The Beverage of the Week - Archives Previous BOWs   |  The Current BOW May 7 to May 13, 2008 - Goose Island Matilda, Chicago - USA Goose Island is Chicago's greatest regional brewery growing from a single brewpub on Chicago's north side in 1988 to now being bottled and sold in 15 states as well as the UK. The Matilda, inspired by the great Belgian Abbey Style Ales, is part of the brewery's specialty line that is presented in 4-packs (as opposed to the standard 6-packs used for their other beers) and adorned with unembellished labels. See the Full Listing April 30 to May 6, 2008 - Auchentoshan 16 yr old Single Malt Scotch, Scotland I have long been a fan of Auchentoshan finding pleasure in all of the various expressions. Stylistically, there is nothing like it. Auchentoshan is fruity and floral being delicate while substantive with a fine, spicy accent. Auchentoshan (Gaelic for "corner of the field") rests in the Lowlands at the foot of the Old Kilpatrick Hills, overlooking the famous River Clyde - just a short drive from Glasgow. See the Full Listing April 23 to April 29 - Twisted Oak *%#&@! (Rhone Inspired Red) Calaveras County 2005 Twisted Oak Winery is less than a decade old and they produce fewer than 10,000 cases of wine annually (many of the wines you see at your supermarket produce four time as much Chardonnay alone). The winery, and their estate vineyard, is located in Calaveras County at an elevation of roughly 2,000 feet. See the Full Listing April 16 to April 22 - Big Ass Zin Sonoma County 2006 The brand, with the name you will never forget, was created at Adler Fels Winery in 2004. The wines are designed to demonstrate 'California Style' being rich in fruit, lush, and full-bodied. We are very pleased that these wines are not all about the big. This Big Ass wine delights in its subtle flavors as well as being relatively low in alcohol (under 14%). See the Full Listing April 9 to April 15 - Mount Gay "Extra Old", Barbados Rum Mount Gay proudly carries the moniker of 'the world's oldest rum distillery.' With more than 300 years of history Mount Gay has become synonymous with its home island of Barbados and the entire rum world. See the Full Listing March 26 to April 2 - Domaine de Canton Cognac & Ginger Liqueur, France Domaine de Canton Ginger, is another rare and sparkling jewel in the modern liqueur market. Deftly produced, and cleverly packaged, Domaine de Canton has the goods to be a giant hit in the US market and beyond. An outstanding liqueur that while tremendous on its own, offers a staggering number of cocktail possibilities. See the Full Listing March 19 to March 25 - D'Argenzio Petite Sirah 'Bacigalupi Vineyard' Russian River Valley 2005 D'Argenzio owns no vineyards but it does source its fruit from some of the best vineyards and locations in Sonoma. D'Argenzio produces fewer than 3,000 cases of wines each year. The wines are sold primarily in California but with the magic of the internet, many of you (living in states with sensible shipping regulations) can purchase these wines and have them shipped directly to your home. See the Full Listing March 12 to March 18 - Oro Azul Blanco, 100% Agave Tequila, Mexico Cathy Corison is a Cabernet specialist. She has honed her evident skills through 30 years of winemaking in California. In the Corison wines Cathy combines experience with talent and a much-appreciated point of view to create wines with balance, style, and grace. Corison Cabernet is ideal at the table while I often find that many Napa Cabernets trample upon even the most robust dishes. See the Full Listing March 5 to March 11 - Oro Azul Blanco, 100% Agave Tequila, Mexico Just as wine lovers have come to seek small, boutique, producers when seeking wines with personality, Tequila buyers in the know are on the watch for traditional, artesanal, Tequila brands; Oro Azul is such a brand. Oro Azul offers their Tequila in all three customary expressions: blanco, reposado, and a–ejo. We have great affection for each example with a particular appreciation for the blanco, as this unaged Tequila is the pure expression of the blue agave and the Garibay's time-honored techniques. See the Full Listing February 27 to March 4 - Gryphon Pinot Noir California 2005 The Gryphon 2005 Pinot Noir is a classic example of the house style show casing brilliant blending talent. This wine carries the broad - and some would suggest generic - California appellation that is most often seen on the labels of bargain basement wines. Clearly this is not the case with the Gryphon 2005 Pinot Noir which carries the California moniker while being a clever blend of two appellations with great cachet: Anderson Valley & Santa Lucia Highlands. See the Full Listing February 20 to February 26 - Millennium Vodka, Poland Millennium Vodka is the latest spirits creation from PolandŐs famous Polmos Siedlce distillery. Polmos Siedlce, founded in 1896, is best known to US Vodka lovers as the producer of Chopin Vodka, an ultra-premium brand introduced in the States in 1997. The distillery is located in the Podlasie region, a rich agricultural and popular bird watching area in eastern Poland. See the Full Listing February 13 to February 19 - Marie Johnston Chardonnay 'Signature Series' Central Coast 2005 The Marie Johnston label is the latest project of Jonathan O'Bergin and Marie Johnston - yes, she is a real person - the proprietors at Gryphon Wines in California's Anderson Valley. Gryphon is a small, quality orientated, Pinot Noir centric winery. We were very pleased with the selections by O'Bergin and Johnston finding all of the wines to be honest, flavorsome, and deftly styled. Among the trio of Marie Johnston wines, we were really taken with the Central Coast Chardonnay. See the Full Listing February 6 to February 12 - Pietra Santa Sangiovese Cienega Valley 2004 I am enamored with all things that wear the Pietra Santa label while being especially fond of the Italian varietals produced at this California winery. Many Cal-Ital wines are pleasing while failing to allow the Italian varieties to express their true nature. Pietra Santa's wines suffer no such malady. See the Full Listing January 30 to February 5 - Pappy Van Winkle 'Family Reserve' 20 yr old Bourbon, USA The name Van Winkle is synonymous with Bourbon excellence. In 1908 Julian P. Van Winkle Sr. ("Pappy" as he was known to friends and family), with a partner, purchased the W.L. Weller & Sons wholesale liquor company. See the Full Listing January 23 to January 29 - Dooley's Toffee Cream Liqueur, Germany Dooley's Toffee Cream liqueur has been winning awards and turning heads all over the world since its introduction in 2000. The flavors are pure and very approachable making it a hit with spirits professionals, bartenders, and casual drinkers alike. See the Full Listing January 16 to January 22 - Barra Petite Sirah, Mendocino 2003 Long before it was fashionable, Barra has been applying organic farming techniques on their 175 acres of vineyards in the Redwood Valley, Mendocino. Charlie Barra, now 80, has been working with grapes since the mid 1940s and farming the present family estate since 1954. See the Full Listing January 9 to January 15 - Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Ale, England Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, was established in 1758 and is one of the few remaining independent breweries in England. These fine ales were first sold in the US in 1978. See the Full Listing December 19 to December 25 - Zubrowka “Bison Grass Flavored” Vodka, Poland Bison Grass Flavored” Vodka, Poland is poised to make a significant leap with a sharp new package and ample marketing muscle. The origins of this vodka date back to the 8th century. See the Full Listing December 12 to December 18 - Bowmore, 18 years old - Single Malt Whisky Absolute perfection in the glass. Amazingly complex offering notes of caramel, wild flowers, malt, peat smoke, and dried fruits. An absolute gem! See the Full Listing December 5 to December 11 - Auchentoshan, Three Wood - Single Malt Whisky The Auchentoshan Three Wood is matured in three different types of oak casks: Bourbon, Oloroso and Pedro Ximinez Sherry. The Three Wood is a bit of a departure from the delicate style found in the rest of the Auchentoshan portfolio. See the Full Listing November 28 to December 4 - Bowmore, Darkest 15 years old Islay's oldest distillery has given a complete facelift to its product line as well as trimming the portfolio and tweaking a few age statements. The entire line is stronger than ever in terms of quality in the glass, and the contemporary package will catch the eye of today's buyer. See the Full Listing November 21 to November 27 - Boru Vodka Boru Vodka is said to be the top selling Vodka in Dublin bars and is quickly becoming a top brand in the US thanks to its clean and pure flavors as well as its sensible pricing. Boru, is of course, named for the Munster and Irish King, Brian Boru... See the Full Listing November 14 to November 20 - Hacienda Vieja Reposado Hacienda Vieja Reposado Tequila is made from agave grown on the family estate and produced in the original distilling facility. This newly launched label is destined to be among the best - in quality terms - as well as being one of the most important Tequila brands. Hacienda Vieja is offered in a singular expression: Reposado. See the Full Listing November 7 to November 13 - Raymond 'R' Chardonnay We really love the R-Collection Chardonnay as it represents the style of Chardonnay that we would love to see coming out of California. I must admit that the tipping point from a score of Three-Stars to Four-Stars is this wine's tremendous price. See the Full Listing October 31 to November 6 - Goose Island 312 Goose Island is Chicago's greatest regional brewery growing from a single brewpub on Chicago's north side in 1988 to now being bottled and sold in 15 states as well as the UK. See the Full Listing October 24 to October 30 - Blue Ice Vodka Blue Ice Vodka from Idaho, made with 100% Idaho Russet potatoes. It’s a damn fine Spirit and priced to be your everyday Vodka. Top shelf quality offered at a sensible price; Blue Ice should be in your drinks cabinet. (Be sure to see the feature we did on Blue Ice in the Third Quarter issue of The Aperitif. See the Full Listing October 17 to October 23 - Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey At a time when new brands are nearly tripping over themselves in their quest for homogeny, truly unique products of substance stand out. (At least they do at BevX!) See the Full Listing October 10 to October 16 - Sacred Stone, Master's Red Blend Sacred Stone perfectly showcases winemaker Alessio CarliŐs unquestionable talents as a blender. The wine is supple and full while rustic with great balance making it the ideal match to a wide range of dishes or to be simply enjoyed on its own. See the Full Listing October 3 to October 9 - Partida Reposado Partida Tequila is one of the most outstanding new brands of Tequila to be introduced in recent years. Its flavors are lush and rustic while clean and complex. See the Full Listing