Review: Dubliner Irish Whiskey
Dubliner Irish Whiskey has recently undergone a facelift with a new modern looking bottle design. Quintessential Brands acquired The Dublin Whiskey Company and the Dubliner Irish Whiskey brand March 2016. The original blend of 20% single malt and 80% grain whiskey, bourbon cask aged for 3 years has not changed. Master Distiller Darryl McNally overseas distilling, aging, and sourcing of all of their whiskey. Darryl was Operations Manager, and Master Distiller at Bushmills Distillery where he worked for 17 years prior to joining The Dublin Liberties Distillery. The Dublin Liberties distillery opened March 2019 in a 400 year old building that was once a mill and tannery. Built at a cost of $11 million they will only produce triple distilled malt whiskey. Master Distiller Darryl McNally is blending sourced Irish Whiskey while his own crafted whiskey matures in barrels. Read more
Review: Kastra Elion Vodka
Kastra Elion Vodka is crafted with olives grown in the Nafpaktos region of Greece. The name comes from the Greek words for castle (kastro) and olives (elion). The olives are hand picked between the end of October and Mid-December and cold pressed within hours of picking, then blended with organic summer wheat. It is distilled once in a hand made copper still. Pure mineral rich water from the crystalline rock in Mount Taygetus, some of the highest peaks in Greece, is blended with the spirit to reduce to proof. A 30 day resting process follows prior to bottling. Read more
Review: Tierra Noble Blanco Tequila
Tierra Noble Blanco Tequila is crafted by Master Distiller Alberto Herrera with 8-10 year old agave from small farms. 20% of the Weber Azul Agave is grown in Los Altos and 80% in the Valley of Tequila. The pinas are slow cooked in steel ovens without pressurization. Once cooled the juice is extracted and fermented for 10 days in a double fermentation process with Montpelier wine yeast. The tequila is small batch double distilled in small stills with high capitals and long necks that create a slow distillation. The distillery, Premium de Jalisco La Estacada is located at 7200 feet in the Sierra del Tigre Mountains. This is the highest mountain distillery in Mexico. Tierra is one of seven tequila brands currently produced at this distillery including Dos Armadillos, Insolito, Pura Vida, Religion, Salt, and Tavi. Read more
Review: N’Ice Breaker Hard Seltzer
N’Ice Breaker Hard Seltzer was released by Grain Belt in May 2020. Grain Belt Beer dates back to 1890. In 1891 four small breweries merged to become Minneapolis Brewing Company. Grain Belt became the companies flagship brand. In 1967 the brewery’s name was changed to Grain Belt Brewery. At it’s peak in 1969, Grain Belt was the 18th largest brewery in the US. In 1976 they were acquired by G. Heileman, and by 2002 they were acquired by their current owner August Schell. N’Ice Breaker is available in a four flavor 12 can variety pack with 3 cans each of Raspberry, Pineapple Mango, Juniper Lime, and Prickly Pear Guava. Each can is made with purified water, alcohol from cane sugar, and natural flavors. Each 12 ounce slim can weighs in with 100 calories, 5% Alcohol, with 1 carb and 0 sugar. Read more
Review: Batanga Tequila Blanco
Batanga Tequila Blanco is made from Lowland Region agave, estate grown, primarily in El Cerro de Tepecoste. Batanga is named for a simple drink created in the 1950’s at La CaPilla by Don Javier Delgado. The recipe can be found below. Batanga is distilled at Tequila Orendain de Jalisco. The Orendain Family is one of the four founding families of the tequila industry. Their distillery opened in 1926. Some of the other tequilas crafted at this distillery include Suavecito, Rayador Cutwater, Gran Orendain, and Excellia. Hood River Distillers introduced Batanga Blanco and Batanga Reposado Tequila in the US, September 2019. Read more
Review: Svedka Cherry Limeade Vodka
Svedka Cherry Limeade Vodka was recently released. It is one of twelve flavored vodkas in the current Svedka lineup. Svedka is not the first Cherry Limeade flavored vodka. Burnett’s also makes one. Pinnacle produces a Cherry Lemonade flavored vodka. Svedka Cherry Limeade is made from a vodka base of Swedish winter wheat and ice cold water from Swedish springs. Four pounds of wheat are needed to produce one 750 ml bottle of vodka. The vodka base is distilled five times and filtered five times. Natural flavors are infused before bottling in Bardstown Kentucky at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Fruit Smash Hard Seltzer
Fruit Smash Hard Seltzer was launched last month by New Belgium Brewing Company. It is available in a 3 flavor 12 can variety pack. The flavors include Berry Blast, Tropical Punch, and Pink Lemonade. Each flavor is made with carbonated water, fermented cane sugar, real fruit juice, and natural flavors. A bike trip through Belgium in 1988 inspired Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch to bring Belgium style beer to their hometown of Fort Collins. In March 1991 they started brewing in their basement and by June 1991 they launched Fat Tire and a Belgium style Dubbel they called Abbey. Some of the important New Belgium milestones include becoming a 100% employee owned company December 2012. Opening a second brewery in Asheville North Carolina in 2016. Fat Tire became the first carbon neutral beer brewed in the US, August 2020. Also in 2020 the employees voted to allow Kirin Holdings to acquire the company. At the time New Belgium was the fourth largest craft brewery in the US. Read more
Review: Absolut Watermelon Vodka
Absolut Watermelon Vodka was just released. It is one of 16 flavor varieties Absolut crafts with a vodka base made from Swedish winter wheat sourced from 450 local farms. One kilo of wheat is needed to create 1 liter of vodka. The wheat is milled onsite and blended with water and a proprietary yeast. A continuous distillation process is used with steel column stills and copper plates. The vodka is filtered once through a mesh filter. Pure deep well water from naturally filtered aquifers is softened through reverse osmosis and blended to reduce to proof. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 76 proof. Absolut Vodka was first released in 1879 in Ahus Sweden, and launched globally in 1979. Absolut Vodka is currently the fifth best selling vodka brand in the US, and the second best selling vodka world wide. Read more
Review: Kirkland Hard Seltzer
Kirkland Hard Seltzer was released at a select group of Costco store locations in September. It has taken until now to reach the Midwest Costco stores. It is sold in a four flavor, 24 can variety pack for $17.99. This is about the same price the big boys, White Claw and Truly sell their 12 can variety packs. The four flavors included are Grapefruit, Black Cherry, Lime, and Mango. It is produced by Patco Brands in Hood River Oregon. Patco also makes Mystic Reef Hard Seltzer for Target, and Ranch Water Blue Agave Hard Seltzer. It is a little curious that Kirkland and Mystic Reef share the same four flavors. Like most hard seltzer brands Kirkland Hard Seltzer is made with purified carbonated water, alcohol, cane sugar, and natural flavors. Each 12 oz. can weighs in with 100 calories 5% Alcohol, with 2 Carbs and 2 grams of Sugar. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Pink Lemonade Vodka
Smirnoff Pink Lemonade Vodka was just released. It joins a Smirnoff flavor lineup that now numbers 28. By my count this is the 6th pink lemonade flavored vodka on the market today. The others include Svedka Strawberry Lemonade, New Amsterdam Pink Whitney, UV Pink Lemonade, Burnett’s Pink Lemonade, and Crown Valley Pink Lemonade. Pinnacle and Sweet Carolina also produce a Lemonade flavored vodka. Smirnoff Pink Lemonade is made from Smirnoff’s corn vodka base. Natural flavors are infused and certified colors are blended before bottling at 60 proof. Marketing material suggests that flavor infusion includes strawberry and raspberry flavor. Each 1.5 Oz. serving weighs in with only 89 calories and 4.1 carb. Read more