Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whiskey Dufftown, Scotland 40% ABV I picked up this triple malt Scotch whiskey from Trader Joe’s. The company’s been around since 1887, and this spirit takes its name from a medical condition that men used to acquire from working the malt press. I imagine it wasn’t fun to deal with, but
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Fat Grape Winery 2010 Merlot Northern California I posted recently about what I’d recommend for a foodie day trip to Treasure Island. Fat Grape was the sulfite-free winery we visited that offers a zillion different types of wine to taste for free. The Fat Grape 2010 Merlot was one of two wines that impressed me,
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Covington Sweet Potato Vodka Snow Hill, NC 40% ABV With a slogan like “the best yam vodka on Earth,” Covington gets out of my gate with a head start. If you are not a pun enthusiast, that may translate to a 10-second penalty. It’s made in North Carolina and thus qualifies as a local spirit
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Red Diamond Shiraz 2009 Washington State This Shiraz has the most interesting nose I’ve smelled in a while. It’s full of leather and juicy blackberry. The wine itself is much thinner than expected for a Shiraz, but it’s nicely matured. Blackberry swoops up then is replaced with whipped cream and spices. Pink peppercorn, a hint
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Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey Kentucky 45% ABV This winter wheat, small-batch whiskey is made in the same style as bourbon but the wheat is 51% of its makeup rather than corn. Its color is lovely, reminding me of opaque almond brittle, not the creamy stuff. It is significantly sweeter to smell than most bourbons. That
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Seigneurs de Bergerac 2010 Rouge Bergerac, France This red wine blend of French varietals has a nose full of leather and strong, jammy plum and cherry. Some vanilla rises up as well when sniffing. When sipping, it strikes me as very smooth with plenty of spice and chocolate. It comes across as Mexican in savoriness,
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Alexander Valley Rendition Zinfandel 2009 Sonoma Country, CA Strawberry and nectarine simmered with nutmeg are the most prominent smells from this leathery red wine. It smells sharp, full-bodied, and young.  Strawberry remains when drinking it, but the spice is more akin to allspice. It tastes a lot lighter than it smells, and eucalyptus and brown
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Epicurio 2008 Primitivo Di Manduria Vendemmia Apulia, Italy The nose of this wine made from a relative of the zinfandel grape is full of rich milk chocolate truffle with a hint of raspberry. The smell makes me rather excited to drink it, I must say, as truffles with raspberry are my favorite ratings, after all.
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Napa River Napa County Merlot 2008 Napa Valley, CA I can’t pick anything up from the nose of this merlot, but I’m not complaining. It’s a delicious wine. It’s thin-bodied, very smooth, and just to the right of dry. The prominent berry flavors are present in equal parts of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry like a
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Dearly Beloved Forever Red 2009 Mendocino County, CA No shame here—I bought this wine because of that freaking awesome label. Seriously, it has texture! And the name of the wine is in the skull’s teeth! I love it. Forever Red contains lots of tart, but luscious, berry. Think thick, juicy boysenberries. Cedar is on the
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