After enjoying the original Woodford Reserve Bourbon last year, I was looking forward to tasting more of their products. And since I’d previously been recommended Woodford Reserve Double Oaked from a few different people, I made it a priority to try it as soon as possible. Double Oaked refers to another added step in the aging process. After the Woodford Reserve bourbon is fully matured in new charred oak barrels, the spirit is moved to another oak barrel to continue aging. This second barrel is deeply toasted before being lightly charred and added extra flavor. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ❖ Distillery: […]
Although I made an effort to explore rye whiskey last year and there are plenty of other spirits I still want to try, rye is too good in cocktails for me to stop looking for new bottles to check out. And lucky for me, my parents gifted me this bottle of Exclave Rye Whiskey during the holidays. Exclave spirits is a New Orleans, Louisiana based brand that was created to celebrate the contribution of the black community to the history of spirits. This brand, produced and bottled by River basin Spirits, is only a few years old, but was awarded double gold by the American Distilling Institute. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: Rye Whiskey ❖ Distillery: […]
One of my personal goals this year is to try more spirits from other countries and cultures. And it seems like Emmeline was on a similar wavelength, since she gifted me this bottle of Hassaku Sake during the holidays. Hassaku Sake is produced in Wakayama, a Southern prefecture in Japan that borders Osaka. Wakayama is famous for the citrus fruit hassaku, a fruit similar in taste to an orange but the size of a grapefruit. While it’s branded as a sake on the bottle, Hassaku Sake might be closer to a liqueur in taste and proof. But the base spirit is high quality sake produced by Sekai Itto Co. and then blended with locally sourced hassaku […]
Despite reviewing plenty of affordable bourbons, there is still a few popular brands I’ve never tried before. And I thought the new year was a perfect time to try out a Four Roses product with Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. The history of the Four Roses brand begins around 1888, when the name was trademarked by whiskey producer Paul Jones Jr. The whiskey’s production continued in Louisville, Kentucky until its purchase by the Seagram company in 1943. The Four Roses brand was then discontinued in the US in the 1950’s, but its sale continued in Europe and Asia. It was made available in the United States again in 2002 when Kirin Brewery […]
I’ve been on a big gin kick for past few months, so I’ve been keeping an eye out for some new and interesting bottles, especially ones from smaller distilleries. And, when I came across Jewell Gin, I was immediately intrigued by the elegant label and high proof. The family-owned Jewell Distillery is located in Blue Lake, California, a small city in Humboldt county in northern California. The owners, Michael and Barbara Jewell, use their vintage still from the prohibition era to make small batch gins. Their flagship, Jewell Gin, begins with a spirit made from organic Italian wheat that’s vapor infused with 13 different botanicals. These […]