M. Lawrence Green

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Maker: M. Lawrence/L. Mawby, Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, USA

Grapes: Cayuga, Vidal

Region:

Style: Extra Sec

Vintage: NV (Batch 1, current label shown)

ABV: 10%

Appearance: Very pale gold with bubbles that won’t quit.

Nose: Very light and dry. Golden Delicious apples, white grapefruit.

On the palate: Dry and clean. Crisp apple and grapefruit, as above. A bit of limestone and chalk.

Finish: More mineral notes and a slighl tang. Apple, underripe pear, white peach.

Parting words: Do one thing and do it well is an official motto of Leenlenau’s L. Mawby winery. They do nothing but sparkling wines. The L. Mawby label is used for their estate, methode champenoise wines and M. Lawrence is used for non-estate wines made with the cuve close method. The Mawby wines all have fairly staid names. The M. Lawrence line has attention-grabbing names like Fizz, Wet, Sex, Detroit, and of course, Green.

Nothing green about Green. It’s a crisp, clean, off-dry sparkler with a French accent. If I had not visited the website I would never have guessed that Cayuga and Vidal grapes were used in the production of Green. There is not a fox in sight.

Green works best on its own or as an aperitif. It might even work with mild fish, chicken or mildly seasoned pork. Green is recommended.

ControversiALE

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Maker: Shorts, Bellaire, Michigan, USA

Style: IPA

ABV: 6.55%

Appearance: Slightly hazy copper.

Nose: Effervescent, fruity, floral.

On the palate: full-bodied, very bitter and hoppy. Lemon pepper, hay, urn with dead flowers in a drained pool.

Finish:  Floral and bitter moving to just straight up bitterness

Parting words: It says a lot about the hop-mania the nation is in the grip of that this hop-monster is considered by some to be between an IPA and a Pale Ale. I taste very little in this beer other than hops, and I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of IPAs. But this  grew on me after a while, I must admit. It reminds me a lot of Two-hearted ale, but with a more aggressive edge. ControversALE gets a recommendation, if only because I know others will love this one.

Buehler Zinfandel

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Maker: Buehler Vineyards, St. Helena, California, USA

Grape: Zinfandel

Style: Red

Region: Napa Valley AVA, Napa County, California, USA

Vintage: 2009

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: Dark, deep plum.

Nose: Black currant, oak, blueberry jam, whiff of smoke.

On the palate: Fruity, strawberry. Lightly sweet, a bit fleshy.

Finish: slightly tart, leather, a hint of oak smoke.

Parting Words: At its best, California Zinfindel is something like this. It has the finesse and complexity of a red Burgundy and the drinkability of a Côtes du Rhône. This is a fairly complex, but easy-going wine, a bit surprising for something with its ABV percentage. It goes well with food but its more subtle notes might get lost in the shuffle. Not much else to say, but Buehler Zin comes recommended.

B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead

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Maker: B. Nektar, Ferndale, Michigan, USA

ABV: 12-14%

Appearance: Bright gold

Nose: Sweet, orange peel, lemon, orange blossom.

On the palate: Full-bodied, sweet. Orange blossoms (duh), lavender, tarragon, bay.

Finish: A bit of fruit, then a long, clingy, honeyed bitterness.

Parting words: This one is slightly different from the wildflower mead, but I don’t think I would do well in a Pepsi challenge situation. This bottle has been open for a while, but I haven’t detected much, if any, change in the flavors or aromas. This would support the bottle’s assertion that it ages well. Maybe I’ll buy another bottle to lay down to test that hypothesis. At any rate, this is a well-crafted, well-balanced, straight-ahead Orange Blossom Mead. Recommended.

Wild Turkey American Spirit

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Maker: Wild Turkey, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, USA (Campari)

Age: 15 y/o

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Notes: Bottled-in-Bond

Appearance: Auburn with thick, viscous legs.

Nose: Alcohol, peanut butter, leather, citrus blossom. A little grassy with water.

On the palate: Full-bodied and velvety. Alcohol, black walnut, oak, papaya. Water brings out fruity notes. Kiwi, cherry, apricot.

Finish: Warm, woody, some char. Burns in the mouth for a long time.

Parting words: This is the first entry in my occasional series of reviews of so-called dusty whiskeys. American Spirit was a limited edition offering that was discontinued a few years ago (can’t find exact dates). There still should be some in the wild, but they originally sold for around $100. I got mine on sale as a neighboring state was closing the brand out a couple years ago.

Packaging wise, American Spirit teeters on the edge of gaudiness. The pine box the bottles comes in resembles a coffin and the label is a little cheesy with all the gold and script, not to mention the faux tax strip and pompous paragraph on the inside of the coffin lid. The bottle itself is elegant with a smart wooden stopper.

In the grand scheme of things, this is a very good bourbon. It’s very dry and very much in the Wild Turkey house style. It’s not as sought after as Wild Turkey Tribute or the old split label 12 y/o editions, and there’s a reason for that beyond scarcity. Next to those, American Spirit doesn’t hold up well. But on its own terms it’s very good and worth a recommendation although the high price keeps it from entering highly recommended territory. If you haven’t had many of the old Wild Turkey special releases, it’s worth getting.

Trader Joe’s Reserve Barbera

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Maker: ???

Grape: Barbera

Region: Mendocino Co, California, USA

Vintage: 2009

ABV: 13.9%

Appearance: light burgundy

Nose: Pretzels (and no, I hadn’t been eating them at the time), blueberry, milk chocolate

On the palate: Very light, slightly tangy. Table grapes, California strawberries shipped to Michigan, New Jersey blueberries shipped to Michigan.

Finish: Very light, a hint of tannin then vanishes.

Parting words: When I said in a previous review that these Trader Joe’s  bottles can be dull, this is the sort of wine I was thinking about. Barbera has been a grape that California winemakers have been experiementing with for a long time. In this case, the experiement has to be judged a failure. Not that this is bad, it’s just dull. If Barbera is what you’re after, there are affordable Italian choices that offer good value for money. This is not expensive, but it’s still not worth buying. Trader Joe’s Reserve Barbera is not recommended.

Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling

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Maker: Chateau Grand Traverse, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Grape: Riesling

Style: Late Harvest

Region: Old Mission AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2009 (different vintage pictured)

ABV: 9.5%

Appearance: Pale gold

Nose: Apple, peach, rhubarb, orange blossom, lemon thyme.

On the palate: full-bodied and sweet. Fruity, Golden Delicious Apple, Barlett pear, lavender.

Finish: Sweet and honeyed (wildflower to be specific) with a note of bitterness followed by a tart Macintosh apple note.

Parting words: This wine is not particularly complex but rich and enjoyable, especially after it opens up. This is a perfect cheese course wine. It would be a bit much with a full meal, though. Overall CGT Late Harvest Riesling is a very enjoyable wine, and a great example of Northern Michigan Late Harvest Riesling. Recommended.

Sunset Hills Virginia Gin

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Maker: A. Smith Bowman, Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA (Sazerac)

ABV: 40%

Appearance: Clear.

Nose: Lime peel, lemon peel, angelica, anise, very light juniper.

On the palate: Fairly heavy mouth feel. Very light, little taste except alcohol.

Finish: Some sweetness, some light herbal notes, and then fades away.

Mixed: Makes perfectly serviceable martinis and does ok with tonic and bitter lemon. All are enjoyable, but dull.

Parting words: I really wanted to like this gin. I am Facebook friends with the master distiller at Bowman, and I enjoy the Bowman bourbons and ryes. But this gin is just boring. It’s neither here nor there. It lacks the rough edges of bottom shelf gins, but it also lacks the interest of upper shelf gins. It’s not too expensive, but why bother? There is nothing going on here. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend Sunset Hills Virginia Gin.

High West Double Rye!

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Maker: High West, Park City, Utah, USA

Distillers: LDI, Lawrenceburg, Indiana & Barton-1792, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA

Age: 2 y/o (blend of 2 y/o and 16 y/o ryes)

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Appearance: Rich copper

Nose: Aggressive, minty, lavender, tarragon

On the palate: Sweet and hot, rock candy, spearmint sharpening into peppermint.

Finish: Starlight mints, peppermint heat with a sweet sugary background.

Parting words: This is the first High West rye I’ve reviewed. It tastes like a marriage of Bulleit and Fleischmann’s ryes and there’s a very good reason for that. That’s basically what it is. There’s been some confusion online as to whether the two year old rye in this is from LDI or High West’s own product. Judging by my taste buds, I would say that it’s definitely LDI, at least in this bottle. The resemblance to Bulleit rye is striking, but the undertones bear a strong resemblance to the Fleischmann’s.

I expected more oak, given the venerable age of the Barton rye, but it is completely absent. The young rye is so pungent that it almost overwhelms the older stuff, but old manages to keep the it in its place, barely. For sipping, it works well, and works well in cocktails, though the older component is completely overwhelmed in Manhattans and Sazeracs.

This is a good rye overall at a not unreasonable price. The bottle is also hand-blown (or at least looks like it) and beautiful, although the campy hangtags are a bit much. High West Double Rye! gets a recommendation.

Col. E.H. Taylor Old Fashioned Sour Mash, Bottled in Bond (1st edition)

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Maker: Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA (Sazerac)

Age: 9 y/o

Style: High Corn Bourbon

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Appearance: Copper with thick lumbering legs

Nose: Slightly yeasty, but not unpleasant. Hint of tobacco, spearmint.

On the palate: Medium bodied, bit of caramel, spearmint, and tarragon. Sweeter with a splash of water. Homemade marshmallows, Alpine Mints.

Finish: Fairly short, some caramel, vanilla. Longer and mintier with water. Leaves behind a nice tingle in the lips.

Parting Words: First, I should mention the bottle and the canister this came in. Both are beautiful. They’re similar in design, busy and slightly campy, but very well designed. I know I’m a sap, but I got a little choked up to see the Old Taylor “Castle” Distillery gone from the right side of the label, replaced by a vintage picture of the O.F.C. Distillery (nka Buffalo Trace).

The Old Taylor castle is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) derelict distilleries in Kentucky. If you are visiting Woodford Reserve distillery, turn left out of the parking lot and keep driving down McCracken Pike through the woods and horse farms. You’ll think you’re lost, until a massive castle-like distillery looms up on your left side. Right next door is the Old Crow distillery. Park on the right side of the road, look around and take a lot of pictures. Trespassing is, of course, illegal.

At any rate, this new Old Taylor, made at E.H. Taylor’s first distillery, is the first in the series of high-end bottlings under that name from Buffalo Trace, who acquired the brand from Beam in 2010 (I think). Buffalo Trace representatives have said they want this line to be for rye-recipe bourbons what Van Winkle has become for wheaters. They have a long way to go.

This first edition was made using an older method of creating a sour mash. Instead of adjusting the ph in the mash tub, the mash was allowed to sit in the holding area before going into the still for a few days until proper sourness was achieved. This shows up in some of the sourdough notes I picked up. The second release was single barrel, the current release is the “Tornado Survivor” edition, which I hope to acquire and review in a few weeks.

At any rate, Taylor Old Fashioned Sour Mash is not bad, pretty good, actually. The problem is the price. I’ve had Binny’s  selected bottles of Buffalo Trace bourbon that were as good or better than this, but at half the price. I don’t think it’s fair to give this a non-recommendation since I did enjoy it, but I can’t bring myself to be enthusiastic either. Col. E.H. Taylor Old Fashioned Sour Mash gets a mild recommendation.

 

Thanks to John Burlowski for helping me acquire this bottle.