Review: Don Amado Mezcal Rustico
Don Amado makes a line of regular, 80-proof mezcals (blanco, reposado, and anejo — none of which we tasted but which are pictured nonetheless), but this is Rustico, a higher-proof mezcal bottled at a big 94 proof. (The same distillery also makes Mina Real, which we recently reviewed.) These are Oaxaca mezcals, double-distilled in ceramic…
Review: Mina Real Mezcal Silver
Oaxaca-based Mina Real is 100% agave mezcal that is made with a hybrid modern and historical technique. Per the company: it is “made from agave that has been steam-roasted in low pressure brick kilns in order to highlight the plants’ bright highland flavor and floral bouquet without the layers of smoke traditionally found with wood-roasted…
Review: Dry Sodas
Dry Soda is a company making a business out of soda with no high fructose corn syrup, less sweetness, lower carbonation, and an overall healthier approach to drinking the stuff. Its products all famously have just four ingredients — water sugar, natural flavors, and phosphoric acid. A 12 oz. can typically hits between 45 and…
Review: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label 18 Years Old
At the House of Walker, it’s out with the Gold and in with the new. Johnnie Walker, which has been on a tear as it updates its brand lineup (starting with the discontinuation of Green Label and the launch of Double Black), is at it again. This time, it’s a straight up replacement: Gold Label,…
Review: Tapatio Blanco 110 Tequila
Does tequila need to be 110 proof? No, but does it hurt? Such are the questions you might ponder while sipping Tapatio 110, aka Tapatio B110 (the B is for Blanco). It’s essentially the same as the 80-proof Tapatio Blanco, but bottled at a hot hot hot 110 proof. Highland tequila, 100% agave, spends 6 months…
Review: Bols Yogurt Liqueur
You say yogurt. I say yoghurt. Bols says let’s turn yogurt into booze. This idea is so nuts my sample of Bols Yogurt Liqueur has sat untouched on my kitchen counter for four months. I actually moved during that time, and still the Bols Yogurt has sat there, unmolested, on my new kitchen counter. Turns…
Review: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2013 Edition
Another year older, another year deeper into your whiskey collection. This 12th edition of Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon doesn’t offer much in the way of data, but it’s 12 years old and very limited in quantity. Lots of wood here; that’s evident from the get-go. The nose is classic, older Bourbon stock — wood-driven, but…
Review: Wines of MacMurray Ranch, Late 2013 Releases
We just covered MacMurray Ranch a few months ago, now three more bottlings are hitting the market. Thoughts follow. 2012 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris Russian River Valley – Lots of green beans on the initial nose, but this fades a bit as the wine warms up. It ultimately reveals lemon, some pineapple, and some mango…
