with the release of Exclusiv XO Napoleon, a brownish-colored vodka that is made “with natural brandy flavor and caramel added.” This may look like brandy — and that big “XO” on the front has to earn the award for the most misleading liquor designation of all time —…
Review: Charbay R5, S, and Release III Hop Flavored Whiskeys (2014)
It’s commonly said that “whiskey is made from beer,” though that’s typically not quite true. Most whiskey is made from a low-alcohol, fermented grain sludge that you would never want anywhere near your mouth (I know, I’ve tried it). Usually this is just called mash, but sometimes it’s colloquially known as beer, because it’s kind of…
Review: Charbay Brandy No. 89
Ukiah, California-based Charbay turned its alembic pot stills to crafting this brandy in the winter of 1989. The grapes used are 74% pinot noir and 26% sauvignon blanc. The distillate has since been mellowing in barrels made of oak from France’s Limousin and Nevers regions for 24 years. 22 of those barrels were bottled to…
