5/2008 JEFFERSON'S VERY SMALL BATCH STRAIGHT KENTUCKY BOURBON WHISKY
We enjoyed this 82.3 proof bourbon with a little water added to it, which seemed to release both corn and butterscotch notes. A good bourbon, and you can use the pretty bottle to store beans or what have you. (Rating ***1/4)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.CastleBrandsInc.com.

Labels: Bourbon, Jefferson's, Kentucky, McLain and Kyne, Whisky

 

5/2008 EVAN WILLIAMS KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
Often, we have deemed one wine or another a "great house wine," meaning that the product so deemed offers great quality for a great price, so much so that one can stock up and serve said item regularly. Well, after much consideration, we must declare EVAN WILLIAMS a "great house bourbon." We've enjoyed this whiskey for more than a few years, and it really is impressive, especially for the price. Recently, we bought a 1.75 liter bottle of EVAN WILLIAMS for about $22. That's a very low price for an 80 proof Bourbon that is non-gassy (i.e., easy sippin') and that offers nice corn and light vanilla and orange peel notes. (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.EvanWilliams.com/.

Labels: Bourbon, Evan WIlliams, Kentucky

 

4/2008 VOUVRAY DOMAINE DU CLOS DE L'EPINAY (BRUT)
A friend gave this to us some months back. Wow, what a great gift. This is a really tasty sparkling wine-- very bubbly, with a biscuit note and a gentle close. A sticker on the back of the bottle says that DIONYSOS IMPORTS INC of Lorton, Virginia is its U.S. importer, but our check of DIONYSOS's website found no mention of it. Bummer, seeing as we'd like to score some more of this bubbly. (Rating ****1/2)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, contact the makers of this lovely wine at http://www.vinvouvray.com/winevouvray/anglais/frameaccueilGB.htm.

Labels: Domaine du Clos, France, Sparkling Wine, Vouvray

 

4/2008 SAM HOUSTON KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKY
Well, the word is out-- AlcoholReviews.com's head honcho, Kevin R. Kosar, is writing a book on whiskey. So, surprise, surprise, waves of samples have been hitting our front door. Happy news, for certain, as so many of these products are quite good.

Take SAM HOUSTON BOURBON (85.6 proof), for example. A bottle can be had for $40 or less, and it provides great flavor for the buck. This full-bodied whisky (yes, this brand does spell it "whisky") has nice cereal and corn notes, and it finishes slightly dry. Add a little water and SAM HOUSTON BOURBON shows herbal and floral notes. Well done. (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.CastleBrandsInc.com.

Labels: and Kyne, Bourbon, Kentucky, McLain and Kyne, Sam Houston, Whisky

 

4/2008 ARDBEG 10 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Put one glass of dark colored spirit and one of light colored spirit in front of 10 individuals and ask them, "Which has the most robust flavor?" and the majority of folks will likely pick the darker drink. ARDBEG 10 YEAR is a whisky that puts the lie to the notion that darker color means bigger flavor. This 92 proof, Islay whisky is remarkably light colored, like straw, and it's not particularly viscous. Nose it, though, and your head will be flooded with flavor-- iodine, berries, and smoke. The late, great boozehound, Michael Jackson, once wrote of ARDBEG 10 YEAR: "Palate: Skips sweetly along at first, then becomes mean and moody in the lengthy middle of the encounter." That's pretty accurate, but "mean"? No, we find it spicy, and profound and settling. It's a whisky that makes you focus on it, then yourself. It's not a party drink; it's a quiet time sip to be enjoyed alone. While a bottle will set you back $45 to $80, depending on the strength of the dollar, a little of this scotch goes an awfully long way. (Rating ****1/4)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at https://www.Ardbeg.com/.

Labels: Ardbeg, Islay, Scotch - Single Malt

 

4/2008 KILO KAI HANDCRAFTED SPICED RUM
Yo, ho, ho! We're always pleased to see new products from exotic places come over our transom. KILO KAI rum is produced in Curacao, one of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles. We one saw Curacao... from a distance. We were whooping it up in Aruba, and one day took a boat tour, and... Well, anyhoo, KILO KAI is a unique smelling and tasting rum. It's not boozy in the least; rather, this 70 proof rum is very soft and fruity, and shows notes that remind us of sweet pastries. Unlike many rums, we could actually drink this one in sweltering heat.A peculiar and welcome find. (Rating ****)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.KiloKai.com.

Labels: Curacao, Kilo Kai, Rum

 

4/2008 APPLETON RESERVE RUM
Boy, do we like this rum. We tried it first on a jaunt to the Bahamas, maybe 15 years ago, and we've had it occasionally since then. The bottle is handsome, the rum's color is seductive, and the flavor is quite good-- slightly sweet, a touch of vanilla, a little smoky on the finish. It's a touch gassy, especially for 80 proof hooch, but otherwise, we have nothing bad to say of APPLETON'S RESERVE RUM. (Rating ****1/4)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.AppletonRum.com.

Labels: Appleton, Jamaica, Rum

 

3/2008 GERSTEL CLASSIC MILD NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER
Here's the wind up, and the pitch... Swing and a miss. This brew disappointed. It's thin and flat. GERSTEL starts syrupy sweet and finishes with a dull bitterness. A yawner. (Rating ***3/4) Think we're being too tough on this brew? Feel free to eyeball the less than ecstatic consumer reviews of GERSTEL at BeerAdvocate.com.

Labels: Germany, Gerstel, Non-Alcoholic Beer

 

3/2008 ORANJEBOOM LAGER
This was a funky find. There we were, staggering down the aisle of a Trader Joe's grocery store in Virginia when to our right appeared a heap of unrecognizable 16 ounce cans. ORANJEBOOM? What the Hell, it was $5.99 for a six pack of tallboys, so we went for it. We're glad we did. This is a nice lager-- clean, biscuity, with a dry close. Good stuff. You can read a bit about this brew here. (Rating ***3/4)

To see if our retailer can sell you ORANJEBOOM, click here. Otherwise, check with your nearest Trader Joe's.

Labels: Holland, Lager, Orangeboom

 

2/2008 PETER LEHMANN SHIRAZ BAROSSA 2005
We found this wine at Costco and paid around $13 retail for a bottle. It's a solid Shiraz-- berry-plum flavor followed by a mild mocha note. Big, fruity- this wine is made for robust fare, such as roasted vegetables, steak, etc. (Rating ***3/4)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, surf to http://www.PeterLehmannWines.com.au/.

Labels: Australia, Peter Lehmann, Shiraz

 

2/2008 GRAN GALA LIQUEUR
GRAN GALA is marketed as "Italy's answer to Grand Marnier." It is a good answer. We really enjoyed this orange brandy liqueur. The burnt orange flavor, the silky mouthfeel... It's quite nice as an after dinner drink. (Rating ****1/2)

To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.GranGala.com/.

Labels: Gran Gala, Italy, Liqueur

 

2/2008 SMITHWICK'S IRISH ALE
From the maker's of that super-duper brew, GUINNESS, comes... a bit of a disappointment. Smithwick's might be good on tap --we don't know-- but in the bottle it's no great shakes. It's rather flat, yet a touch fizzy. It starts sweet then gets blandly bitter. In truth, it reminds us of some of our less-than impressive home brew experiments many moons back. We'll drink bottled SMITHWICK'S if it's free, but we won't drop coin for it. (Rating **3/4)

Labels: Ireland, Irish Ale, Smithwick's