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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
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Steve Greer | Review Date: 10/27/2010 | Send Email
By: Steve Greer | Review Date: 10/27/2010 | Send Email
This could be one of the best deals in our Champagne section. If you like Billecart then you will like this as a alternative in price. Nice strawberry and cherry flavors and aromas with a nice rich texture and a long finish of strawberry. Great value and a great Champagne.
Price:
$42.99
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Jason Marwedel | Review Date: 10/26/2010 | Send Email
By: Jason Marwedel | Review Date: 10/26/2010 | Send Email
Made from all estate fruit from Bonville’s Grand Cru vineyards in Avize, this champagne displays ripe citrus and apple fruit on the nose, followed by a rich mid palate and a snappy mineral finish. The Bonville Prestige has everything I am looking for in a Blanc De Blancs at an extremely reasonable price!
Ruinart Brut Rosé "2nd Skin" Champagne 750ml bottle (ships as a 1.5L due to shape of bottle)
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 10/6/2010 | Send Email
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 10/6/2010 | Send Email
This is no ordinary rose. Yes, it is beautifully colored, has a great mouse, and is just too easy to drink but there is something else going on here as well. In one word, complexity. This is like drinking beautiful sparkling Burgundy. Wonderful aromatics, multidimensional fruit, a round, generous mid-palate and great length, this is more than special occasion Champagne, this is indulgent, you deserve it, treat yourself (family and friends optional) Champagne!
Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1 (375ml)
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 9/30/2010 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 9/30/2010 | Send Email
This is a White Dog you’re going to want to adopt. Don’t let the ferocious ABV deter you. Add about 1 part water to 2 parts whiskey and voila; you’ve got a surprisingly smooth and flavorful tipple that will put to rest any notion that an un-aged whiskey might be long on heat and short on flavor. The flavors are, however, quite different from those of aged bourbon. There are notes of citrus pith, grain, banana and a fresh minty-herbaceous quality that picks up a floral dimension on the finish. What’s more, it “shows up” when mixed, unlike vodka. There’s lots of room for experimentation and discovery here. Intriguing stuff!
Price:
$16.99
Ardbeg "Corryvreckan" Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 9/6/2010 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 9/6/2010 | Send Email
Another great addition to the line of single malts from Ardbeg. The Corryvreckan has the famous Ardbeg smoke and peat but is a unique product in its own right. The mouth feel is rich and round with more weight than I had expected. This blends very nicely with the smoke and peat to make one great beverage.
Price:
$109.99
Domaine Balivet "Methode Ancestrale" Bugey Cerdon (Natrual Wine)
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 8/31/2010 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 8/31/2010 | Send Email
Wayne to one of the Doobie Brothers on an old "What's Happpenin'?" episode:
"Which Doobie do you be?"
Me to the Domaine Balivet Bugey Cerdon:
"Which Bugey do you be?"
Answer? The good kind! Fresh, semi-tart heirloom apples with some fizz. What's not to like?
Price:
$23.99
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne (1.5L)
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 8/21/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 8/21/2010 | Send Email
This is my #1 Champagne magnum of choice for any special occassion. The Frank Bonville is excellent tasting and a crowd pleaser. And I always seem to make alot of friends right away as soon as I walk into a restaurant holding this bottle...
Price:
$109.99
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 8/9/2010 | Send Email
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 8/9/2010 | Send Email
Profound and fun at the same time. Deliciously rich but still delicate, with an explosion of berry fruit. My first choice for a Lobster Bisque, hors d'oeuvre, sushi or to accompany a romantic sunset...
Price:
$42.99
Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac (750ml)
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 8/7/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 8/7/2010 | Send Email
I have been hooked to this Armagnac ever since working for K&L. Without going into details, the flavor is complex, spicy and nutty. A great nightcap on cool evenings! The Marie Duffau Napoleon is also the most affortable Armagnac in our line-up.
A must try!
Price:
$34.99
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 7/29/2010 | Send Email
By: Illya Haase | Review Date: 7/29/2010 | Send Email
For me, one of the best finds at our recent Champagne tasting! It's off-dry, with beautiful fruit and a nice toasty nose. All this from third generation winemaking family whose holdings consist of 15 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards. The winemaking here is all about elegance and finesse and allowing the terroir to speak for itself and it shows.
Lustau "Los Arcos" Amontillado Jerez
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 7/26/2010 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 7/26/2010 | Send Email
If you’re looking for a good dry Amontillado, you’ve found your bottle here; this is a lot of sherry for the money! The Los Arcos offers expansive and intense flavors on a well balanced frame. Toasted almond and dried fruit aromas are followed by flavors of salty, toasted nuts juxtaposed nicely against a mellow sweetness. The finish is crisp and dry. What it might lack in nuance when compared to some pricier bottlings it more than makes up for in overall harmony and depth of flavor. Lovely stuff.
Incidentally, if you’re making atavistic cocktail recipes such as the Bamboo or the Tuxedo that call for dry sherry, the Los Arcos shows to good effect in them. It doesn’t get lost in the mix the way pretty much any Manzanillas or Finos I’ve used to date seem to.
Lillet Blanc Aperitif Wine (750ml)
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 7/4/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 7/4/2010 | Send Email
Excellent aperitif wine to have, before moving on to the "next" stage. Drink it chilled or on the rock.
The Lillet is also a good substitute to have when I run out of white wine (gasp!). Yes, that even happens to professional drinkers !
Price:
$23.99
St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur (750ml)
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 7/4/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 7/4/2010 | Send Email
The St.Germain Elderflower liqueur is my "secret" ingredient, to the extra layer of flavor and complexity in my cocktails. Not only it is heaven to sip in straight/on the rock, but it complements any vodka, tequila or Champagne perfectly !
This is a must have item in your bar...
Price:
$34.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 6/6/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Lai | Review Date: 6/6/2010 | Send Email
Yes, this is it! A balanced Champagne not too light, nor yeasty. This is an elegant bubbly tasting just right on the palate. For the price, this is clearly a winner! Drink one tonight and keep another bottle on stand-by, for special occasions!
Price:
$37.99
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: Mari Keilman | Review Date: 5/25/2010 | Send Email
By: Mari Keilman | Review Date: 5/25/2010 | Send Email
The Ariston Aspasie rosé ($32.99) is such a richly impressive, full-bodied rosé made up of 50% pinot noir and 50% pinot meunier. 12% vinified still red pinot meunier is added to give this rosé its beautiful salmon color. What makes this rosé stand out amongst the crowd of trendy charlatans is the 5 years it is aged on its lees. The complexity, the richness, the layers of berry fruit balanced by vibrant acidity and lazy bubbles is matched by only a few lone standouts in a rosé world full of so many imposters.
Price:
$42.99
Knob Creek 9 Year Old Small Batch 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) (New Label)
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
What a deal! This excellent 9 year old Bourbon is an extra aged selection from the Jim Beam distillery. The Knob Creek is a whiskey of authority, and has the richness one would expect of an extra aged bourbon. It is not at all heavy however, and I love to drink it on the rocks with a couple Luxardo Maraschino cherries now that the weather is getting warmer. It is also very good neat, or for that matter, in a sour. I have to guess that it is the scale of production at Beam that allows them to sell it for such a fair price!
Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
This Bourbon was worth the investment of time and effort that the folks at Heaven Hill distillery put into it. Of the many (I am scared to count!) nice Bourbon's that I have open at home, it has become my favorite after dinner drink. They use wheat in the recipe for this Bourbon rather than rye as the flavor grain, and it has a mellow, smooth character that is typical of wheat. The Elijah has plenty of complexity and has not dried out and "gone to wood" like many older Bourbon's can. It is a full and rich 18 year old, with flavors of vanilla and cinnamon complementing the ample texture. I am sure I will need to buy another bottle soon!
Luxardo Maraschino Cherries (400g)
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 5/7/2010 | Send Email
When I bought these for myself, I joked with my colleagues here at K&L that I must either be a fool or a gourmet... $16 Cherries! That is crazy! Well, I have discovered that like white truffle oil and very old condimento balsamico, the Luxardo cherries are worth it. First of all, they are very small, but have more cherry flavor individually than a whole fistful of the normal "red" maraschinos. Just one or two and a smidgen of the syrup in the bottle make a big impression on a cocktail. The 360 gram jar lasts a long time, even if you dip into it as often as Cinnamon and I do. My favorite use for them is to simply pop a couple into a bourbon on the rocks... Yum!
Price:
$19.99
Highland Park 18 Year Old Isle of Orkney Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 3/30/2010 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 3/30/2010 | Send Email
The nose gives up nutty, toffee, honeyed heather and baked bread aromas with a subdued smokiness. The smoke comes out more distinctly on the palate, balanced by full, sweet flavors of honey, caramel and spiced baked apple. This is a spirit that seems wild at first encounter, but is really surprisingly gentle at heart, with a sweet generous nature lurking behind the not entirely slick exterior. I should also note that the finish reverberates for a goodly span.
Price:
$159.99
Ruinart Brut Rosé Champagne (375ml)
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/12/2010 | Send Email
By: Scott Beckerley | Review Date: 2/12/2010 | Send Email
Okay, I haven't written up a Chamapagne for a long time now, so I'm going to indulge myself. Ruinart has been around since 1729 and makes some of the best Blanc de Blanc and Rosé on the market. The Rosé is a wonderful example of a clean, somewhat delicate, classic style Rosé. Wonderful raspberry, strawberry notes with great depth, acidity and minerality. Well worth the money. Personally, I enjoy it by itself or with a mild, creamy cheese. No need to mask any of the flavors coming from this beauty.
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 2/9/2010 | Send Email
By: Jeff Garneau | Review Date: 2/9/2010 | Send Email
This may be the best deal in Champagne that K&L offers. 100% Chardonnay. 100% Grand Cru fruit from some of the best vineyards in the Côte des Blancs. Don't write this wine off because you didn't pay more for it! This is an outstanding Champagne at an unbelievable price. It will delight you with its rich, creamy texture. Ripe pear and chalky mineral notes give way to toasty, fresh baked apple tart on the mid palate. The wine finishes with a crisp, zingy citrus note of Meyer lemon. Enjoy this wine alone, as a refreshing aperitif or together with chilled, cracked Dungeness crab.
Domaine Boingnères Réserve Spéciale Bas-Armagnac
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/3/2010 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 2/3/2010 | Send Email
When is a non-vintage Armagnac worth the better part of $100? When it is this good... I was blown away by this, and I am desperate to buy a bottle for myself as soon as it returns to stock. This has it all; the rancio and suaveness of well aged brandy, the vinous savor and quiet hiss of fire that reminds one this is not Cognac and finally a peacock’s tail finish that swells long after you have set down your glass. This might not have the flash on the sideboard that a vintage of similar price has, but there is much more in the bottle than any other that we carry!
Price:
$139.99
Ariston Aspasie "Réserve" Brut Champagne
By: Patty Torrel | Review Date: 1/30/2010 | Send Email
By: Patty Torrel | Review Date: 1/30/2010 | Send Email
Traditional notes of wheat toast, brioche, freshly cut apples and apple skins rise from the glass on lively, persistent bubbles. The palate is beautifully balanced with baked apple, a dusting of brown sugar, and citrus rind all rounded out with a touch of toastiness. A great value in Champagne.
Price:
$37.99
Dudognon "Reserve" Grand Champagne Cognac (750ml)
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 1/18/2010 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 1/18/2010 | Send Email
Soft, silky smooth and voluptuous, refined and delicate, this Cognac is sheer pleasure. The flavors are a pleasing accord of pear, apple, warm spice and caramel. If you're thinking sidecars and such, you probably want to go for the Deret VSOP. The Dudognon's charms are pretty much obliterated in cocktails. This is hardly a defect. I'd wager you won't want to mix it with anything once you've tried it. The one exception I found to this was when one-quarter to one-half ounce was added to a Champagne cocktail. That makes for a sensational drink.
High West Rendezvous Rye Whiskey (750ml)
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 1/13/2010 | Send Email
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 1/13/2010 | Send Email
A great rye whiskey with plenty of spice and backbone. Its oak aging and bourbon percentage give a lush, rich core, but this is a whiskey for the serious rye enthusiasts from one of Utah's first distilleries!
Dudognon "Reserve" Grand Champagne Cognac (750ml)
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 1/11/2010 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 1/11/2010 | Send Email
This is one of my favorite Cognacs. The reason is that it has everything that I think a good Cognac should have. The Dudognon Reserve is soft, elegant and packed full of delicate flavors. The finish just lingers and goes on and on, showing that this is a high quality spirit.
Ariston Aspasie Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 12/29/2009 | Send Email
By: Steve Bearden | Review Date: 12/29/2009 | Send Email
Chardonnay from Brouillet makes a richer, creamier style of Blanc de Blanc than other areas of Champagne. This is an easy to like style that is perfect for less formal occasions like New Year's eve toasts and quiet sipping during parties. This generous, rich bubbly is an amazing deal to direct buy pricing.
Price:
$44.99
Ledaig 10 Year Old Isle of Mull Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml)
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 12/27/2009 | Send Email
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 12/27/2009 | Send Email
I was a Scotch drinker in my 20s, but for some reason that I can't remember, I stopped drinking them. After being around David Girard for awhile, he became sort of a "mentor" to me, and I am having a lot of fun being reintroduced to the world of Scotch. The Ledaig has been, so far, one my my favorites, with a very balanced amount of peat (which I love), and a quite intriguing whiff of white flowers, leather and lots of spices. I will keep you posted about this exciting journey with other reviews.
Price:
$69.99
Hayman's Old Tom Gin (750ml)
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 11/28/2009 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 11/28/2009 | Send Email
Once upon a time, the cocktail that became THE cocktail, the Martini, was a lot less dry. And before that, even, its progenitors, the first gin & vermouth based drinks, the Turf Club-Martinez-Martini family, were made with Italian vermouth and a lightly sweetened style of gin called Old Tom. When the John Collins crossed over from England, it was eventually re-christened a Tom Collins, in part because it was generally made with Old Tom gin. The spirit got around. Of course, up until very recent times, there was no good substitute for this category of gin. Old Tom had long since sunk into oblivion - and for that matter, up until recently, no one had much missed it. With the current efflorescence of classic cocktails, however, all that changed and Hayman's is a welcome addition for those who want to drink in a bit of history. Resurrected from a family recipe from the time of the spirits heyday, Hayman's is a delightful and authentic version of an Old Tom gin. This is a less aggressive style of gin than a London Dry; while juniper is in the foreground it quickly yields to a more generally perfumed nose, with a softer, rounder, gentler taste and mouthfeel. The sweetness here is not on the order of a liqueur, more like off-dry. The fascinating thing is how many of the antique cocktail recipes that call for an Old Tom gin are good as drinks in their own right and not merely of interest as retrospective curiosities. If you haven't yet tried this, the recipe given above is not a bad place to start, though I'd say go with a twist of lemon peel, as opposed to a slice. And, if you've got this far and you don't already own books by Ted "Dr Cocktail" Haigh or David Wondrich, they are good resources for further recipes and elucidation.
Price:
$29.99
Zubrowka Bison Grass Polish Vodka
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 11/18/2009 | Send Email
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 11/18/2009 | Send Email
A delicious vodka - the slight flavoring from the blade of bison grass that floats inside works to accentuate the bready and full qualities of the spirit instead of overpowering them. This is a wonderful sipping vodka (and it works perfect in vodka sours as well).
Price:
$29.99
Zubrowka Bison Grass Polish Vodka
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 11/9/2009 | Send Email
By: John Majeski | Review Date: 11/9/2009 | Send Email
I enjoyed the London reminiscences by my colleague Susan Thornett about this wonderful vodka, and I too confess a special relationship with Zubrowka going back several decades, when I was first offered a bracing shot of this harmonic-bisonic elixir by a friendly Polish waiter in then East Berlin who, sadly trapped behind the Iron Curtain some years before Solidarnösc, desperately wanted to improve his English skills. Maybe it was the effects of the vodka, but before the evening ended I promised to "secure" him a dictionary from the West even though it was strictly against the policy of the rather coercive East German authorities at the time. Well, anyway, I succeeded, and thanks in part to Zubrowka, the Wall finally came down and democracy was finally restored to freedom-loving East Berliners. And today I'm really glad we can offer this rare vodka to our astute customers, as its singularly subtle and unique flavors of yellow straw, camomile tea and dried coconut promises to both stimulate conversation, energize the appetite and yes, liberate the spirit! Na zdrowie! (To health!)
Price:
$29.99
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 11/2/2009 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 11/2/2009 | Send Email
What a great producer Franck Bonville is! This excellence shows in the Brut Selection Blanc de Blanc. When one opens the bottle and pours some of this Champagne into a glass, beautiful aromas are the first teasing impression. The Champagne is dry and crisp with clean delicate flavors. Great alone or with lighter foods.
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 10/20/2009 | Send Email
By: Jacques Moreira | Review Date: 10/20/2009 | Send Email
If there is such a thing as a Champagne for everyday use, well this has to be it. Not because of the price, but for its quality and poise. Very crispy, citrousy end elegant. Perfect for hors d'oeuvres, seafood, egg dishes, guacamole, goat cheeses, and "fantastic" with caviar!
Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/9/2009 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 9/9/2009 | Send Email
Bourbon & Rye are the USA's great contribution to the world of spirits, and the Four Roses has been an ambassador bottle for the category internationally for many years. This delicious Bourbon makes a fine Manhattan, as recommended above, but it also makes a great Whiskey Sour, my favorite cold brown liquor cocktail. At home we use equal parts Meyer lemon from our dwarf tree and Bourbon, with one teaspoon of superfine sugar per shot of whiskey, mixing it all thoroughly before pouring over ice in a rocks glass. We then garnish with a slice of Meyer lemon and a maraschino cherry. This old-fashioned drink is a classic for a reason; it is very refreshing and synergistic. I hope you will try it!
Price:
$19.99
Lemorton "Reserve" Calvados Domfrontais (750ml)
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 8/24/2009 | Send Email
By: Jeffrey Jones | Review Date: 8/24/2009 | Send Email
This exciting Calvados is made from 70% apples and 30% pears. The blending of pear brandy into the apple brandy is typical for the Domfrontais region. I think that the pear adds nuance and complex flavors that help lift up the bright apple taste of this delicious treat. The Lemorton Reserve is, at the time of this writing, my favorite Calvados in the store.
Price:
$54.99
Lustau Almacenista "José Luis Gonzalez Obregon 1/143" Fino del Puerto Jerez (500ml)
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 8/11/2009 | Send Email
By: Gary Westby | Review Date: 8/11/2009 | Send Email
Over the weekend we had a lovely Spanish themed dinner party, and served this great fino with Tapas in our backyard. We paired it with peppers that I had stuffed with a paprika aioli- tuna filling, smoked almonds, olives and oloroso mushrooms. This bone dry, full bodied fino went fantastically well with the food and showed off a salt air brininess as well as a haunting apple hint of fruit. When we sat down for the main course- paella heavy on the chorizo, the Obregon surprised me with its flexibility. Although its unyielding dryness might come as a shock to the uninitiated, fans of the best of the world of wine owe it to themselves to taste this example of affordable greatness.
Marie Duffau Hors D'Age Bas Armagnac (750ml)
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 8/7/2009 | Send Email
By: Mike Barber | Review Date: 8/7/2009 | Send Email
This brandy is never out of my house - it's a delicious spirit at a great price. Duffau Armagnacs are almost rich enough to pass for Cognacs, with a lush, round texture and less spice than many Armagnacs. The age on the Hors d'Age shows well through its rich flavors, which are delicate but delicious.
Ariston Aspasie Brut Rosé Champagne
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/13/2009 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/13/2009 | Send Email
This wine is always our answer to the Billecart Salmon, which by the way sells for more than twice as much. This is all about the red Ariston fruit and their champagnes are permanent staff picks. Cherry notes from the pinot noir, crisp and vibrant acidity and brioche flavors swirl together with delicate bubbles. Anyone care for some?
Price:
$42.99
Launois "Cuvée Réservée" Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
It is hard to miss this wine with its great packaging, but more importantly it is the juice between the bubbles. Ever since I started working for K & L, first bottle I took home was this wine!, I have been a big fan. Broad rich on the palate with a great bead. The flavors lean towards white Burgundy, what's not to like?
Price:
$39.99
Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth (1L)
By: Greg St. Clair | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
By: Greg St. Clair | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
If you have never tasted this product you must. If you think you know what vermouth is think again; this will absolutely blow you away. Inordiately complex, so full of spice, balanced...it is really good. Try it on the rocks with a twist and a splash, straight up or in a Manhattan.
Price:
$34.99
La Caudrina "La Selvatica" Asti
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
By: Kirk Walker | Review Date: 7/9/2009 | Send Email
This is the best Asti I have ever had! It is happy in a glass. Text book Muscat aromatics but softer, prettier, almost elegant. Perfumy but in a sofisticated way. Light round and soft on the palate with a delicate sweetness. I have drunk more of this just by itself, it never seems to last until the cheese or dessert course!
Price:
$22.99
Franck Bonville Grand Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 7/6/2009 | Send Email
By: Joe Manekin | Review Date: 7/6/2009 | Send Email
Very easy to like - soft textured, citrus and cream flavors. Plump, round and delicious. For someone who usually goes for a bit lean and austere, I'm always surprised I like this as much as I do. It's just delicious stuff.
Maraska Maraschino Liqueur (750ml)
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/5/2009 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/5/2009 | Send Email
This is a great little product coming out of Croatia that several in-the-know mixologists insist on having. Specifically, it posseses a touch more sweetness than its Italian counterpart, Luxardo (also extremely delicious), so you can afford to leave out some sugar in your Aviation or other Maraschino cocktail.
Price:
$29.99
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
I've heard from a few bartenders that the sign of a quality bar is a bottle of Luxardo sitting on the shelf behind it. It is considered a signal that the bartenders there are committed to using quality ingredients in their libations. It is the only maraschino liqueur that you should ever use and is the ultimate addition to a plate of fresh fruit.
Price:
$39.99
Charles Baur Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
This is such an overlooked sparkler that deserves more of the limelight. The red fruit really sings in this rose from Alsace, more so than the standard pink champagnes and far better than the domestic options. It's such a good balance.
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Charles Baur Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
By: David Othenin-Girard | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
Richly aromatic, toasted and yeasty. A full and thick bead and heavy mousse distinguish this sparkler from some of the other wines available in the price range. Definitely unique enough to satisfy the adventerous, but has something everyone can appreciate. Perfectly suited for a dessert pairing - although it's quite dry so choose its compliment carefully.
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Arette Artesanal Blanco Suave Tequila (750ml)
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 7/1/2009 | Send Email
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, and, now that I'm the spirits buyer, maybe my opinion will hold more weight: Arette makes the best tequila that we carry! The blanco is so elegant and ripe with pure agave flowers, unfettered from any contact with an oak barrel. There are some purists who believe that blanco is the only real tequila, and to them I say, the Arette blanco is tequila in its truest form.
Price:
$42.99
Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond 100 Proof Kentucky Rye Whiskey
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/26/2009 | Send Email
By: David Driscoll | Review Date: 5/26/2009 | Send Email
This is my whiskey of choice when making a Manhattan. The Rittenhouse is spicy, bold, rich, inexpensive, and delicious. I like a kick with my cocktails and I hate to mix expensive booze. I could sip the Rittenhouse, but at 100 proof, it's perfect over ice, or with sweet vermouth and a maraschino cherry.
Price:
$22.99
Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond 100 Proof Kentucky Rye Whiskey
By: Cindy Westby | Review Date: 5/20/2009 | Send Email
By: Cindy Westby | Review Date: 5/20/2009 | Send Email
Adding a couple of ice cubes to this 100 proof spirit really tames the beast, bringing out the sweetness and rye-bread aromatics. A wonderful digestif after dinner - with a very reasonable price tag.
Price:
$22.99
Lustau Almacenista "José Luis Gonzalez Obregon 1/143" Fino del Puerto Jerez (500ml)
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 5/3/2009 | Send Email
By: Mahon McGrath | Review Date: 5/3/2009 | Send Email
Strongly redolent of smoky, toasted nuts with a brisk, saline edge this Fino Sherry is a joy. The concentration and breadth of the wine's nose clearly reveal why Lustau chose to offer this Sherry unblended as part of its Almacenista line - to preserve its distinctive character. The palate offers a gentle texture with spicy, tangy, savory flavors of surprising length and delicacy that will leave your mouth watering. This can do double duty as either a killer aperitif wine or a dry white for the dinner table when paired with seafood.
Incidentally, you may well wonder what the 1/143 on the bottom of the wine's label denotes. Clearing up that little bit of arcana is this, from Lustau's website: "The number of butts forming a Solera, or fully mature wine, of each individual Almacenista Sherry is also indicated on the label i.e.1/10 means that the wine originates from a Solera of ten butts."