Interested in microdistilling? Then subscribe to Distiller magazine. It is published by the California-based American Distilling Institute. Some time back, we interviewed Bill Owens, ADI’s founder. (Listen to the podcast here.)
For more information or to subscribe, surf to http://www.distilling.com.
Go ahead, expand you palate. Try this bargain ($13) Norton from Virginia. It will changes your mind about the possibilities if red wine. Fruit bombs are increasingly the norm. The Norton grape, which Todd Kliman waxed eloquent about in The Wild Vine, is a different animal. This Norton is simple and worth a try. (Rating: Good) Read more at http://hortonwine.com/.
When you want to try a more intense, complex, and pricey Norton, give Chrysalis Vineyard’s version a try.
According to an AWStats run on December 31, 2013, AlcoholReviews.com had more than 235,000 unique visitors in 2013, and nearly 355,000 page views. This readership is higher than the previous two years.
The year’s monthly unique visitors showed highest traffic (per normal) during the November-March period, when distilled spirits consumption tends to be highest:
January: 24,581
February: 20,304
March: 21,342
April: 18,735
May: 20,168
June: 19,600
July: 18,161
August: 19,635
September: 15,065
October: 14,733
November: 19,416
December: 23,892
AlcoholReviews.com does no advertising; AWStats indicates that readers continue to find AlcoholReviews.com overwhelming through search engines and keyword search. Most site visitors came from the United States, with Great Britain’s websurfers a distant second. The three most heavily trafficked posts were:
1. The Major Types of Italian Wines (34,300 views)
2. George Dickel No. 12 and Jack Daniels Old No. 7 (10,367)
3. Labrot & Graham Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (10,021 views)
AlcoholReviews.com in 1998 by Kevin R. Kosar. He is the author of Whiskey: A Global History(London: Reaktion, 2010), and a contributor to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (2004). Kosar has served as a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, co-hosted “Vodka Festival” in New York City’s Grand Central Station, and won an Academy of Wine Communications’ wine writer award.
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Aiko Importers of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina imports some unusual beverages into the United States. We’ve reviewed its HAPPY POMMY POMEGRANATE WINE, KALASHNIKOV VODKA, and REGALIA VODKA.
Now, there are this: TREE OF LIFE VODKA. The front label describes it ass an 80 proof vodka “with natural flavor added.” The back says it is “distilled from pomegranate.” Which is it? Beats us. The “Proshyan Brandy Factory” of Yerevan, Armenia apparently produces it. Interestingly, this vodka was aged in oak barrels for 12 months. (One wonders, if it is aged and infused with flavor, is it still a vodka?)
Anyhoo, TREE OF LIFE has a pale orange tint, a medicinal nose, and is dry and not very pleasant in the mouth. It’s bitter, and tastes almost like Pomegranate peel (not the seeds). One sip and we can’t make ourselves have another. (Rating *)
What a beautiful blue bottle—very classy. This new gin is made by Philadelphia Distilling. In its short life, Bluecoat has garnered some nice reviews.
Understandably- this is a very tasty gin. The nose is beautiful, it reminded us of an orange or tangerine just peeled. In the mouth it’s astonishingly smooth for a 94 proof gin. As a case in contrast, sip it then taste an old favorite of ours, Beefeater gin. They are the same proof, but Beefeater booms with juniper and crackles in the mouth.
Not so Bluecoat gin, which begins fruity then finishes gently. A remarkably easy gin, one you can sip straight. Impressive, and very well priced at $24-$30 retail. (Rating ****3/4)
To see if our retailer can sell you a bottle, click here. Otherwise, check with the folks at http://www.BlueCoatGin.com.
