Again with the marketing genius...a whisky named after the lurking place of some evil, nameless beast? Strong, smokey spirit recalling a dark, foreboding grotto filled with a nameless dread? Sold! Ring up the bottle, pour me a glass...I'm in. Ardbeg's 1990 Airigh Nam Beist has been aged for 16-18 years in old bourbon barrels and sadly, … Continue reading Ardbeg 1990 Airigh Nam Beist – Review
Month: April 2010
Whiskey Thieves, San Francisco – Review
It seems most whiskey bars fit into two categories: the ancient, wood-worn, Gaelic-influenced, cozy shrines to all things malt or the hyper-stylized, faux-vintage, deftly lit meccas of drinking and striped shirts like 7 Grand in LA. One's authentic and one's damn near impossible to move around in on the weekends. Then there are rare places … Continue reading Whiskey Thieves, San Francisco – Review
Anchor Brewery & Distillery has been sold
Woke up this morning to the news that Fritz Maytag has sold Anchor Brewery and Distillery. Seems like it's the end of an era...two eras, maybe. Mr. Maytag and Anchor were pioneers not only in microbrewing but in craft distilling as well, inspiring companies around the world to head down the same path. The good … Continue reading Anchor Brewery & Distillery has been sold
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, 13 Years Old – Review
Geeez, just when I proclaim that rye isn't my favorite branch of the whisky tree, I find one I really, really like. I guess it should come as no surprise that it's from the Van Winkle family of American hooch as everything else I've tried of theirs I've really enjoyed. There are a couple of … Continue reading Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye, 13 Years Old – Review
Jim Beam Straight Rye Whiskey – Review
I guess it's Bargain Hunter Friday around here. I picked up a bottle of Jim's...may I call you Jim?...Rye a while back just on a lark. It was cheap, the bottle looks like something you could really use in a good bar fight (though admittedly, I've never been in a bar fight so what do … Continue reading Jim Beam Straight Rye Whiskey – Review
Van Winkle 12 Year Old Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
According to Washington Irving, Mrs. Van Winkle was a royal pain in the ass. From the sound of it, all she did was nag old Rip Van Winkle into a bowl of Dutch jelly. Granted, Ol' Rip might have deserved some nagging as he really let his place go, and he wasn't quite the ladder-climbing … Continue reading Van Winkle 12 Year Old Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon – Review
The Roubaix – a whiskey cocktail.
Last weekend my favorite cycling race, Paris Roubaix, was held on narrow, treacherous roads between Compiègne and Roubaix in Northern France. The race is one of the oldest on the cycling calendar, with the first edition being run in 1896, and is one of the most enigmatic, unique, and difficult. At around 260 kilometers, the … Continue reading The Roubaix – a whiskey cocktail.
Nopa: Sherry, Supernova & Firelit Liqueur! – Review
NoPa is a neighborhood in San Francisco, its moniker standing for North of Panhandle, the Panhandle being a thin strip of tree-lined park jutting eastward from beautiful Golden Gate Park. Nopa is also the name for neighborhood's best restaurant and cocktail gathering place. We've dined there several times and have always enjoyed the excellent California … Continue reading Nopa: Sherry, Supernova & Firelit Liqueur! – Review
Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey – Review
Only in America could you have a world-famous distillery planted smack-dab in the middle of a dry county. I guess it should come as no surprise to anyone that our nasty puritanical streak can only be usurped by the lure of the almighty dollar. With that in mind, I'd like to think that the counties … Continue reading Gentleman Jack Rare Tennessee Whiskey – Review
Whiskey (Eyewitness Companions Guide) – Book Review
I've had a couple of these Eyewitness Companions books with me on trips before and have always found them to be pretty useful. They're not a Frommer's, Paris-on-$3.58-a-day type book, nor are they very detailed literary accounts on select places/things. They offer short, descriptive entries on a wide variety of topics, giving an excellent overview … Continue reading Whiskey (Eyewitness Companions Guide) – Book Review
THE CASKS 