Review: Dewar’s The Champions Edition 19 Years Old (2023)
Dewar’s “Champions Edition” scotch continues its celebration of the 19th hole of golf — the bar, in case you didn’t know — with another annual release of this 19 year old blended Scotch, produced in collaboration with the U.S. Open. This is our third year running with the blend, following the 2022 and the inaugural…
Review: 2021 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Penner-Ash has long been a blue chip winery in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and this 2021 shows why. Bright and acidic, the wine bursts out of the gate with notes of cherry and strawberry, the latter of which adds a light touch of spring to the proceedings. It’s gently alighted with notes of cherry cola and…
Review: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon 2023 Edition “135th Anniversary”
For its 135th anniversary edition of its coveted Limited Edition Small Batch release, Four Roses is dropping a whopper, blending up a 14 year old OESK (40%), 12 year old OESV (35%), 16 year old OESV (20%), and the doozy, a 25 year old OBSV (5%), into the release. There might not be much of…
Book Review: A Booze & Vinyl Christmas: Merry Music-and-Drink Pairings to Celebrate the Season
At a previous place of employment, I was tasked with cataloging and reviewing the upcoming season’s wave of holiday albums in the middle of summer. It was a rather mind-numbing assignment, but as the lowest rung on the editorial ladder, it felt like a weird rite of passage. Nearly 15 years later, I find myself…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Apprentice Batch” 2023-02
The second Booker’s Bourbon release of 2023 is upon us, and this one dives deep into the Noe family archives for its naming inspiration. According to the official release notes for Booker’s “Apprentice Batch”: This batch pays homage to the beginning of Booker Noe’s distilling career when he first learned the art of making bourbon…
Review: 2016 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG
Renieri is a member of the Bacci family of wines, which produces a wide range of wines on five different estates around the main DOCG region in Tuscany. Situated in the southern part of Montalcino, Renieri primarily focuses on the Sangiovese varietal, and today we’re uncorking a 2016 Brunello Riserva centered mainly around that grape.…
Review: Garrison Brothers Small Batch and Balmorhea Bourbons (2023)
We’ve visited the well at Texas bourbon pioneers Garrison Brothers quite a few times, and today we’re taking a fresh look at a couple of expressions we’ve experienced in the past. The distillery should need no introduction, so let’s dive into the two whiskeys. Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon (2023) – A bit of a…
Review: 2021 Booker Wines Vertigo
A glance at the website of Paso Robles-based Booker Wines immediately reveals a commitment to minimalism. Like their bottle labels, the company’s story is conveyed using only the most essential of elements, aligning with the practice and philosophies of legendary Japanese designer Kenya Hara. This attention to detail and austere simplicity is what aesthetically sets…
