Tastes
-
OsCo Automatic Gin No.5
Modern Gin — California, USA
Reviewed December 27, 2019 (edited December 28, 2019)I previously overviewed some of OsCo’s operations and spirits in my review for OsCo Automatic Halfshell Gin so I won’t repeat that here. This was gin #3 of 3 I tried at the distillery that night. Again, this is more of a quick hit review as public tastings aren’t the best place for detailed notes. OsCo Automatic Gin No. 5 is a brandy-based gin which gives it another layer of complexity and a more sumptuous mouthfeel. Apparently this is named because recipe “No. 5” was the favorite out of a series of experiments. It’s made with juniper, coriander, cardamom, bitter orange, lemon, and other undisclosed botanicals. This is a delicious, easy-drinking, juniper- and citrus-forward gin. I don’t know if there’s grapefruit in the botanicals, but I definitely picked up grapefruit notes in the citrus mix. I immediately wanted to try this in a gin and tonic with a grapefruit garnish. I try to keep my ratings uninfluenced by price, but how can you find much fault with a local, craft gin this friendly and for around $25? 4.0 ~ Great -
OsCo Automatic Sea Gin
Modern Gin — California, USA
Reviewed December 27, 2019 (edited December 28, 2019)I previously overviewed some of OsCo’s operations and spirits in my last review for OsCo Automatic Halfshell Gin so I won’t repeat all of that here. This was gin #2 of 3 I tried that night at the distillery. Again, this is more of a quick hit review as public tastings aren’t the best place for detailed notes. OsCo Automatic Sea Gin is another brandy-based gin that is made with hand-foraged, sun-dried nori (for the uninitiated, an edible seaweed) from Mendocino (a local partnership with Sully Farms) as the dominant botanical ingredient. It’s also made with bay leaf, sage, lemongrass, and “other stuff”. If you thought “Halfshell Gin” was unusual, “Sea Gin” may push the envelope even further. If it has juniper in it (I’m not sure it does), it’s pushed to the background and the savory, umami, briney notes take the lead, wonderfully complimented by the other local botanicals featured here. You could almost say this is the OsCo’s “coastal” answer to St. George’s “forest” Terroir Gin. It’s unique and delicious neat, and while I didn’t try it in a cocktail, I hear it makes a great martini. (I’m told this pairs better in drinks without bubbles, so maybe don’t try this in a gin and tonic.) I’m giving the Sea Gin the same “Great” rating I gave the Halfshell Gin. 4.0 ~ Great -
OsCo Automatic Halfshell Gin
Modern Gin — California, USA
Reviewed December 24, 2019 (edited May 20, 2020)St. George has grown to such ubiquitous acclaim, if you drink alcoholic beverages, you probably know of something they produce. But hidden away close by under the shadow of the craft behemoth from Alameda is OsCo, a legitimate craft operation out of Oakland. Travel for work brought me within range of this little outfit and the folks here were so friendly and knowledgeable they let us behind the curtain for an impromptu distillery tour. Their passion for their craft and the spirits community at large is clear - if you are ever in the area, I’d recommend stopping by if time allows. They may not look like much from the outside (I was told the “Automatic” label is a nod to their warehouse’s beginnings as an auto glass manufacturer), but I think their emphasis on partnering with other local businesses and their unique spin on familiar spirits makes them a stand out. So, a bit about the spirits. OsCo produces gin (the “Automatic” label), brandy (the “Glasshouse” label), and amaro (the “Oakland Aero Club” label). They may produce others too but I may not have heard about them all. Everything is brandy-based, which I think adds a nice layer of complexity and a rounded mouthfeel to their gins. Their setup involves a small copper pot still where they can include whatever they like in the distillation process (I hesitate to use the blanket term “botanicals” after you find out where the name “Halfshell” comes from) and a column still for the second distillation. Pro tip: if they let you in, the “Magic” room is amazing - such an incredible array of spices, botanicals, extracts, etc. it overwhelms the senses in the most pleasant way possible. Alright, so what about OsCo’s Automatic Halfshell Gin? It was borne out of a collaboration with another local business, Hog Island Oyster Company out of Tomales Bay. They wanted a spirit to serve alongside their oysters on the halfshell and reached out. OsCo’s answer? 200 live Sweetwater oysters from Hog Island and a forklift. After crushing them in a bag with said forklift, OsCo put it all - meat, shells, juicy brine - in the pot still with lots of juniper and other botanicals. Sounds weird? I suppose so, but after tasting it, it totally works. Public tastings and tours are never the perfect spot for detailed notes, but my quick take is the oysters are a welcome addition to the juniper- and sea-forward gin. The oysters add minerality and a delicious creamy and savory element to this London dry style gin, which doesn’t seem so strange to me if you’ve ever had pechuga mezcal. I sampled this neat, but I’m told this works very well in cocktails. How does it rank? It’s hard to say exactly because it feels like it’s own thing. My overall impressions are very good (3.75) to great (4) so I’ll leave it at that and look forward to repeat tastes to confirm. 4.0 ~ Great* *I’m rounding up, Scrooge, it’s the holiday season! Merry Christmas all!33.0 USD per Bottle -
Well...this is a tasting I thought I posted already but I guess I missed it. There’s a few others I missed this year (like Yellow Spot, Red Spot, and Balvenie Portwood 21, for example) that I hope I can revisit later. I don’t really feel like starting 2020 with a review of Bushmills Original so I’m posting it on this side of the new year. My review likely won’t add anything to Bushmills Original that hasn’t been said already. In any case, onwards! Nose: Dull, overripe pear with the juice from mass-produced canned pears. In the background, there’s a funk reminiscent of vegetal petroleum. Palate: More overripe pear with orange peels. Honey and vanilla. Some creamy malt and slight richness, more than I was expecting. The tannic, mineral astringency almost borders on harsh but the sweetness keeps it from delving into unpleasant territory. Finish: Short and very sweet, with a bit of minerality. My word, that is sweet, almost bordering on an artificial, erythritol-like sweetness. I did let this bottle sit a bit between tastings, and if anything the cloying, overripe pear might have muted slightly? At least to where I can call the pears overripe as opposed to rotting. They are not remotely similar, but if I had to pick from some of the typical under $20 bottles they serve at work events, etc., I would reach for this over Dewar’s or JD’s but that’s not saying much. If we’re at the store, I’d spend a few dollars more to get Black Bush or Jameson Black Barrel (if we’re talking about Irish mixers). 2.75 ~ 73 ~ Below Average15.0 USD per Bottle
-
This tasting of Noah’s Mill Bourbon was another public tasting. The short version of this review is that I liked what I found here. The longer version is that I want couple more cracks at it with some time and space to experiment with this 57.15% ABV juggernaut. When Noah’s Mill originally hit store shelves, it carried a 15-year age statement. Gone are those days, and it’s now believed to consist of a blend of bourbons aged 4 to 20 years. Some people will tell you the average age is 15 years. Could it be? Maybe. (Doubtful.) But at least I can tell you a bottle of this will only set you back about $55. Let’s see what this has to offer... Appearance: Rich, dark amber. I don’t often comment on appearances but this looks intense. Nose: Maple and oak. Cinnamon and spice. Cherries and orange. Vanilla and leather. Palate: Rich, oily, creamy, and smooth. It has bite but from the spice, and surprisingly lacks heat given the ABV. The flavors are similar to the nose but with greater clarity and intensity. Rich darks fruits, with something akin to maple-caramel-prune sweetness, and loads of baking spices. In hindsight, I think this makes a really good winter dram. Particularly a winter night’s dram. Finish: Long and sweet, with some drying oak. Lots of depth and complexity here that I want to keep unpacking. Impressions: This reminds me of other richly flavored drams I’ve enjoyed like Pikesville Straight Rye and Eagle Rare 10. Not in taste, but certainly in quality and my level of enjoyment. Do I like it more than them? That’s hard to say so for now this is stuck between a 3.75 and 4. I’m in a generous mood. 4.0 ~ Very Good16.0 USD per Pour
-
St. George Baller Single Malt Whisky
American Single Malt — California, USA
Reviewed December 14, 2019 (edited February 19, 2022)There’s no two ways about it - if you’ve seen, smelled, or tasted St. George Baller Single Malt Whisky, you know you are beholding something unique and funky. Whether it’s funky in a good or bad way is completely up to you. I’ll refer you to @dubz480 ‘s review for details on this whisky’s production. This elusive bottle can be very hard to track down. It can also be very hard to find a pour. When I finally came across a bottle of this at a bar with it tucked up on the top shelf between Michter’s 10 Year Old Bourbon and Clase Azul Reposado Tequila, I was excited and then terrified at how much it would set me back. When barman informs me it’s $19 a pour, I’m almost relieved. It’s pricey but doable and I don’t have to gamble on a bottle. Thankfully he also gave me a very generous pour for that $19. Let’s get into those notes (with the caveat that it’s a public tasting). Nose: Sweet and tangy dark fruits, intense lychee, rice, and strong smoke notes. The smoke is more like fireplace than campfire or barbecue. Palate: Light bodied and crisp, with loads of flavors and textures going on but at their heart, they are youthful. Sweet and smokey hits first, then the acidity of the wine comes into play with some brine. Notes of lychee, overripe black plums and persimmons dominate the fruit, and the smoke from the nose becomes ash. There’s not much in the way of medicinally smokey notes, it’s just ashy. The rice paper/rice tea flavor is prominent enough to make you think there was rice in the mash bill. Finish: Pretty short, and dominated by ash and overripe fruity sweetness. Impressions: It’s definitely unique. The youth hurts this one a little bit for me, because while the variety of casks and finishes have done a lot to cover that youth up, it still comes through as a ricey graininess covered up with smoke and wine. It’s a bit discordant to me, but it’s almost there as far as quality product goes. Also of note, this dram strikes me a bit like cotton candy does - not in flavor or sweetness - but because both are unique, there’s nothing else really out there to compare them too, and after a taste or two - I’m good, I don’t really need any more. All of this is likely why it’s recommended to try this in a highball (hence the “Baller” namesake), but the asking prices make it seem crazy to use this as a mixer. 3.0 ~ Average* *Yes, I’m completely aware of the irony in rating this “average” considering there is nothing middle of the road about this dram. But 3.0 seems about right considering other drams I’ve given the same rating based on my overall impressions. Your mileage will likely vary...19.0 USD per Pour -
Whistlepig 18 Year Double Malt Rye (1st Edition)
Rye — Canada
Reviewed December 9, 2019 (edited December 18, 2021)It’s been a while, friends! Tis the season for vacations.... and holiday parties.... and +1’s. I will keep this brief as holiday parties are neither the ideal place for detailed notes nor Glencairns. But I do consider myself lucky for getting to test the limits of just how “open” the open bar was. It was pretty open considering I got my hands on a very generous pour of Whistlepig Double Malt Rye 18 Year Old... Very light and fresh herbal nose. Surprising lack of spice. Soft, creamy, and relatively light bodied on the palate, with predominantly herbal notes. Vanilla, lemongrass, mint, and other garden herbs. The finish was nice and long, with oaky chocolate and a bit more spice coming through. All in all, an inoffensive offering but it didn’t really jump out to me as extraordinary and it definitely didn’t make me want to run out and drop $600+ for a bottle (even if it has a very classy, hand-pressed top). I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a bottle - try to find a pour first if you are deeply curious about it but even then I’d hesitate to pay the asking prices. I’d rank this along with other drams that are fairly well executed but also not all that memorable. Thank goodness I didn’t have to pay the iron price to sample this! 3.5 ~ Above Average -
Corralejo Añejo Tequila
Tequila Añejo — Guanajuato, Mexico
Reviewed November 23, 2019 (edited May 13, 2020)Rounding out my reviews of the core trio of tequila offerings from Corralejo is this review for Correlejo Añejo Tequila. I previously reviewed both their Blanco and Reposado offerings so feel free to refer back to those for comparison and contrast. Corralejo Añejo is aged for 12 months in charred oak. I think it’s currently aged in American oak, but it may have been previously produced by resting in French oak. Nose: Deep, rich, and more mellow in a refined way. The chalky minerality present in the Blanco and Reposado takes the backseat here and more smoke and sweet fruits come through. Toasted marshmallows, amber agave, vanilla bean, orange cream, and ghee. This is another dram you should give time to fully reveal itself. Palate: Medium-bodied, oily, and creamy. Smoky vanilla and amber agave sweetness with the charred oak more prominent and the earthy minerality more subdued. Strong flavors reminiscent of orange dreamsicle popsicles and pink pepper spice. A very tasty combo. Finish: Moderately long, with soft, rounded oak tannins, lightly smoked oranges, mild spice, and vanilla bean fading away. Delicious, smooth, and elegant. At $31.99, this is another excellent VFM bottle. I would rank this in the middle of the Corralejo pack, with the Reposado being a step above and an excellent balance of complexity and value, and the Blanco (although still very good) just being a step below the Añejo. The nose on the Blanco is phenomenal, but the slight under-delivery on the palate leaves you wanting more. All in all, a solid trio of tequilas from Corralejo, particularly if you enjoy those with a more prominent mineral profile. 3.75 ~ 86 ~ Good32.0 USD per Bottle -
Corralejo Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Guanajuato, Mexico
Reviewed November 23, 2019 (edited August 13, 2020)Continuing on with my three-part vertical tasting of Corralejo’s core line of tequilas, we arrive at Corralejo’s Reposado Tequila. So that I don’t unnecessarily replicate the notes here, I included a brief description of the distillery’s operations as part of my review for Corralejo Blanco Tequila. The simple version is this reposado is aged for 4 months in American oak casks. The more complicated version is that I believe it used to be aged for up to 6 months. It’s confirmed they used to use 3 types of oak for aging (I’ve seen American, Canadian, French, and Mexican oak all listed), but it’s getting harder to find any recent information indicating that they still use 3 types of oak. Of course, changes (if they are indeed changes) such as those are meant to be shrouded in as much arcane mystery as possible. Nose: Deep, complex, and inviting. Semi-arid earth and subdued smoke like a damp campfire or cold fireplace. Dusty chalk. Vanilla, but more like a spice jar of whole vanilla beans rather than vanilla extract. This needs time for the agave and citrus notes to appear. Palate: Light-bodied, but oily mouthfeel. Smoky vanilla cream and ghee. Earthy, chalky minerality. Gentle spices, like pepper that’s been tamed by cooking fats and oils. Raw cacao and faint, meadow-like grass. Finish: Moderately sweet and medium length. Very smooth and no perceptible heat. This is another excellent VFM offering from Corralejo. It’s delicious, has great depth of flavor, and there’s lots to explore here. A 750 mL bottle only set me back $23.99, and I’ve also seen some places stock the giant 1.75 L magnum bottles for $38.99. I don’t know that the 96 points awarded by Distiller is accurate on a taste- and profile-alone basis, but if you consider the value, I don’t think there’s another reposado I’d reach for at under $30. 4.0 ~ 89 ~ Great24.0 USD per Bottle -
Corralejo Silver Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Guanajuato, Mexico
Reviewed November 23, 2019 (edited June 24, 2023)It almost feels too late in the year to review tequilas but we recently had a very late autumn heat wave that made this vertical tasting worthwhile before the cold and rain set in. While tequila will get shelved for a bit in my seasonal rotation, it makes another resurgence around the holidays when I bust out my holiday spiced cranberry margaritas. If this sounds weird to you, I promise they are quite delicious, they are merry and bright, and they make your house smell amazing after mulling the spices and fresh cranberries on the stovetop. In any case, this review of Corralejo Blanco Tequila is the first of a three-part vertical tasting of Corralejo’s core tequilas. Could Corralejo Blanco be featured this year? Primer: Corralejo is one of few remaining family-owned tequila producers that manages to hang in there with the big boys. While the rest of the tequila market is swamped with offerings from international spirits conglomerates (in part spurring the rise in mezcal’s popularity), Corralejo aims to stay true to its roots as an hacienda, employing those in the community to do things by hand rather than automating. They produce their tequila by steaming the blue agave hearts in clay ovens for 27 hours, then fermenting the must, and double distilling. As with all blanco tequilas, this blanco offering from Corralejo is unaged and showcases the quality of the agave employed and the distiller’s skill as there are no casks to hide behind. Nose: Bright, crisp, and chalky. Fruity agave, limestone minerality, orange blossoms, lemon meringue, and buttercream frosting. And not the stale, mass-produced, store-bought, preservative-laden buttercream frosting tubs. The kind of fresh, homemade buttercream frosting you justify needing to lick the bowl for and spread on everything because it’s so good. This is a tequila nose you want to nose all day. Palate: Light-bodied and a bit thin, but at the same time creamy. The minerality leads with limestone water essence. Lots of vanilla and cream with faint fruity citrus and floral. It’s smooth and tasty, but slightly under-delivers given that exquisitely fresh and layered nose. Finish: Smooth and chalky, but on the short side. Moderately sweet with the profile similar to coconut sugar and no apparent heat. Perfectly sippable neat. Verdict: It’s good. Even better if you factor in the cost. And while it won’t dethrone the Fortaleza Blanco I had recently ($39.99), the VFM with the Corralejo Blanco is excellent ($21.99). Highly recommended for the quality, VFM, and “small” producer aesthetic. ¡Salud! 3.75 ~ 84 ~ Good22.0 USD per Bottle
Results 21-30 of 65 Reviews