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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
Delamain Pale & Dry XO Grande Champagne Cognac (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Delamain is really one of the most special producers of Cognac. They may not be the most exciting, bold or innovative, but they make DANG good cognac in a style that very few producers are going after. Restrained elegant and very deliberate. the XO is Delamain's "entry level" but it doesn't drink like an entry level. This has some very old brandies in the mix and benefits from an extended marriage period in smaller casks rather than the few weeks in large foudres like most producers. The result is a head nose of dried stone fruits, macerated vanilla bean and subtle exotic wood. Excellent vibrant entry that's lifted and open with tons of complexity. Those stones fruits play of the barrel spice perfectly as the long finish builds. This has always been a favorite circa $100+, but at this price this is easily the finest regularly available XO for your money.
Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Buffalo Trace's flagship Rye named for the famous Coffeehouse in New Orleans which gave its name to both the cocktail and the company that owns the distillery. This whisky has an unconfirmed mashbill but what ever they're doing over there results in a wonderful spicy bold yet balanced rye. Aged for around 6 years and bottled at 90 proof, the Sazerac Rye cleans up at the competitions and is finally available on the regular. Even at 90 proof this bad boy makes a mean cocktail and might be a little more forgiving than something like the WT 101 Rye, plus it's now cheaper than that bench mark. Most serious drinkers should have a bottle open in the bar...
Carpano "Punt E Mes" Vermouth (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Punt E Mes has been a go to choice for cocktailing at my house for years. When you're a bit tired of the ultra richness of Antica formula, fall back on the lovely and structured Punt E to clear you right up. It does wonders for drying up a bourbon Manhattan, but it also sings in Spritzs and Negronis. The nose is vinous and spicy with herbal sweet earthiness. The palate is somewhat tannic with a strong quinine element. The finish softens up and releases you from its bitter grasp with soft sweet ending. A great change up from the standard red vermouths.
Campari Bitter Liqueur (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
I have a strange and painful affinity to Campari. There's not a moment of any day at any time that I couldn't get down with a bit of that amaroidal crimson concoction. I'm not certain that I'm not physically dependent on it.
Balvenie 12 Year Old "Doublewood" Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/31/2017 | Send Email
Good old Doublewood. Very few entry level offerings from a Scottish distillery provide so much depth for your dollar. For some many people this is the gateway to the world of Scotch and I think it does a lot of things really well. The gorgeous distillery in Dufftown is one of the best reasons to visit Speyside and one of the few that's still using onsite maltings, albeit in small quantities. It's clear that they're going for balance and easy of entry, but not at complete neglect of character. The nose starts with a big honey note framed around subtle driad fruit influence and a big vanilla component. The earthy maltiness builds with air and dominates the palate, but still some darker sherry components poke through. The finish moves away from the sweet honey and raisiny fruit toward darker drier components. Some wisps of fresh oak as it lingers. Certainly I'd love to see this at higher proof, but truly appreciate what this humble bottlings provides for the price.
Waiter's Corkscrew Burgundy K&L Logo
By: Anthony Russo | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
By: Anthony Russo | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
This is a super-solid corkscrew. Built with metal parts, it'll take a lot of abuse before cracking and falling apart, unlike its plastic competitors. We use it all the time ourselves for tastings and these have yet to let us down! The best feature is the dual pivot point, making the actual cork-pulling process easy, and smooth.
Price:
$6.99
2016 Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
One of the top wines of the vintage. Such great texture on the palate. Very sweet mid palate impression. Great balance so it will age very well for 10-20 years.
2005 Verdignan, Haut-Médoc
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 5/30/2017 | Send Email
I love this claret! Plenty of savory dark red fruit, mocha and licorice with earthy elements of graphite, forest floor and mushrooms. 2005 was not a shy vintage, nor are the flavors in this wine. The tannins and acid are right where they need to be, I’d take advantage of the sub-$20 price tag and enjoy this tonight!
High West "Bourye - 2025" Limited Release A Blend of Straight Bourbon & Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
The excellent Bourye is always a special treat. There are so few opportunities to taste old American whiskey at a reasonable price. The Bourye is always a reminder that High West is really an American blending house. Sure, they distill stuff, but what they're good at is figuring out the precise proportions to maximize the impact of each component of a blend. The new Bourye is no exception. The heady spice of old rye and the rich, woodsy sweetness of well-aged bourbons are mingled perfectly for one of the most obvious and delicious bottles on the shelf today. Has this wonderful old-style feel to it and represents quite a good value considering many aged-stated rye and many bourbons are asking upwards of $100.
Price:
$119.99
Del Maguey Minero Mezcal (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
Del Maguey single-handedly created the high-end mezcal category. And while their Chichicapa might be considered the flagship, it is their Minero that is the true star. Hand-milled agave cultivated at over 5,000 feet and roasted over mesquite, huamuchil, and eucalyptus wood is fermented in open wooden vats for up to 25 days. It's then distilled in traditional clay pots (the only standard release from Del Maguey using this type of still) to create one of the most viscous and powerfully rich mezcals available.
Price:
$74.99
2016 Gloria, St-Julien
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 5/24/2017 | Send Email
Wonderful red berry aromas and flavor. Cabernet at 65% shines through here. Quite spicy on the palate. Should be a fine buy for mid term aging. Slight tannic finish, but good balance.
2016 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 5/23/2017 | Send Email
Ch. Langoa Barton…$49.99 Mags $99.99 Langoa Barton has beautifully fresh, spicy raspberry fruit, nice texture, very pretty with all parts perfectly balanced. 2 Stars! Ralph
2016 Margaux, Margaux
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
This is tight, clean, classy and weightless with a glassy, polished texture. There is obvious strength to the intense and steely middle but the seamless integration of elements allows this to glide effortlessly from beginning to end. This is pitch-perfect and will only blossom with age.
2016 Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
Rich and creamy though a tad less fruity than the Malescot, a touch more elegant and of equal quality. This is sweet and sappy with potpourri, ripe red fruit, velvety texture and a long, precise finish.
2016 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 5/19/2017 | Send Email
This is surprisingly bright and balanced with crisp and effortless texture to the substantial body. Black cherry, dark plum, cola and damp clay are present in this structured, clean and fresh wine.
Hakushu 12 Year Old Peated Japanese Single Malt Whisky
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
Personally, I’ve always been surprised how much more popular the Yamazaki 12 is compared to its sibling the Hakushu 12. To me, the Yamazaki has always been a fine whiskey, but the more dynamic malt is easily the Hakushu, which as pretty much the same delicate and light-drinking flavor profile as the Yamazaki, but with just the faintest touch of smoke. It's so ethereal straight out of the glass, but I feel like it tastes even better with ice (I know that's tough for some people to handle). The subtle peat is like a ghost that moves slowly around every part of my palate, brushing it with hints of earth and phenolic goodness after coating it with sweet grains. With our new pricing, this is a can't miss deal. It's nice to have some real quantity again!
Price:
$159.99
Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/8/2017 | Send Email
When the Suntory Toki first launched at $45, it was a bit of a stretch because of how hot the market was for Japanese whisky. I'm much more comfortable selling this in the mid-thirties, however, and with our new pricing we can do that. While you sip on your bottle of Yamazaki or Hakushu, you pour this one on the rocks, add some soda water, and make yourself a real mizuwari--the great whisky soda that dominates Japan's drinking culture. The fruitiness on the nose really blossoms with the addition of bubbles, so don't be shy here. Do Japanese whisky right and drink it how it's intended!
Price:
$29.99
Cappelletti "Sfumato Rabarbaro" Amaro (750ml)
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
This wonderful Amaro from Cappelletti is smoky and earthy, sweet and classically bitter. Try it on its own as a digestivo to end a hearty meal or get creative with some of your favorite cocktails. Personally, I am a huge Negroni fan. I have been looking for some time for an Amaro I could pair with Mezcal. As soon as I tasted the Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro I knew I had found the secret ingredient for my Negroni Sfumato (I thought “Smoke & Mirrors” would be a fun title as well but the rest of the staff seem set on "Smoky Negron"). Try equal parts Sfumato Rabarbaro Amaro from Cappelletti, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and your favorite mezcal. I used the Mezcalero "Los Nahuales" Special Edition Sierrudo-Cuishe Mezcal from Los Danzantes. Amazing!
Price:
$21.99
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 5/3/2017 | Send Email
I never quite understood how Buffalo Trace was able to make so much great bourbon at such a low price. Even after visiting the distillery several times the numbers just seem silly. What you learn from being there is that Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare are essentially the same exact whiskey. Both are distilled from the same mashbill and aged in the same brick patent heated warehouse. Both are 10 years old when being dumped. The only difference is the way the taste. Literately, they taste each barrel and decide how to bottle it - either as a single cask or in the small batch blend. One is 30% cheaper than the other. Both are delicious. Incredible that this stuff isn't in EVERY well in every bar. Should always be a contender for your current HOUSE BOURBON.
2016 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 4/26/2017 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 4/26/2017 | Send Email
Pontet Canet, Mouton and Pichon-Lalande were the 3 most voluptuous Pauillacs we tasted the first week of April and the Pontet comes in as #1. This is ripe, dark and concentrated with huckleberry jam, raspberry fruit, vanilla, spice oak and more on a powerful and creamy yet classy frame. The tannins are sweet, ripe and rounded on this ultra rich wine of almost exotic proportion that still manages to come off as bone dry. I suspect someone will score this 100 points.
2016 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 4/25/2017 | Send Email
By: Ralph Sands | Review Date: 4/25/2017 | Send Email
2016 Cos d'Estournel is a great wine! Loaded with exotic black fruits, powerful but in perfect focus. Lovely middle fruit texture and style, super long finishing wine. Better than Mouton and Lafite! 3 Star Wine and candidate for wine of the vintage.
2016 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 4/25/2017 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 4/25/2017 | Send Email
I have wonderful memories of the great vintages of Cos d’Estournel from the 1980’s. These were some of the wines that shaped my earliest impressions of Bordeaux. Yet, sadly, I feel as though sometime in the past decade or so we sort of lost touch with each other. I remember tasting the 2009 and finding it much riper than I expected, much bigger and grander in style. I thought, well, things change. I silently wished the property well and thought, at least I still have my memories of a shared past, a simpler time. Imagine my joy, then upon tasting the 2016 vintage en primeur. Mon vieux! The unique conditions in 2016 yielded a wine that will rival the great vintages of decades past. This is a wine heavily dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up 76% of the blend. It is a miracle of the dry conditions and the very warm days and cool nights of July and August. The wine is deeply colored and intensely aromatic with great presence and persistence. A marvel of perfect ripeness, lively acidity, and very fine tannins, and all with a mere 13% alcohol. Structured, yet refined. Exquisitely balanced. A more definitive expression of terroir I have rarely seen. Classic. A triumph.
2016 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 4/24/2017 | Send Email
By: Clyde Beffa Jr. | Review Date: 4/24/2017 | Send Email
This wine is off-the charts great. 13.07 degrees Alcohol like the old days of great Bordeaux wines. Incredible, intense, spicy aromas with cinnamon undertones on the palate. So silky and precise-pure as can be. Long and lovely-so good you can drink it soon, but it will cellar well for many years. Bravo on the reasonable price. A very special wine and one of the top ten I tasted in April.
Lot 40 Copper Pot Still Canadian Rye Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
Lot 40 Rye has gone from being impossible to get and expensive to be our go to affordable sipping rye! The spectacular quality you get on this one for the price is UNMATCHED elsewhere in the rye world. That said it's nothing like the grainy rye coming out of all the craft distilleries in the states or the punchy cocktail friendly bravado of a Rittenhouse. This is zippy herbaceous 100% pot still 100% Canadian is well matured rye unlike any other. Delicious nose of caraway, licorice, candied cherries, citrus peel and baking spices. The palate is cinnamon and spice and everything nice! It's almost Christmas-y! Sweet Muscovado finish to balance all the spice. The whole thing builds to a nice long satisfying finish. This isn't a powerhouse that's going to knock you out, but instead there's something more intricate and oblique about it. Perhaps it's the pot stills or something else going on, but this is one serious little drink for $30.
Russell's Reserve 10 Year Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
What can I say about Wild Turkey except that Jimmy and Eddie Russell are two of the industry's finest stewards. On their watch, across multiple owners, they've worked to been able to keep quality levels at Wild Turkey extremely high. They've never compromised what they've knew to be important for quality production in the name of making an extra buck and the result speaks for itself. Their namesake product, the Russell's Reserve 10 Year is probably older than Jimmy likes his bourbon, but for me it's perfect. Only bested by the Single Barrels in their portfolio, the 10 year is just a silly price for great aged bourbon of the highest quality. Tons of complexity on the nose, with that high rye component coming through. The big bold herbal spices is tempered with a sweet nougat and toffee. Big and rich on the palate with subtle licorice, old bourbon spice, sweet vanilla and dark fruit to finish. Very few things get this good under $30.
Old Forester "Signature" 100 Proof Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
This is probably the best regularly release whiskey produced by Brown Forman USA. The OF 100 proof has so much going on, yet it remains totally under the radar. For as good as Brown Forman are at making whisky (they skip the e on OF for some historical bizarre reason), they've yet to create serious cache around this brand. New releases like the OF Prohibition are changing that trend, but we sell 10 times as much Buffalo Trace as we do Old Forester. I think that a huge part of that has to do with their ground game in Kentucky. People go to BT (partly because of VW) and see the beautiful old brick warehouses and fall in love. Equally so at Woodford, but OF doesn't have a place to call its own. The distillery experience on Whiskey Row in Downtown Louisville was severly damage in a 2015 fire. Hopefully that will open soon and give Old Forester a place to showcase their exceptional wares. Maybe they'll finally do some cask strength single barrels? In the mean time, I'll keep reminding my customers that this is one of the best bourbons they're not drinking.
Willett Pot Still Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
Willett's flagship product is their Pot Still Reserve in the wonderfully weird pot still bottle. This super easy going small batch blend represents 30 years of grit and determination in one little bottle. Now that the Willett's have finally got their still up and running, this will likely become a showcase of their older own distilled bourbons in the future. For now it's still a blend of some wonderful sourced whiskies of excellent quality. Easy drinking, but not simple by any means, expect a strong bouquet of candied citrus and sweet dark caramel. The sweet nose and front palate belies a building peppery note and a drier finish driven by oaky spice. Production remains very limited on these, so don't expect it to always be around. The awesome bottle makes for a great gift all year round.
Price:
$54.99
Four Roses "Single Barrel" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
This whiskey sets Four Roses apart from its competitors in nearly every category. It checks ALL the boxes. A 10 year old high rye recipe bourbon bottled as a single barrel at 100 proof and sold for only $40! What the hell is everyone else doing? Four Roses makes your whiskey look stupid! You go to Four Roses, see what they're doing. Takes some notes. No one sells better whiskey for less. This is always the special OBSV recipe. Since these are single barrels, every bottle you open is a new and wonderful experience. If you don't have a bottle in your bar already, you're making a terrible mistake.
Noah's Mill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
Noah's Mill is a legend. It's been one of Willett's flag ship brands for decades. This whiskey includes some of their oldest stocks, which means some of the barrels in the blend are 20+ years old. Expect an average age around 15 years. This elegant whiskey is complex and heady, but not overpowering. Its soft yet distinctive aromatics range from candied citrus, floral honey and stone fruit to forest, leather and smokey oak. A sweet front palate of caramel and toffee is followed by a pepper and spice finish owing to a significant amount of rye in the mashbill. For an over-proof (114.3-degree) bourbon, it is not at all hot. It's absolutely incredible that we're able to sell this whiskey for $55 when every distillery out their is trying to get you to pay $100 for some 6 year old. Thank you to the good people at Willett for having the gumption to keep it real after all these years.
Price:
$69.99
Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/18/2017 | Send Email
Maker's Mark is easily the most consistent bourbon on the market today. Not many people realize that it's a wheater (i.e. same recipe as Weller) the coveted base for the Van Winkle bourbons. There's not a whole lot that separates what Maker's does from what happens at Buffalo Trace. The yeast strains are different. The Maker's stills are tall and skinny which makes a difference, but for what it's worth Maker's have become masters at replicating that special recipe, which Julian Van Winkle helped develop all those decades ago. He was making the best whiskey at the time in an "old fashioned" way (i.e. No chemists allowed! was the distillery motto) so why wouldn't you seek his advice when starting a distillery? Indeed, it was in Stitzle-Weller's image that Bill Samuels molded what would become one of the Country's most popular whiskey brands. After around six years, with a unique system of barrel management to encourage consistent aging, we get this ubiquitous and delicious whiskey marked with that special red top.
Neisson Rhum Agricole Blanc Martinique (1L)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
The Neisson Blanc is the quintessential white agricole rhum. Neisson is all about creating rhums of Terroir and the blanc expresses that terroir better than anything thing they offer. The Blanc 100 proof is sourced from two sugar fields in the North of Martinique in the communes of Saint-Pierre and Carbat. The soils are volcanic pumice over sandy clay in nature and planted to Blue, Red, Cannelle, and Zikak Sugar Cane varietals. It's fermented in open vats and distilled on an Armagnac style alembic column still. It's rested for at least 6 months before bottling The traditional distillery is still run by children of the founder Hildevert-Pamphille Neisson. The result is something heady and wild, with tons of funky hogo, tropical fruit and fresh grass. It's vibrant and intense. A true expression of the cane from this special little island.
Barbancourt Estate Reserve 15 Year Old Haitian Rum (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Barbancourt Estate is Haiti's top rum producer and makes a very unique style that blends technique from both the Cognac and Armagnac. Like most French protectorates, Barbancourt uses only fresh cane juice for fermentation rather than a mix of molasses and water. This is then distilled to 70% on a column still before being rectified on an alembic pot still to 90%. This high proof spirit is then cut to 100 proof and aged in large vats and small barrels. The result is some where in between a Spanish and a French style rhum. It's ultra clean and fruity, but without the sweet syrupy notes of aged Spanish rums. By 15 years, there's plenty of concentration and density of wood, heavy on the butterscotch, toffee and baking spices. It retains some of the fruitiness of the younger expressions on the palate, but the bold spice and sweet caramelized sugar aromas are definitely in charge here. It's really unlike any other agricole on the market, as it's made quite differently, but nonetheless offer a lot deliciousness for the price.
Johnny Drum "Private Stock" 101 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Johnny Drum has long been a go to for our staff and customers are starting to catch on. For years this special Bourbon held the 15 year designation right on the neck and while they're not able to use it any longer, there remains incredible old bourbon in the blend. While we don't have precise information about the contents here, there's no doubt that Willett is including some nicely aged bourbon in the blend. It remains a go to Bourbon that nearly anyone can appreciate. Dense nose of deep maple, oak spice, and sweet candied fruit. The palate is structured and not overtly sweet thanks to the higher proof. This one is really fun to mix with and stands up to anything in the price range without even flinching. Plus the old school wax top looks so COOL!!!!
Price:
$49.99
The Botanist Islay Dry Gin (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Jim McEwan's ginny babe is a baby no more. Remy has taken the Botanist out of it's crib and it's quickly becoming one of the hottest gins in the world. That hasn't changed anything about how delicious it is. Still using those same 22 Islay botanicals, the key to the Botanist's complexity is actually the ultra slow distillation at Bruichladdich on the banks of Loch Indaal. 17 long hours to produce one batch on the odd Lomond Still nicked named "Ugle Betty". The resulting spirit is one of the most unctuous and deeply complex gins on the market. Each distinct local botanical infused with the breath of the Queen of the Hebrides.
Price:
$34.99
Cadenhead's Old Raj Gin 110 Proof (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Cadenhead's Old Raj is a true Classic. That light yellow hue, imparted from the rare and expensive saffron flower, hints at the exceptional quality and complexity. The stiff 110 proof reminds us that this is Campbeltown's own Gin - the pride of Kintyre. It's racy, it's powerful, it makes no excuses, but it will hold you tight and kiss you goodnight.
Price:
$49.99
Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin (700ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Oh Gin Mare, you've always been here for me. When I'm bored of the same old gin, there you are waiting for me, all savory and oily. It's that Olive thing that gets you first, but then you notice the other unusual flavors. And you fall in love. Don't mess this up by trying to mix it too heavily. This stuff begs for good tonic and some anchovies. Nothing more needed.
Price:
$36.99
Ventura Spirits "Wilder" Gin (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
Ventura Spirits is one of SoCal's most exciting new distilleries. These guys are really in it for the right reasons. They do crazy shit like try to distill seaweed and make wild weird brandies from local strawberry, quince and other wonderful treats. Their Wilder Gin exemplifies everything that their all about. They're pulling these botanicals from the hills around the distillery and fruit from local farms, the result is something utterly unique and truly Californian. This is a beautiful base to build complex cocktails around or use it to give a fresh twist on an old classic. No doubt this should be considered one of SoCal's premier micro gins.
Price:
$29.99
The 86 Co. Ford's Gin (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
The wonderful Ford's Gin has become a go to for many bartenders and no surprise thanks to it's loveable creator Simon Ford. It's pretty simple really. First, get one of London's great old gin houses to produce an ultra high quality gin for you. Make sure it's distinctive, but versatile. Maybe add a hint of Grapefruit - nobody is doing that. Next, ship the ultra high-proof bulk spirit to the states for proofing and bottling at Charbay in Ukiah. Kick it with Marko, drink a lot. Finally, sell it for an incredibly fair price. It's that easy. Now you know how to start your own Spirits Company. Or just buy 86 Co.'s Ford's Gin and relax.
Price:
$24.99
Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
My things have really come full circle when the Australians are surpassing the British in the Gin game. No doubt there are some cranky brits over this one, but the quality of the Four Pillars gins cannot be denied or ignored. This is a citrus driven style, but with plenty of botanical oomph to keep it serious. I love to use this in citrus based cocktails. In Rickeys, Corpse Revivers, Last Words it just sings, but has enough to standard up to a really nice tonic syrup and some descent soda.
Darroze Les Grand Assemblages "20 Year Old" Bas-Armagnac (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
The exceptional Darroze 20 year is a tribute not only to the incredibly high quality stocks that Marc Darroze has in the chais, but also to his exceptional skill as a blender. The resulting Armagnac is one of the most elegant and well put together products of any kind. Expect bold notes of dense tropical fruit (mango and guava), soft supple tannins and rich, but not syrupy mouth feel. This is a great age for Armagnac as you have the freshness and intensity on display, but all the edges are starting to round out. This is something that should always be open in the back of the bar, just to keep you steady.
Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 4/11/2017 | Send Email
The easy drinking Marie Duffau Armagnacs have brought more people into this category than almost any other product. This is the country's best selling Armagnac and with good reason. If you're looking for round soft and supple this is about as good at anything at this price.
Lagavulin 8 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/6/2017 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 4/6/2017 | Send Email
This 8 year version of Lagavulin is even more quintessentially Islay than the 16. It's fresher, livelier, peatier, and simply more dynamic on the palate. I also love that Lagavulin paid homage to the classic whisky travel book "The Whisky Distilleries of Scotland" by Alfred Barnard, a writer who visited all 150 active distilleries in the UK back in the late 19th century. He specifically mentions an "exceptionally fine" Lagavulin 8 year expression, and it's clear from tasting the modern rendition why he felt so strongly. It's a lovely whisky and it very much speaks to the strength of what may be Scotland's top producer.
Glenlivet 12 Year Old "Double Oak" Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/29/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/29/2017 | Send Email
Glenlivet 12 is the ubiquitous favorite of so many, there's just nothing wrong with it. It's a benchmark whisky and responsible for defining an entire style and introducing an entire generation of drinkers to single malt. It remains a wonderful value and one of best-selling whiskies in the store.
Aberlour 12 Year Old "Double Cask" Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/29/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/29/2017 | Send Email
Aberlour 12 year is a fine little whisky from the tiny distillery in the town of the same name. At this price it's hard to argue with their Double Cask Matured entry level. It's a great alternative to Balvenie Doublewood or even the 'Farclas 12 year each at $10 more than the Aberlour. Expect a good malty base note, subtle fruit framed around easy sherry influences, dried fruit, dark chocolate, and baking spice spice. Solid stuff.
Lagavulin 8 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/28/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/28/2017 | Send Email
Absolute magic! I've always been a bigger fan of the out of control cask strength 12 year old over the (still wonderful) standard 16 year. To be able to get an affordable, if slightly tame version of that is an exceptional score! There's just SO much going on here. This is real deal stinky briny, sooty oily Lagavulin. I'm not even going to bother attempting to describe this further, but this is without a doubt one of the best peaty whiskies on the shelf at any price. Forget the age and focus on the flavor. $60? Laphroaig Cask Strength and Ardbeg Uiggy have another for contender here for best bang for your buck peater in the store and I'm leaning toward the man in the middle. Good old laggy, lag, we don't deserve you.
Balvenie 12 Year Old Single Barrel Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/28/2017 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 3/28/2017 | Send Email
The very special Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel is really where real connoisseur of this Speyside gem should start their journey. This is true NAKED obfuscated Balvenie. Indeed, it is equally unchilltered and has much more body and richness than the standard 12 year. You don't get the tinge of Sherry that the Doublewood provides, but this is easily twice the whisky only a slight premium over the standard offering. The nose is chalked full of the most subtle aromatics and picking them out is difficult due to the complexity. Tons of fresh malt, ripe green and yellow fruits, wild herbal undertones. On palate, plenty of those stones fruits taking front and center. Great texture, great freshness and a wonderful minty malty finish. These are of course single barrels so subtle differences exist, but I haven't had a stinker yet. Grab them while you can.
Jacopo Poli Sarpa di Poli Con Tubo Grappa (700ml) (Local Delivery Only - cannot ship)
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 2/23/2017 | Send Email
By: Alex Schroeder | Review Date: 2/23/2017 | Send Email
When I started working in the wine industry, I managed a store owned by a Greek family in Texas. Every year they would visit the mother country and bring back a true cornucopia of artisanal Greek paraphernalia: Kalamata olives, feta cheese, dried figs and wild oregano, olive oil and candied fruits. What I most looked forward to, though, was the grappa that an uncle made that came to me in a big plastic soda bottle. This stuff was the elixir of the gods. When I quickly and inevitably ran out I could never find a commercially available substitute…until I tried Jacopo Poli’s Sarpa di Poli. See, this grappa is made with as much care and in equally small batches in Schiavon, Italy as the Greek grappa that came in the soda bottle. It’s made from the pomace of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and has deep penetrating aromas of jasmine, sweet pear, green fruits, coriander and anise. It’s bone dry and super clean on the palate but maintains that rich flavor profile for over a minute on the finish. I love all the spirits of the world, from rich Highland Single Malts to funky agricole Rhums, but when all is said and done, nothing is as exciting and satisfying for me as an artisanal grappa like this.
Billecart-Salmon "Le Réserve" Champagne (375ml)
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 2/14/2017 | Send Email
By: Diana Turk | Review Date: 2/14/2017 | Send Email
Aged 36 months on the lees, the Brut Reserve is clean and vivacious, with rich stone fruit and honey, plus that classic chalky finish. Billecart-Salmon is my go-to Champagne when looking for a crowd-pleasing yet sophisticated sparkler. It has just the right amount of house name recognition while staying true to quality, and the brighter house style is both refreshing and elegant. An easygoing, impressive favorite that never disappoints, plus it's an incredibly reasonable price, especially for a half bottle.
ArteNOM "Seleccion 1579" Blanco Tequila (750ml)
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 2/14/2017 | Send Email
By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | Review Date: 2/14/2017 | Send Email
The sweetness derived from the higher altitude this agave is grown at really shines through and makes this an amazingly easy sipping tequila. The incredibly smooth texture accentuated with great fruit flavor and slight spice makes this blanco one to treasure. A wonderful expression of how high-end tequila could taste from an respected, established, individual producer.
Price:
$54.99
Old Forester "1920 Prohibition Style" Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
By: Julio Santos | Review Date: 2/4/2017 | Send Email
By: Julio Santos | Review Date: 2/4/2017 | Send Email
This is an amazing bottle of bourbon. On the nose a powerful aroma of oak, red fruits and spice. The rich palate is even better; it starts off with baking spices, some nuttiness and continues with maple syrup and baked cinnamon apples. It slowly fades to a spicy, oak and caramel finish. Because of the intense characteristics I found it easy to enjoy this 115 proof bourbon neat, or you can add an ice cube or two and still taste every part of this great juice. I am amazed by this bottle – this bourbon has it all!