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Staff Favorites
| If you’re going to have Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer over for dinner, selecting a wine they’ve rated highly will be a nice choice. However, when you’re buying wines for yourself, we’d love to see you find wines that match up your unique palate and pocketbook. We have a large staff of friendly and knowledgeable wine professionals that taste hundreds of wines each week. They can put you in touch with bottles that you are likely to love, often at a much lower cost than the highly-rated gems that often see a run-up in price and frequent availability issues. Like any great group of opinionated professionals, our staff has varied tastes themselves. Often our customers will find a particular staff member with a style that corresponds to their own. That concept works extremely well in our retail stores, and this section is our effort to bring you the same online. Don’t get us wrong, we love the highly rated wines from the press and will continue to offer them, but we think you’re missing out if you’re not augmenting those selections with picks from our excellent staff. Here are their favorites. (Click on a name to see their other selections - or to drop them a line.) Cheers! |
Reviews
Nikka "Coffey Grain" Japanese Whisky (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 6/23/2022 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 6/23/2022 | Send Email
The Coffey Grain is probably one of my favorite go to Japanese whisky. It is predominantly made from corn and finished in matured oak and American oak to give it a soft and sweet finish. This whisky is essentially a bourbon and has notes of toasted candied nuts, caramel, with a slight char. To be completely honest, it is such an easy drinker that I can definitely drink an entire bottle in one sitting if I really tried (I do not recommend or encourage that whatsoever). The Coffey Grain is best enjoyed neat and can be prepared in a cocktail. Might I add, a matcha highball is refreshing on a hot day! Try it!
2010 Bodegas Casa Juan "Señor de Lesmos" Gran Reserva Rioja
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 6/22/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 6/22/2022 | Send Email
Twelve years of supreme age on this bottle, and a thirty dollar price point?... It's not a lie I assure you. The quality on this is insane, personally thus far since we've received it I've gone through two bottles myself. Everything you're wanting in a solid, upfront, and classic rioja is in this bottle -- jammy, spicy, some mild savory complexity with a nice rich and full texture. Also... The structure on this wine is insane, it'll age pretty nicely but there's no need for anyone more sleep on this bottle, it's ready to go now.
Price:
$29.99
Kokuryu "Crystal Dragon" Daiginjo Sake 720ml
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 6/19/2022 | Send Email
By: Michael Benoit | Review Date: 6/19/2022 | Send Email
This daiginjo sake, produced with very soft water from the underground river called Kuzuryugawa (Nine-Headed Dragon River), erupts with tropical fruit aromas of banana, pineapple, and melon. The sake has a wonderfully rich body, full of fresh melon and ripe banana flavors, which evaporate into a crisp, dry finish that leaves you wanting another sip. Particularly suited to shellfish, this sake would pair beautifully with oysters on the half shell, shrimp cocktail, or ceviche. Delicious and elegant!
Price:
$39.99
Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 6/18/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 6/18/2022 | Send Email
There was a brief time not so many years ago when Yellow Spot was a staple on our shelf. Sadly, those days are no longer and it is once again a rarity thanks to sky high demand and seemingly endless supply chain issues. While we've had a couple deliveries of a case or two here and there, fortunately on this latest shipment we were able to back up the truck. The Spot range is all superb single pot Irish whiskey coming out of Midleton in County Cork but the Yellow Spot is a unique marriage of casks. Full maturation separate Bourbon casks, Sherry casks, and Malaga casks are blended after a minimum of 12 years aging to create one of the richest Irish whiskies on the market. While Bourbon and Sherry are immediately familiar to most whiskey drinkers, Malaga may not be. It is another fortified wine of Southern Spain - rich and unctuous it is made in the Mediterranean coastal cities just outside the bounds of Sherry. While dry whites and reds are made there from a variety of grapes, the dessert versions are made of Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel and are not dissimilar to PX Sherry. The impact on the Yellow Spot whiskey is profound. The color is stunning bright copper. The nose is sweet and intense. It's a mix of honey drizzled dried fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon, black tea, and freshly crushed peppercorns. An easy going herbaceous note adds intrigue to all of the sweetness. Barley, fresh and malted, lends a full and weighty feel to the aromatics. The palate is big and chewy. It pings back and forth from vanilla to dates and raisins to nutmeg and allspice back to ripe peaches and even slightly tropical fruits. Chocolate and dark roasted coffee beans flash in and out. It’s a chameleon that doesn’t settle down, but keeps changing it’s colors sip after sip. The finish is long and clean with a little more focus and narrow refinement. It is an elegant sipper that will please nearly any whiskey drinker. Bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration.
Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin (750ml)
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 6/12/2022 | Send Email
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 6/12/2022 | Send Email
A distinct nose of green olives, dried herbs, and savory spices. White pepper comes into the picture on the back end of the aromatics. The palate carries a surprising sweetness of candied citrus in addition to a nice round oiliness in the finish. Two simple cocktails I can imagine this with, one is a topping of the fever tree Mediterranean tonic and a slice of lime or a classic gin martini with three Castelvetrano olives for the garnish, absolutely delightful enjoyment!
Price:
$36.99
Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 6/8/2022 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 6/8/2022 | Send Email
Olives are greatly present throughout the glass. You get rosemary, thyme, butter green olives, and lemon rind. The texture of this gin is oily and softens out on the finish. This is great served on its own, or in a dirty martini.
Price:
$36.99
Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin (750ml)
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 6/8/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 6/8/2022 | Send Email
Oily, savory, and complex... God, what a drink this is. I'm personally not the expert on gin nor do I drink it often but when I'm able to find a bottle I enjoy... I never let it go! The flavor of olives is distinct, the herbs utilized thyme, rosemary, and basil are a great support for an already delicious primary botanical. Over ice or in a Martini this Gin makes a perfect treat for any gin drinker looking to expand their horizons!
Price:
$36.99
2018 Forman Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/26/2022 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/26/2022 | Send Email
Dark, red-fruited nose with rye bread and fresh oak scents. On the palate, plush red fruits, dark boysenberry, vanillin oak and a touch of bright acidity. Long, long finish. A great pick for immediate drinking or for the cellar.
Nikka "Yoichi" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/21/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/21/2022 | Send Email
The Yoichi distillery - built in 1934 by the famed Masataka Taketsuru, was built in the town of Yoichi in Hokkaido because of its similarities to much of Scotland. The coastal influence with its cool, humid air was a critical component for Taketsuru-san as he decided where to build his own distillery after having built Yamazaki for the Suntory company 11 year earlier. The Yoichi distillery launched its first whisky in 1940 from the Japanese built coal fired copper pot stills designed by Taketsuru several years earlier. The stills use continues today and Yoichi's style remains defined by those coal fired stills, heavy peat, and coastal influence. The 2016 non age statement version of the single malt is a breathtaking example of harmony in a glass. It is a lovely goldenrod color. The nose is briny and marked by apple juice, a fitting flavor given the Nikka company's time spent selling apple juice while the whisky matured. The peat gives a pleasant wet earth, like fine moist soil that will please any gardener. There is a sweet milk chocolate note and gentle salted nuttiness present as well. The palate is rich and round. A sweet green pepper note gives it tremendous liveliness. Sweet cereal grains round that piquant flavor out and a lengthy combination of smoke and caramelized sugar linger on the finish. It's a sexy and sultry combination that feels balanced from start to finish. When people say that Japanese whisky is marked by harmony and balance - this is what they mean. We so rarely have the opportunity to sell these in any reasonable quantity. Now is the time to stock up if you can.
Nikka "Miyagikyo" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/21/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/21/2022 | Send Email
If you've ever wondered what all the fuss is about regarding Japanese whisky - the single malts from Nikka will answer all of your questions. The Miyagikyo distillery sits nestled in the Mountains of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture and is worlds away from the coastal home of Nikka's other distillery - Yoichi. Miyagikyo typically produces 2 whiskies - an unpeated version and a lightly peated whisky. These are made on the distilleries pot stills heated by indirect steam which give the whisky an elegant aroma and body as well as distinct fruitiness. The lightly peated and unpeated whiskys are aged in a variety of barrels before being blended together, but the flagship bottling does heavily feature sherry matured spirit. The end result is an elegant and complex single malt with incredible nuance and just a waft of smoke. The color matches an en rama Fino Sherry perfectly - bright and clear gold. The nose is elegant, almost ethereal. It's marked by high quality sherry and is reminiscent of some characteristics of Manzanilla, Amontillado, and Oloroso. The fruit is beautiful and hard to pick apart. Sweet apples, stone fruits, plums, cherry blossoms all mingle with the saltiness of Manzanilla, the savor of Amontillado, and the orange peel and nutty chocolate of Oloroso. The peat is there, but it's the kind of whisky I'd happily recommend to someone who says they don't like peat. A Oban drinker would feel right at home here. Integration is the name of the game here. There isn't a single hard edge to be found. The balance is superb. The finish is long and sweet. Built in 1969, the Miyagikyo distillery is an absolute classic of Japanese whisky production.
Price:
$74.99
Redbreast 15 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/20/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 5/20/2022 | Send Email
Irish whiskey has no shortage of new entrants these days, but like many things in the liquor world, it is those who have been doing things the same way for decades that have the finest to offer. Such is the case with Redbreast. It would be easy to argue that there is no finer lineup of quintessential Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey than the tremendous Redbreast line. The 12 year should be a staple in any good bar. The 15 year remains an accessible luxury for many and hints at the greatness to come for those who have their eye on the 21 year or even the 27. If you want something truly special without breaking the bank - the 15 is the place to be. Let's examine the whiskey: Burnished amber in color. The nose is extraordinary. It's a rich mix of berries and cream. Sweet vanilla, red fruit, complex toasted oak. A Baked Alaska comes to mind. It smells just so soft and easy and pretty, but with a depth that feels like it's hiding something. When you taste it, you find out just what it's hiding. A spicier tangier profile provided by the higher proof. It is lively on the palate. Gingersnap and butterscotch and citrus peel come alive. The texture is full and rich. Cookies and cream abound. The finish is a touch short in the 15 year, but it's not lacking. It would be hard to overstate the quality of this whiskey for lovers of a classic Irish profile.
Nikka "Yoichi" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
Nikka malts are a consistent product. There often refined but offer a depth of flavor without compromising their delicate profile. The Yoichi malt is no exception. Scents are reminiscent of black pepper and brown sugar with some minor notes of mango; however, its in no way overpowering as often those notes can be they marry well for a mouth-watering opening. Tastes kick off with some spices; black pepper followed by minor notes of anise. From there we transition into some tropical notes: coconut, and mango come to mind right off the bat. It's gently wrapped up by some warming spices: cinnamon, cardamon, and coriander. The peat offers some textural complexity, pairing well with the front, and finish of the palate. The Yoishi is a delicious hay-yellow malt that can be enjoyed neat or however you please. I whole heartedly believe there's not much that can diminish the quality of this malt.
Nikka "Miyagikyo" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
In terms of high quality, Japanese malts Nikkas' Miyagikyo is a coveted bottle. This whiskey is a gorgeous golden hue. It's not too weighty, pours into the glass like air! The nose on this bottle is elegant, with cherry blossoms, cut red apples, and even fresh-pressed pineapple juice! That's not the end though, right on the dredges of the nose is the sweet scent of caramelized sugar. Some textural complexity here dances on the tongue without being too overbearing on the palate, this plays in nicely with the warming spices you catch on taste. Cinnamon and cardamon play well with a persistent note of red apples. This whisky speaks for itself, honestly. No amount of my words will do it justice -- give it a try and see for yourself.
Price:
$74.99
Nikka "Yoichi" Japanese Single Malt Whisky (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 5/19/2022 | Send Email
Nikka Yoichi is exquisite! This NAS whisky is distilled in Hokkaido and reflects beautifully like a whisky from the Scottish Highlands. You get a well-balanced peat that rounds nicely on your pallet with an every-so-slightly salted seaweed towards the finish. The tropical fruit of mango and coconut are also very present and delightful.
Daniel Bouju Tres Vieux "Brut de Fut" K&L Exclusive Premier Cru de Cognac Grand Champagne Cognac
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 5/13/2022 | Send Email
By: Will Blakely | Review Date: 5/13/2022 | Send Email
I have never beheld a cognac with a color as dark and dense as this. It pours like very old rare sherry, and it shares some similar attributes on the nose. But the similarities end there, as this is something entirely singular and distinct. Cocoa and molasses join dried figs and old, lacquered wood in this unnervingly powerful expression of Grande Champagne fruit. Despite its intensity, it shows a deft hand, albeit without a modicum of restraint. This is the sort of spirit that renders everything around it bland and tasteless by comparison- it is a black hole of flavor that sucks you in the moment you cross that invisible threshold. There is no escape. Fans of well-aged spirits across the board will adore this. Whether you miss old-school, age-stated bourbon, love intensely sherried malt, or have been collecting Cognac for years, you will surely want a bottle of this.
Price:
$199.99
Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
Often imitated, seldom replicated, and in this day and age when little is left that you can rely on, Billecart Salmon Rose is the old friend you can trust. Made with a nearly traditional blend of champagne's greatest grapes, this wine pulses with life and makes a heady companion to poached salmon, grilled langoustine or even a rich and fatty tuna tartare.
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
The classic, hard to get these days and even harder to put down once you've popped that top and gotten it into a glass. Fresh, with hints of flowers, stone fruit and a gentle yeasty scrumptiousness that has you crying out for more. Please come down and get some before it all disappears again.
Pierre Mineral Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
By: Giovanni Bueno | Review Date: 5/10/2022 | Send Email
Bursting with pomegranate, cherry and petunia sweetened air, this is an exemplary Rose champagne. You know a K&L direct import when you see a wine that should cost way more but there it is, right within budget. You'll love what this wine brings to your next fish dinner, or next cheese-filled book club meeting.
Price:
$49.99
2020 Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/5/2022 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/5/2022 | Send Email
Tasted with UGC wines and from the Château-Château bottle fresher and more lively. Blueberry and pencil shaving aromas. Some blackcurrant and rose on the palate. Sweet mid palate and fine balance of tannins, acid, and fruit. Ager.
Pierre Mineral Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
Light in body and light is red fruit this is still complex rose champagne. Mouthwatering acidity and subtle tropical flavors. Delectable with a dry and savory finish.
Price:
$49.99
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
It's baaaack! While this wonderful Brut often gets overshadowed by the Brut Rose, it is one that should not be missed! Rich, yet focused, with poached pear, tart green apple and citrus fruits . Gingersnap spice on the palate, with bracing minerality and firm structure. Clean and solid!
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
I love the freshness and precision of the Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve. Designed in a reductive style, this meunier dominant cuvée has beautiful bright expressive flavors of pears, white nectarines, cherries and white floral notes with incredible integration and precision from the time on the lees and the relatively low dosage. Compare to other, similarly priced nonvintage champagnes from the big houses and this is a no-brainer.
Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
The Billecart Rosé is the epitome of the grace and craft that we have come to associate with champagne. Its rich fruit profile of strawberries, cherries and cream is complemented by subtle notes of herbs and a touch of salinity, and the power of the fruit is hoisted effortlessly on the finish by mineral and acidity. This is our best selling rosé for a good reason.
Pierre Mineral Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
Most of this delicious rosé is Grand Cru Chardonnay from Mesnil, which makes the price unbelievable. This is a gorgeous, delicate and endlessly expressive wine with bright fruit notes of strawberry and raspberry, citrus and cherries, chalky minerality and a clean, bright finish highlighted by subtle yeasty brioche. If you love rose champagne like we do, don't miss this.
Price:
$49.99
Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 5/4/2022 | Send Email
It's baaaack! After many moons, our beloved Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose has returned. As always, very peachy and stone-fruited, with ripe raspberry and blood orange accents. Delicate, creamy, and floral. No wonder it is so popular!
Billecart-Salmon "Le Rosé" Champagne
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email
You just can't go wrong with classic Rose from Billecart-Salmon! It's one of the most prettiest, perfectly balanced and elegant expressions of Rose Champagne. With bright raspberry and barberry aromas and flavors with a hint of white peach it's almost ethereal in its profile. No wonder it is crowd pleasing and one of the ultimate favorites among the staff here and customers.
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email
By: Lilia McIntosh | Review Date: 5/3/2022 | Send Email
Classic Champagne with touch of toast and marzipan note but mostly clean, fresh, zesty, citrus flavor profile with green apple and Bosc pear. Dry, mineral, dangerously easy to drink! It's the all time favorite Champagne.
Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac (750ml)
By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email
By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email
For the money, I can't think of a better deal in Armagnac than the Marie Duffau 'Napoleon'. This is a delicious brandy that is smooth and textured with great flavor, rich fruit and a rounded finish that is very easy to like and drink. A minimum of 6 years old and is typically a blend of mostly Ugni blanc, some Baco, and a little Colombard and Folle Blanche. Try a bottle, it's great.
Arran 10 Year Old (New Label) Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)
By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email
By: Tim Telli | Review Date: 4/27/2022 | Send Email
Anyone looking for an easy drinking whiskey that is light and bright should take a look at the Arran 10 year old. Arran is a relatively new distillery, opened some 30 years ago off the coast of south-west Scotland on the picturesque island of Arran. The whisky has a very clean fruity profile that has some vanilla and citrus notes followed by a little spice and apple on the finish. This is a great whisky for someone who doesn't want a peaty or smoky style or is just starting to look at single malts. A very fine dram indeed.
Price:
$59.99
Port Charlotte (Bruichladdich) 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/23/2022 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/23/2022 | Send Email
If you are a peated whisky fan, you'll enjoy this single malt. There is a sharpness to this whisky that is not for the faint of heart. You get intense peat that hugs your tongue and it is delightful! Overall, it is a must try and a great deal for a 10 year!
Redwood Empire "Pipe Dream" Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/6/2022 | Send Email
By: Hope Cooc | Review Date: 4/6/2022 | Send Email
Hmm, where should I start with Redwood Empire? A fun little fact is that Redwood Empire promises to plant a tree with every bottle sold. So, from here we’re already off to an amazing start. Diving into their Pipe Dream Bourbon, you get enriching flavours of vanilla, baking spices, and toasted pecans. The mouthfeel of this whiskey is delicate with a hint of a black pepper spice at the finish. I personally enjoy drinking Pipe Dream by itself, but it is equally as delicious in a cocktail as well. If you’re looking for a new bourbon to try, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle on your next visit!
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
By: Dejah Overby | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
This is by far my favorite Gin for martinis. The botanicals are well measured so that one does not overpower any of the others. Bright lemon, a touch of seaweed, and a whisper of moss. The finish is clean and perfect for enjoying stirred and garnished with a lemon twist.
Price:
$34.99
St. George "Terroir" Mount Tamalpais Gin (750ml)
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
What an exciting idea. Distill a gin using some botanicals from a local area.The St. George Terrior Mt. Tam is more that a good project, it also tastes good and expands the bonderies of flavors for a gin. There are aromas of juniper and bay laurel that are followed by flavors of juniper, bay laural, sage and fir. A gin to think about and enjoy. Over the last ten years this has been on of our best selling gins because it is both delicious and unique.
Price:
$29.99
Tsuji Zenbei Shoten Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu Omachi Sake (720ml)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
A lush nose of cantaloupe, lychee and honeysuckle. On the palate, surprisingly nutty (Pine nut, Macadamia nut) with plush mouthfeel. Very creamy, with flavors of vanilla and honeydew. Delicious and perfectly enjoyable on its own!
Price:
$49.99
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
My single malt senses are tingling... Wait!... This isn't malt!... It's gin! Bruichladdich is an extraordinary gin out from the Isle of Islay, twenty two native botanicals are used in this gins conception. It's flavors are lush, real great juniper bite with a wonderful saltiness on the finish.
Price:
$34.99
Martin Miller's Westbourne Strength London Dry Gin (750ml)
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
By: Austin Jenkins | Review Date: 4/2/2022 | Send Email
An interesting London dry, of course as the name states its produced in London and has a great classic botanical list; however, it's water is sourced from Iceland! Once the gin arrives in a village called Borgarnes it's blended with fresh water from the Selyri spring. The inclusion of fresh water offers the gin a softer body, and smoother liquid texture. An awesome London dry that'll be great over ice, or in a martini.
Rey Campero Espadin Candelaria Yegolé Oaxaca Mezcal (750ml)
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email
This is a very will made and delicious Mezcal. The nose is very complex. Every moment seems to offer different aromas, with citrus and savory notes interacting. In the mouth it was soft with a nice roundness and a hint of minerals. There are very subtle hints of smoke.
Price:
$39.99
1982 The Rare Armagnac Collection (Domaine de Pouchegu) 38 Year Old K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/25/2022 | Send Email
Armagnac continues to offer some of the most compelling values in the world of spirits. It's insane that these ancient spirits are still available in 2022 at these kind of prices. While I've loved so many of the Pouchegu bottlings we've done in the past, the 1982 came as a surprise to me. The deep mahogany color fit right with my expectation as I associate this chateau with a very strong wood profile, but I most certainly wasn't expecting the intensity of fruit that this is showing. On the nose dark cherries, freeze dried stone fruits, and a touch of gummy peach ring are just bursting from the glass. It all sits on a beautiful tray of aromatic cedar covered in a thick varnish, staying true to my Pouchegu preconceptions. The palate is big, bold, and again, shockingly fruity. It's a testament to the power of the spirit that after nearly 40 years in oak the original fruit stands up strong both on the nose and palate. The mouthfeel is robust, leaning just a touch toward hot, but shockingly drinkable at the 54.1% ABV this clocks in at. If you're a fan of delicate fruit forward Armagnac this probably isn't the one for you. If you love big and bold wood flavors with a huge helping of fruit, do not skip the 1982.
Price:
$179.99
1982 The Rare Armagnac Collection (Domaine de Pouchegu) 38 Year Old K&L Exclusive Vintage Armagnac (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/24/2022 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/24/2022 | Send Email
Anyone who knows this producer and the excellent spirits that were distilled by M. Laporte some 30-40 years ago should not be surprised that I believe this to be one of the greatest domaines in Armagnac. The barrels themselves were purchased after Laporte's death by the Chateau Hontambere, but the quality has not been compromised what so ever. No, in fact it seems as though the current owners have managed to keep some of the finest barrels under wraps. Few spirits in the store will compare to this exceptional product, no other age spirit deliveries so much for so little though. If all armagnac was made in this style, we'd have drunk it all years ago. Let's have a taste. The color is deep tawny. The nose is pungent, intoxicating mix of wild red fruit compote, toasted vanilla bean, light roasted arabica, raw honey and charred oak. On the palate the fruit upfront is an absolute surprise. Pure dried apricot and peach, followed by tart cherry, exotic antique wood, slight lacquer box character. The big spice and slightly bitter oak is overpowered on the finish by the desiccated peach flavor, moving almost to the candied peach range. The balance and complexity is second to none and it's absolutely astonishing that nearly 40 years in new oak hasn't completely clobbered this spirits. That said, if you don't like a wood driven style of Armagnac this is not the product for you, for everyone else this will, I believe become a benchmark for which to measure brandies in this style.
Price:
$179.99
Rihaku "Dreamy Clouds" Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori Sake (Unfiltered) (720ml)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/19/2022 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 3/19/2022 | Send Email
This actually does look like dreamy clouds! Unfiltered and cloudy, like Karl the Fog! It has a plush nose of vanilla bean, melon and red licorice. On the palate, initially, there is a little weight but, it is quick to come forth with dry and clean flavors of sweet white rice, vanilla ice cream, and banana. It also has a nice tangy finish. Delicious!
Price:
$30.99
Ariston Aspasie "Brut Prestige" Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/16/2022 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/16/2022 | Send Email
Aspasie's Brut Prestige is made with some of the grower's oldest vines and is composed of 50% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, and 25% Pinot Meunier grapes. For me, this wine captures two distinct qualities that can be hard to pin together: richness and focus. For the levels of flavor here, the Brut Prestige knows exactly what it is, where it wants to take you, and never goes over the top with any of its characteristics. The nose presents buttery brioche and fresh apricot. The palate begins with creme brulee and nuttiness, again transitions to orchard fruit with flavors of peach compote, then finishes with refreshing fruit cocktail. Elegant and precise, this is a great Champagne.
Baron-Fuenté "Grande Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/16/2022 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/16/2022 | Send Email
This is one of the lesser-known classics, though I've really loved this Champagne house for a while now. The Grande Reserve consists of 60% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir, and Baron Fuente uses 40% reserve wines for this bottling ensuring a lot of complexity develops. It also spends three years on the lees to develop a level of yeasty, toasty flavors that's just right for me. The nose opens with light cream and musty yellow pears with additional orchard fruit notes of peach and apricot. There's nice lemon acidity and a whisper of smoke and flint. The palate is pleasantly tart with both apple and pear, and this Champagne has fantastic texture. This Champagne's profile hits most of those classic Champagne aromas and flavors making it very approachable and perfect for crowd-pleasing at any event you might be hosting.
Ariston Aspasie "Brut Prestige" Champagne
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/13/2022 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/13/2022 | Send Email
The entire Aspasie line represents incredible Champagne value, but for me, the
"Brut Prestige" is unmatched in terms of quality for the money. The particularly old vines (60-years) produce a unique concentration of black cherry/green apple fruit, while the extended time on lees provides plenty of nutty, honey, cream and floral elements that make this a stunning bottle of Champagne.
Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
What an incredible bottle of gin! We had this in a big lineup of stone cold London Dry classics, and it showed so spectacularly that I didn't wait five minutes after the tasting to buy one for home. This does the trick that only the best of all drinks can do- it is super refreshing and also complex and interesting. I love the cooling juniper and exotic high tones from this gin- it is all together too good for gin and tonics!
Price:
$34.99
Condesa 'Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom' Mexico City Gin (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
I'll admit I was skeptical going into my first tasting of this one. It's in a beautiful pink glass bottle (although it pours clear) and I was expecting just a massive floral and fruity mess. Boy was I wrong. There is plenty of juniper here to anchor the fruit and floral blossoms firmly in the world of gin. It's no slouch in any classic cocktails and in fact really shines beautifully in a simple G&T. The citrus is crystal clear, the prickly pear sweet yet bracing. The texture of both Condesa gins is otherworldly. That texture makes for a perfect dry martini. Just shake or stir over ice according to your pleasure and garnish with really any citrus peel you have on hand, strain, and enjoy. As a huge proponent of vermouth being a strong feature in any good martini, it's remarkable that I would make one without it, but here, the gin is so good, so complex, so bright, so lively, that you can get away without it. Of course, if you have some fresh, delicate dry vermouth to add, it's not going to hurt anything either. If you love gin, both Condesa bottles are simply must haves at all times.
Price:
$34.99
Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
By: Andrew Whiteley | Review Date: 3/12/2022 | Send Email
This gin is insanely good. I cannot keep my hands off the bottle. If a few short days, it's gone. I've made every classic gin cocktail in my repertoire and it has performed to perfection in each one. It's texturally impressive, silky, yet robustly flavorful. There is a firm juniper backbone, but with no hard edges. It doesn't classify as a London dry per say, although it is bone dry. It's not a floral bomb gin either. It's just so spectacularly balanced and graceful. It stands as one of the best gins on our shelf, in my personal collection, and in the wide world of gin. Add to that the fun facts that it's a woman owned and operated distillery in the heart of one of the most exciting cities on earth and crafted by a practitioner of the Mexico's traditional healing arts and packaged in a stunning bottle AND it's reasonably priced to boot, and you've got a 10/10 here.
Price:
$34.99
2010 Haut-Bailly, Pessac-Léognan
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/9/2022 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 3/9/2022 | Send Email
Ask any seasoned Bordeaux drinker about Pessac Leognan and the one thing that's sure to come up is the minerals. As mysterious and unbelievable as it is for the flavor of the gravelly soil and white quartz to travel through the roots and the veins into the grapes, I beseech you to smell this wine. Yes, it has the dark currants, the potent violets, licorice and smoke of great Cabernet Sauvignon, but it also has an unmistakable and unique stony earthy aroma that is totally complementary to every other flavor present. It has an incredible balance that seems to highlight every corner and nuance of the wine, with nothing overpowering anything else. This is a testament to the unmatchable terroir of this top Pessac Leognan property.
Condesa 'Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom' Mexico City Gin (750ml)
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email
Gin from Mexico City? You better believe it and believe that it's great stuff too! Condesa Gins are made in the heart of Mexico with Mexican sourced botanicals, helmed by Maestra Destiladora, Hillhamn Salome. Right away, it's apparent that this is a very different experience that the Condesa Clasica, but it's still got that juniper structure and is still so aromatically expressive. The prickly pear makes it playful. The addition of orange blossom really shoots the floral and citrus components of the gin to the stratosphere. If you're a fan of more flower-oriented gins like Hendrick's then you owe it to yourself to check this out. Forced to describe this gin with one word, I'd have to go with "bright". This gin shines through and keeps going with vivacity and freshness. It makes a great Gin & Tonic, but honestly I just want this over ice with two dashes of bitters and a thin wedge of lemon, lime, and mandarin orange all squeezed and dropped in the glass.
Price:
$34.99
Condesa "Clasica" Extra Dry Mexico City Gin (750ml)
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/8/2022 | Send Email
Gin from Mexico City? You better believe it and believe that it's great stuff too! Condesa Gins are made in the heart of Mexico with Mexican sourced botanicals, helmed by Maestra Destiladora, Hillhamn Salome. As all great gin should, the Condesa Clasica hits first with a firm juniper note that forms the core of the spirit, but there's a lot at play here. Spicy and floral notes intertwine beautifully, raising the juniper higher. The sage and palo santo provide a nice herbal and earthy base, but then the jasmine and citrus keep bursting through to lighten everything up with a breath of summer that gets headier with each whiff. I prefer the Clasica in a Martini, but the cocktail potential here is vast with all the unique botanicals and complex flavors.
Price:
$34.99
Ariston Aspasie "Cépages d'Antan" Brut Champagne
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/3/2022 | Send Email
By: Neal Fischer | Review Date: 3/3/2022 | Send Email
With this bottle, Aspasie offers imbibers a beautiful glass of Champagne with one hand and a glimpse into the history of the Champagne region with the other. The Cepages d'Antan is made using grape varietals that have all but gone extinct in the area: 40% Arban, 40% Petit Melie, and 20% Pinot Blanc. If that sounds like an odd Champagne blend then you'd be correct, but rest assured that there's no mistaking this for anything but a great Champagne! Green apple kicks off the nose followed briskly by tropical fruits, clotted cream, a slight toasty edge, and fresh raspberries. On the palate I get bright cherry, passion fruit, and mandarin orange. The acidity is on point here helping to make a vivacious sparkler that tingles and tickles the tongue. If anyone tries to tell you that history is boring, give them a glass of this.
Price:
$119.99