Showing posts with label whiskey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whiskey. Show all posts

Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Sip Awards


SPIRITS TASTING EVENT - THE SIP AWARDS
Newport Beach, CA  
Join us for our annual Spirits Tasting at Hyatt Newport Beach, CA. Taste and evaluate over 30+ spirits from all over the world while enjoying the beautiful Newport Beach venue.
In a blind tasting, do you think you have what it takes to spot your favorite alcohol brands?

*Categories include: Vodka, Gin, Tequila, Mezcal, Whiskey, Scotch, Cognac, Bourbon, Liqueurs, Moonshine, Infused Spirits, Mixers, and many others.

Some of the exciting aspects of the event:

  • Over 30+ beverage samples to evaluate in a blind tasting
  • Learn how to effectively taste fine spirits from Professor Neat
  • Appetizers and beverages will be served
  • Many chances to win prizes and gifts throughout the event
  • Social Media wall and contests
  • DJ Mike Soltani and professional photographers
  • A very fun and unique experience
*** 20% off of ticket prices with this code: HITIME20

For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit the below link:

Friday, April 29, 2016

Quick Sips: Smooth Ambler Spirits

Patiently crafted Appalachian spirits.

With a combination of knowing palate, a legacy of patient, Appalachian know-how and the benefit of the finest, local ingredients, Smooth Ambler produces and procures some of the world's most refined spirits.  Located in the hills of West Virginia, they have at their disposal both the finest distillery equipment available and a blend of unique natural resources: clean mountain air, pure natural water and the ideal highland climate.  Everything they do is hands-on; from the milling of their carefully-selected local grain to the signing and labeling of each bottle.  Their single, old-fashioned goal is simply to bring their customers the best that they can of what's around them.  And to create a truly rare, special drink that those that imbibe of it will remember and treasure.

We tried five of their current lineup of spirits...

Revelation Rum
"A blend of two merchant-bottled Jamaican rums; one column-distilled in 1990, one pot-distilled in 1985, Revelation has been aged in secondary bourbon cooperage and is bottled without chill-filtration. Rich, smooth and complex but with a sipping-whiskey drinkability."  99 proof, very sippable, dry but lush in the mouthfeel, excellent rummy spice and vanilla flavors.  Definite Jamaican 'funk' flavor in this outstanding rum.

Yearling Bourbon Whiskey
"Our handmade, limited-release double-pot distilled bourbon comes from a unique mash of corn, wheat and barley.  Rich and remarkably smooth taste is assured with small cask aging in our own West Virginia rick house.  Naturally sweet with caramel and butterscotch aromas and subtle notes of grain, wood and tobacco."

Old Scout Straight Whiskey
"With a high rye content of 36%, this fine whiskey has exceptional taste and smoothness and thus needs only minimalist particle filtering.  A robust 99 proof, it's strong but deliciously drinkable like all of Smooth Ambler's offerings.  Bold, spicy-sweet flavors with subtle apple, cherry and tobacco aroma."

Old Scout 10
"This limited release is the fourth offering under the Old Scout Merchant Bottled Line.   Old Scout TEN is a low rye (21%) recipe that celebrates the finest qualities of properly mature bourbon-- smoothness, sweetness and character-- while providing a complex and lingering mid-palate range of nutty vanilla, honey and tobacco that many Bourbons promise but rarely deliver."

Greenbrier Gin
"Our exceptional premium-cut spirits lie at the heart of this subtle and flavorful gin.  Mass market "continuous stills" simply cannot match our combination of vapor-infused botanicals and painstaking small batch process.  Enchanting floral aromas from citrus peel and natural herbs without the harsh overtones of typical British-style "dry" gins.  Enchanting floral aromas from citrus peel and natural herbs without the harsh overtones of typical British-style "dry" gins."

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Quick Sips: Mad March Hare Irish Poitin!

Hare of the dog? Almost--this Mad March Hare Irish Poitín missed St. Paddy's day but will do just fine this April! Smooth with a touch of sweetness & minerality, the Hare is distilled in traditional copper pot stills from locally sourced malted barley in Ireland. This is #OG moonshine and downright delicious.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


Happy St. Patrick's Day! We had some specials on Irish whiskey this month (March 2016)-- to check our current list of prices, please follow this link.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Quick Sips: Mellow Corn & The Balvenie 21yr Portwood

by Tobin Sharp

A tale of two liquors... Mellow Corn from Heaven Hill is simple and straightforward, with notes of sweet popcorn and butter with a touch of wood and vanilla--this gives an insight into what corn adds to Bourbon (which is 51% corn) and at $11.99/750ml is a steal.  It's also 100 proof (though you can't tell from sipping it... balanced, sweet and tasty).

The Balvenie 21yr Portwood (86pf) has many layers going on with sherry notes and raisins, sweet honey, white pepper and oak in both nose and palate which is unctuous and oily with a clean uplifting finish... I would almost think of categorizing this one as a dessert whiskey but wouldn't want to limit it to just that; it can stand alone at just about any time for any reason with dessert, a cigar, company or none of the above except the whiskey.  So good!

Chances to sample and/or re-sample products like these are usually an everyday occurence between our spirits, wine and beer departments (as well as gourmet sodas & mixers, food division and Smoke Shack).  It's a chance for us to either try a new product or refresh our palate so we can pass the word on and the reps know that something fresh on our palates tends to be fresh in our minds.  The Balvenie 21 Portwood has been on my radar for a while-- it is a stunning whiskey and one I would recommend over and over (and have and will!).  Their entire lineup is strong (like the 14yr Caribbean Cask or 12yr Double Wood [personal faves, natch]) but this 21yr is a treat.

While I'm very familiar with Heaven Hill, I hadn't tried their Mellow Corn before-- I figured it would be sweet and tasty and it was-- but even better than I thought it might be; at 100 proof it's amazingly easy to sip.  I will be adding a bottle to my home collection as this will make for a nice winter warmer when it's wet and cold out (we're in California so take our definition of 'cold' with a bag of salt).  It will be at home with its cousins (Henry McKenna, Bernheim, Evan Williams and Larceny) already resting in my closet(s).

We hope to put more of these "Quick Sips" up as we taste.  Cheers!

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Whisky Live: Los Angeles 2015 - 11/6/15

Whisky Live is this Friday, November 6th, at Loew's Hollywood Hotel up in LA, 6-10pm.  This is a great event for Whisky lovers of all stripes-- here are the main draws:

SAMPLE FROM OVER 150+ WHISKIES
VIP EXPERIENCE AREA
DELICIOUS DINNER BUFFET
MASTER CLASSES
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 
COMPLETE EVENING OUT

Use the code "LA2015" for a 15% discount on tickets.  For more info, visit whiskyliveusa.com or whiskylive.com.