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WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

This has been one of my favorite go-to reds for the past year or so. Something I like to keep around the house for when I want a glass of red without going into something that has more prestige or is at a higher price. Spanish Grenache, most commonly know as Garnacha, I find to be some of the most versatile wines on the market, they are not to heavy, not to light, have good fruit and lovely hints of spice and earth. This wine pours a great deep ruby color with extraordinary aromas of raspberry and kirsch liqueur. The palate is medium bodied with flavors of cherries and raspberries with hints of licorice, black pepper and minerals. A great wine at a great price!

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

On my recent trip to Jamaica the only thing that made the heat and humidity tolerable was sipping on the Appleton Estate VX Blended Rum. A huge step up in quality from their basic Appleton Special Gold Rum, the VX is a blended rum comprised of various types of rum that are aged between 5 and 10 years, blended in oak vats and aged for a few more months in oak. The end result is rum that is somewhere between a white and dark rum with aromas of molasses, brown sugar and vanilla. The flavors of maple syrup are balanced with oak which tones down the sweetness of this rum while adding citrus and nutty flavors. The finish is creamy, mellow and dry but is long lasting just enough for you to get to your next sip. This is an excellent introduction into the aged rum category that doesn't break the bank.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

Another knock out from one of my favorite producers from Australia! The Wallace by Ben Glaetzer is named so as it is the old family name of Ben's grandmother Judith whose ancestors hailed from town of Cupar in Fife, Scotland. The wine itself is infusion of two classic grapes, Shiraz and Grenache, from the prestigious sub-region of Ebenezer in the Barossa Valley. Aged in used French and American oak for 14 months this blend of 80% Shiraz and 20% Grenache has ripe aromas of cracked pepper, blueberries and toffee. The palate is balanced between the Shiraz, which contributes weight, texture and richness with flavors black berry and blueberry. While the Grenache adds sweet cherry, strawberry and earthy characters. This wine is definitely drinking well now but if you do cellar it would be a very nice treat in about 5 years.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

Rye whisky was one of the first whiskey types to be distilled in the United States, mainly distilled in the Northeastern regions of the U.S. Unlike popular belief blended Canadian whiskey is not rye whisky. This belief comes from the time of prohibition when bootleggers were smuggling whisky across the border from Canada where rye was a dominating crop. The bootleggers would take one barrel of rye whisky and blend it with neutral grain whiskey to turn one barrel of rye whisky into four barrels of blended Canadian whiskey. One of the distinctive characteristics of Rittenhouse is that it is bottled in bond, which means it had at least four years of cask aging and is at least 100 proof. The extra aging gives the whisky more complexity than some of the other ryes I have tried and makes it a worthy substitution for other American or Canadian whiskeys, especially in cocktails. For a classic Manhattan cocktail add 3 parts Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky to 1 part sweet vermouth, stir with ice and strain into a glass, garnish with a maraschino cherry.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

This wine is a classic blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot and offers lovely aromas of cassis, violets and cedar. The lively palate exudes with flavors of black currant and raspberry accented with vanilla and oak leading to a long round tannic finish.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

This is a great summer Chardonnay, a much leaner and crisper style not typically seen in domestic Chardonnays and it is refreshing to find a domestically produced Chardonnay that is not buttery or over done with oak. This wine is reminds me of some white Burgundies, such as Chablis, with its chalk minerality and floral aromas. Eventhough this wine has a bit of old world character you still find the enormouse amount of red apple aromas and flavors that are pretty distinctive of Washington State Chardonnay. The palate is lean but full bodied with well balanced flavors of red apple, melon and honey leading to a crisp but lingering finish.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

What's New in Booze - 9.2 out of 10ripe red and black berry aromas and flavors, some black pepper, a hint of licorice and clove spice, firm tannins, and ample acidity. With the initial harshness replaced by a smooth texture and fairly long, ripe finish that might end up just a touch too hot. Enjoy this wine with a fatty ribeye, porterhouse or assortment of strong cheeses. Drink now through 2015.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

What's New in Booze - 9.0 out of 10The 2005 Shiraz Viognier is 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier, which spent 10 months in primarily French oak,25% of which is new, is a classic South Australian red with more finesse and complexity because of the Viognier component. Reminiscent of a French Cote Rotie, its dense ruby/purple color is followed by a knock-out nose of lavender, creme de cassis, tar, and spice. Layered, plump, velvety texture, beautifully fruity, and long. This blend is interesting since you have a red and white grape blended to together. Taking the dark Shiraz grapes and co-fermenting them with a hatful of the purest white Viognier grapes. The Viognier actually deepens the color of the Shiraz to a ruby/purple color and intensifies the aromas by adding a slight floral and citrus character.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

What's New in Booze - 9.0 out of 10This years blend is predominately Zinfandel with Petite Sirah, Old Vine Carignan and a slight touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. Old Vine Red Lot 49 is somewhat of a culmination of the best attributes of Lot 47 and 48. Highlighting the structure and maturity of Lot 47, and the fruit forward Zinfandel blackberry, plum and spice qualities of Lot 48, Lot 49 is incredibly balanced, lush, supple on the palate with a round mouth-filling finish.

WhatsNewinBooze's Review:

What's New in Booze - 9.3 out of 10The Balvenie Doublewood 12-year-old gains distinctive character from being matured in two oaks. Over the maturation period the whisky is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill European oak sherry cask. The traditional casks soften and add character to the whisky, while the sherry wood brings depth and a fullness of flavor.