Looking back at last year's re-cap of WhiskyFest, it seems I laid out some goals for this year's WhiskyFest...let's see how I did: 1. Actually spend a few minutes making a serious game plan as to what to taste instead of talking about making a game plan and then running around like an idiot. I … Continue reading Slightly Late 2011 WhiskyFest San Francisco Wrap-up
Ardbeg
Ardbeg Alligator – Review
Alligator... Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Reptilia, Superorder: Crocodylomorpha, Order: Crocodylia, Family: Alligatoridae, Subfamily: Alligatorinae, Genus: Alligator (all due taxonomic credit goes to François Marie Daudin). There are currently only two species of Alligator, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis) which is smaller and nearly extinct, but very adept at … Continue reading Ardbeg Alligator – Review
Chieftain’s 1998 Ardbeg 12 Year Old – Review
*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample. Ardbeg's recent history (thanks, Tim!) is a litany of ownership changes, dis-heartening shutterings, sporadic periods of production, and ultimately, it's re-emergence as one of the finest distilleries out there today. Thanks, I'm sure, to the financial clout of its parent company (Glenmorangie was sold … Continue reading Chieftain’s 1998 Ardbeg 12 Year Old – Review
Introduction to Scotch at 18 Reasons
I'll be leading an Introduction to Scotch class at 18 Reasons next Tuesday, February 22. We'll take a quick run through the garden of Scotch Whisky history, talk a bit about how the stuff is made, and then taste our way through the six main regions. For this class, I'll be pouring representative, affordable, and … Continue reading Introduction to Scotch at 18 Reasons
WhiskyFest SF 2010 Wrap-up
Before we get into this any further, let me just lay out my WhiskyFest plan for next year: 1. Actually spend a few minutes making a serious game plan as to what to taste instead of talking about making a game plan and then running around like an idiot. 2. Eat more. 3. As nice … Continue reading WhiskyFest SF 2010 Wrap-up
More Upcoming Bay Area Whisky Events – The K&L Wines Version
From the large, oaken desk of K&L Wine Merchants' esteemed spirits guru, David Driscoll, these upcoming events... Four Roses Bourbon Tasting with Jim Rutledge "Come meet Four Rose's Master Distiller Jim Rutledge and taste some Four Roses Bourbon as we get ready for WhiskyFest SF. Bring a bottle of our soon-to-be-released Four Rose's K&L Single … Continue reading More Upcoming Bay Area Whisky Events – The K&L Wines Version
Big Peat Small Batch “Blended” Islay Malt
I like to think that I'm a steely rock, inscrutable and impenetrable to the grasping wiles of advertisers and their kerned and pantone-d ministrations, but really, I'm just as much of a sucker for good packaging and marketing as the next guy. Ardbeg, for example, does a masterful job mixing the tradition and mythos of … Continue reading Big Peat Small Batch “Blended” Islay Malt
Ardbeg Supernova comes back for more
Why is it that Ardbeg news gets more of a reaction from people than other news from the whisky world? I'm certainly guilty of this myself. When I hear about a new Macallan release, I usually don't even finish the little blurb I'm reading and chalk it up to another exciting scotch I may or … Continue reading Ardbeg Supernova comes back for more
Ardbeg 1990 Airigh Nam Beist – Review
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
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
THE CASKS 