Fog’s End Monterey Rye tastes like a Rum
Joey and I tried this new “Monterey Rye” from Fog’s End from Beverage Warehouse, which always has interesting rye whiskeys. Interestingly, I actually went there to pick up a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye, but they were sold out as apparently there is a rye whiskey shortage. I better stock up!
The verdict? Both Joey and I were a bit surprised by this one. It hits you up front and it doesn’t have the long tasty finish that we expect from a Rye. Joey felt that it had a lot of vanilla and it was a bit sweet for me. I don’t think either of us would have chosen it as our favorite whiskey.
However, upon inspecting the bottle more, it was apparent that the whiskey is made only partly from rye and is partly made from sugar. As a result, it might be more appropriate to call it a monterey rye whiskey/rum blend and when put in that context it makes much more sense. Our initial distaste was largely because we thought it would be more whiskey-like and if I think of it like a Zacapa, a rum I like to sip, but with a rye taste as well, then it’s a really interesting idea. It’s got aRum-like sweetness to it, but a whiskey-like strength. I still wish the finish was longer, but I’m definitely glad I picked up a bottle and would recommend it to others for it’s uniqueness. It’s only ~$25 a bottle too and maybe some day we can visit their distillery in Salinas.
Costco’s Speyburn 10 Year beats Trader Joe’s Speyburn Bradan Orach in blind taste test
Recently, I bought at bottle of Speyburn Bradan Orach at Trader Joe’s for $15, while Joey bought at 1.5 Liter bottle (!!!) of Speyburn 10 year at Costco. Naturally, the thing to do would be to conduct a blind taste test as to which is better.
The verdict:
Costco’s Speyburn 10 year won handily. According to Joey, the Bradan Orach was light and fruity. The 10 year had more of a smell and was smokier and much fuller. I agreed. The 10 year was much better and fuller with a more complex taste. The Bradan Orach had a poor finish.
Laguvulin 16 Review
My friends Mike & Kelly were kind enough to buy me a bottle of Laguvulin 16 year old scotch for helping him move and while I tried to explain how helping them was it’s own reward, I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, so I accepted the bottle. Thanks Mike & Kelly!
As whiskeys go, Laguvulin 16 is right up there with our favorites. I just had a few glasses with Joey and we both agreed that it is in the highest class of whiskeys that we drink, right up there with Ardbeg and Oban (Joey’s favorites). While it isn’t as classically smokey as Ardbeg, it has a classic complexity that is immediately appreciable. Joey remarked that it has a “leather/wood taste that ends in a campfire” which might not sound tasty, unless you know Joey and realize that statement for the compliment it is. The “je ne sais quoi” of the yumminess is admirable and keeps you wanting more, if only to figure out the “quoi” after all. It’s a great drink. I’d give it an 85/100, which is the top rating I’ve given out so far. It’s a $60 bottle of whiskey, but well worth it.
99 Cent Store Wine vs. Trader Joe’s (also La Finca & Contado Mankas)
We had a battle of the cheap wines wine tasting a couple weekends ago, where I wrapped 4 inexpensive and 1 regular wines in brown paper bags and asked guests to rate them blindly. The result was that our guests really could tell the difference in price.
The contenders? Here they are along with comments….
Trader Joe’s Chilean Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon (3.99)
Arwin liked it and gave it a 6. Mike gave it a 5. Kelly thought it was bland and her mom would use it for cooking. Annie gave it a 5. I gave it a 6 and thought it drinkable. Jen S. thought it was smooth, thin, with medium tanning an likely a pinot noir. It was her #2 wine. Jane thought it was plain, blag, bitter and rated it 4th overall. Lucy couldn’t describe it but thought it was “just good” and gave it a 6.5. Joey gave it a 5.
Overall average: 5.58/10
_________________________
La Finca Malbec (2.99 at Trader Joe’s)
I thought it didn’t have much taste and gave it a 3. Jen thought it tasted like nothing. Jane thought it had some fruit with acid on the end and had it tied for 2nd place. Mike gave it a 3. Arwin thought it lacked flavor, was acidic up front and peppery at the back. She gave it a 3. Annie gave it a 2 and called it a bad wine. Lucy thought it was smooth with not much smell. Oaky and different. She said she could drink more. Joey gave it a 3. Kelly thought it “smells like wine”, but her mom tried it and turned away in disgust. Kelly thought it was a sharper taste and might be ok with the right meal.
Overall Average: 2.8/10
______________________________________
Trader Joes’ Charles Shaw Cabernet
Mike gave it a 3 and called it “like water with wine”. I gave it a 2.5 and said it was bitter and ok to drink, but didn’t like it. Jane found it acid, peperry, and fruity and had it tied for her 2nd choice. Jen thought it was thin and with pepper. Arwin thought it was too acidic with too little taste and gave it a 3. Annie gave it a 3. Joey gave it a 4.
Overall Average: 3.1
____________________________________
99 Cent Store Red Wine
(Picture to be added)
Joey gave it a 1. I thought it was very bad and smelled like paint and gave it a 1. Jen said it was awful and maybe corked. Jane said “peppery, acid, NO”. Annie gave it a 2 and said it smelled like manischevitz. Mike found it light and tart and gave it a 4. Arwin thought it was bad and gave it a 1.
Overall Average: 1.8
________________________________________
Contado Mankas Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 (2006 pictured, but real bottle was a 2007)
I thought it was drinkable, but less complex than #1 and gave it a 5. Jane rated it her favorite and said it was not bad and fruitier. Jen thought it was med/full rich, spicy, and smooth. She also thought it was the most expensive and her favorite. Mike called it “refined” and gave it a 6.5. Arwin thought it was a little acidic and gave it a 5. Annie gave it a 6. Lucy thought it had more aroma, some vanilla, was stronger, had more aftertaste and complexity and gave it a 7.5 Joey gave it a 6. Kelly said it was much smoother and her mom liked it too.
Overall Average: 6/10
The verdict? People could generally tell the prices, even in a blind test and the overall average ratings were:
Contado Mankas ($11.99) 6/10
Trader Joe’s Chilean Reserve ($3.99) 5.58/10
Charles Shaw Cabernet ($1.99) 3.1/10
La Finca Malbec ($2.99) 2.8/10
99 Cent Store Wine($0.99) 1.8/10
Overall, I would say that I learned that people can tell price more than I might have thought. Also, I learned that 99 cent store wine is barely drinkable and smells awful. The Trader Joe’s reserva is definitely better than the normal Charles Shaw wines and a few people actually thought it was better than the $11.99 wine, so it’s probably the best budget wine here. The La Finca wine was largely tasteless.
…and to reiterate: I don’t think I’ll buy wine from the 99 cent store again.
Comments welcome.
- Ravi
Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Below is a picture of a ~$15 bottle of wine that Arwin, Jane, and Ravi all enjoyed. It wasn’t super special (in Ravi’s opinion), but was very drinkable and we’d all have it again.
Irish Whiskey Comparison – Tyrconnell, Feckin, Kilbeggan, Clontarf, Jamesons, & Bushmills
Who wants to go to be packed into an Irish bar when you have plenty of Irish whiskey in your cabinet? In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we decided to buy a number of basic Irish whiskeys and see which one we liked best. Below are our tasting notes and at the end are our recommendations.
First up was Tyrconnell, a single malt which came with it’s own cool indented glasses.
Joey: …sweet start. Leather taste. Lacks a complex finish. A Burn
without flavor. Smoke leather taste.
Ravi: Decent start, but I don’t like the finish,…too smooth for me. I’d give it a 35 on my scale, similar to Jamesons
Arwin: I don’t like it. It makes me sick to my stomach. (Note: Arwin doesn’t like whiskey in general and might have a similar comment to make about any whiskey 
).
Mark: “The tyrconnell”..anything with a ‘the’ in the name is good. (except people who say “the” Ohio State University). I like single malts. different level of complexity. It feels like it has a little bit of everything, A hint of smokiness. A really nice bold…a medium of everything. A tinge smokey.
Next up was Feckin.
MM: ”Nostril inflamatory”… pleasant taste and then burns my mouth, which is good. Looks clear, very light. It was stimulating my teeth.
Joey: Vanilla in my mouth at start. Definitely better than Tyrconnel.
More complexity.
Ravi: Bolder start. Not smokey like I like it, but decent. I’d give it a 58….don’t like it as much in subsequent sips as I get used to it and it loses its
boldness.
Arwin: good smell, bad taste
Mark: I like the name and crooked label. Nothing smooth about it. About as smooth as a shotgun blast, which is fine. Likes it because of the name…freaking cool to look at and think about.
Kilbeggan
Ravi: Smooth start. Finish ok. Not bad. Not great. Not enough
taste to be a prime choice of mine….48/100.
Joey: On the smoother side. Agrees with Ravi. Some
oak….confirmed by label that says “gently matured in oak casks”…cherry
aroma.
Mark: Unusual ot find something that is sweet and smoky at the same
time. Best intro whiskey for non-whiskey drinkers.
Arwin (a non-whiskey drinker, responding to Mark’s comment): It’s the best one yet. Not bitter, but it has a sharp…flavor. more mild than the other two I tried, but it still burns going down.
Clontarf
Ravi: Bolder Start. Not much finish. 2nd favorite to Feckin as it’s bolder, but not quite as bold a finish. 53/100
Arwin and Jane smell Butterscotch. Joey agrees.
Mark: another crooked label.. The youngest. 1998. but they claim they
use things from the 10th century. definitely not sweet. Quick taste. Dissapears in your mouth like a pop rock. Interesting whiskey..very
distinctive.
Dharma the cat: meow..tries to snatch from Mark.
Jamesons
MM – slightly stronger than the feckin Likes it better than the Feckin as a result.
Ravi – smooth..I can see why it’s popular, but I prefer something with
fuller taste.
Bushmills.
Mark – distinctive smell…doesn’t smell good…It has an “I don’t give a damn”
smell. Hits every bit of your mouth that you might expect. A little bit of sweetness…full…smooth. doesn’t blow the back of your head off. Best of the night. Solid whiskey taste.
Ravi likes the full taste. An old favorite. 55/100.
MM: smells more severe…more savage.
Arwin: the most normal taste.
The winner for each of us?
Jen sharp – I liked the Feckin…it was smoother and richer. It felt like smooth and rich and very well rounded.
Ravi voted Feckin, but Bushmills was close. May be biased by the name. I’ll probably keep Bushmills around as my stock Irish Whiskey especially since it’s so cheap at CVS usually. In general, I learned that I prefer Scotch to Irish Whiskey.
Joey Feckin and Bushmills tied for lead.
Redemption Rye Compared to Wild Turkey Rye
vs. 
I had some friends over the other night and we tasted 2 rye whiskeys: Wild Turkey Rye and Redemption Rye (~$27 at Beverage Warehouse in the Marina). Which one did people like more?
Mark P: The Wild Turkey blows up in your mouth. I’m biased against the sweetness, as I like the rye better than normal Wild Turkey, which is too sweet. I like them both, but for completely different reasons. Wild turkey is like jalapeno peppers…I’m kinda sensitive to spice, so I prefer the smoother finish of Redemption.
Joey: I would rate them the same. Redemption is a bit more of a typical rye and more complex, but I’d drink both for different occasions. I’m still on the hunt for a top rye.
Mike: Wild Turkey is sweet, but nowhere near American Honey (his favorite, and one of the sweetest whiskeys I’ve ever had. It has some harshness… I need more context.
Ravi: I suppose it does depend on what you’re in the mood for or what your taste buds like. I’d agree with Joey that they are about the same, but good for different reasons. They both have that full rye taste. The sweetness of Wild Turkey is an interesting contrast in a rye, but Redemption is perhaps the more adult taste. I’ll give Redemption 65/100 points, the same as I gave Wild Turkey. They’re both solid whiskeys.
- Ravi
2008 Apothic Red, a winemaker’s blend from Lincoln Fine Wines
Ravi and I brought a bottle of wine to our friend’s, Carlyn’s, birthday party about a year ago now (Friday, March 12, 2010). It was a 2008 Winemaker’s Blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, and Merlot called Apothic Red. It cost $9.99 from our then new favorite wine store, Lincoln Fine Wines.
I had told the knowledgeable staff that I enjoy fruit forward, full-bodied wines that are neither spicy nor smoky. Their recommendation of the Apothic Red was spot on! Ravi, Carlyn, and I all enjoyed it and we decided we would definitely buy it again. It had good flavors, with dark red fruit and the taste of vanilla. Yum! (The label also claimed that one could detect mocha in the wine, but I did not.)
“Produced and Bottled By” says Keith Wallace
The reason I noted in my last post that the Cakebread Cellars and the Bodega Norton bottles were both “produced and bottled by” their respective vineyards was due to an interview on National Public Radio in November of 2009. NPR had a short interview with Keith Wallace who founded the Wine School of Philadelphia and who had written an article entitled “How Wine Became Like Fast Food.” During the interview, Michele Norris asked Wallace how wine is produced in the States. He revealed that 80 to 90% of all wine sold in the US is not coming from actual wineries but from large factories.
If it is made by an actual winery, the words “produced and bottled by” will be written on the label: “…If it says produced and bottled by in tiny – it’ll be tiny lettering, that wine is actually made by a real winery. But if it says something like vinted and bottled by or cellared and bottled by, that is not made by the winery on the label.”
Wild Turkey Straight Rye – Sweet & Tasty Kentuckiness
I have had great luck with rye whiskeys of late. They just seem to have more taste than equivalent non-rye versions. Beverage warehouse has a couple of rye whiskeys for under $20 (Wild Turkey, Jim Bean, and Old Overholt). I’ve had Jim Bean and Old Overholt before, and so I decided to try Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye.
Fresh in my mind was Grant’s, which I’d tried the day before and the Wild Turkey Rye had the same long tasty finish, but it also had a really fun sweetness to it at the beginning. It still doesn’t have the smokiness that I love in a Whiskey, but it’s a great blend of flavors and definitely better than the Grant’s, which wasn’t bad and which I gave 50 points to, so I’m going to give this one 65 points on my 100 point scale. I look forward to a battle of the rye whiskeys soon!
- Ravi