Why does someone start a bourbon brand named Penelope Bourbon? Are you sitting at home in New Jersey, thrilled that you and your wife are going to finally have a baby, talking with your childhood best friend, and the subject of bourbon just happens to come up? Perhaps. And if
Cocktail lovers, take heed. This new sherry-based vermouth from Gonzalez Byass is going to give you something to shout about. It's a revival of the 19th century La Copa vermouth, made from 8-year old Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, with wormwood, clove, orange peel, nutmeg, angelica and quinine. The orange peel has
Vermouth is the most underappreciated wine in the U.S. Most people don't realize that vermouth IS wine: that's the beginning of the problem. Imagine how much you would like Pinot Noir if you only drank it after it had been open for two months at room temperature. Recently I reviewed
Coffey stills aren't in that much use anymore, and when used, it's usually for grain whisky. But the Japanese Nikka Distillery is using it to make malt whisky as well as their more well-known grain whisky. The color is gold, with a hint of copper. On the nose, pound cake
Lonerider Spirits is a new company from the same people who created Lonerider Brewing, inRaleigh, North Carolina. The Sherry Finish Cask Bourbon is their first release. They didn’t distill the spirit - it comes from Indiana (likely MGP, given the mash bill: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% barley). It clocks
This special release from Blackadder Independent Bottlers came from just one cask and yielded a mere 132 bottles. Reviews for the higher-alcohol Cask Strength describe an unbalanced quaff with a powerful alcohol bite. But this bottling shows the benefit of reserve and balance. The color is pale straw, a rare
This very reasonably priced American Whiskey is made in Kansas from locally sourced corn, rye, wheat and barley, and aged for 18 months in American oak. It is a golden hue, with a touch of red. Aromas of caramel, vanilla, and sweet tobacco leaf waft up from the glass. The