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Posts from the ‘Reviews’ Category

6
Jan

Review: Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer

Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer was just released and it is available in a 3 flavor 12 can variety pack.  A second 3 flavor 12 can variety pack is promised for later in the year.  The current variety pack include Peach Pear, Cucumber Lime, and Spicy Pineapple.  Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer is 6 times filtered and made from purified water, organic cold-fermented cane sugar, organic natural flavors and organic malted rice.  Malted rice is also present in Bud Light Seltzer and Bon Viv Spiked Seltzer.  A 12 ounce can of Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer weighs in with 4% alcohol, 0 carbs, 0 sugar and 80 calories. Read more »

4
Jan

Review: Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum

Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum was released July 5 2019.  It is one of eleven spirits currently crafted at the Hard Truth Distillery located on 325 wooded acres in Brown County Indiana.  What started in 2015 as a small operation in the upper rooms of a pizza restaurant has grown to a 18,000 square foot state of the art distillery with Vendome Copper & Brass Works equipment.  The success of Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum led to the release of Hard Truth Toasted Coconut Rum Cream in September 2020.  Hard Truth Toasted Coconut starts with their white rum distilled from molasses and pure cane sugar as a base.  They distill the rum at a low proof to maintain the rich deep notes of molasses.  Hand toasted flaked coconut, cane sugar, and natural sea salt are blended before bottling at 42 proof. Read more »

2
Jan

Review: Lift Bridge Hard Seltzer

Lift Bridge Hard Seltzer was launched April 2019.  It is crafted at Lift Bridge Brewing Company in Stillwater Minnesota.  Lift Bridge is named for the Stillwater Lift Bridge that connects Stillwater Minnesota with Houlton Wisconsin over the St. Croix River.  Lift Bridge was founded in 2008 by home brewers Brad Glynn, Dan Schwarz, Trevor Cronk, and Jim Pierson and today they are the 6th largest Craft Brewery in the state of Minnesota.  Today we are reviewing the three flavors sold in the Lift Bridge Hard Seltzer Variety 12 pack.  Those flavors are Lift Bridge Voyageurs, Northwoods Juice Box, and Island Time.  They also produce Lift Bridge St. Croix Berries and Blue Agave Margarita, which are sold in single variety six packs.  Each flavor of Lift Bridge is made with filtered water, alcohol from dextrose sugar, and natural flavors. Read more »

31
Dec

Review: Coastal Creek Peanut Butter Whiskey

Coastal Creek Peanut Butter Whiskey was just released.  It is a private label brand sold exclusively at Total Wine & More.  CEO Steve Jackson sampled half a dozen formulas before selecting his favorite blend.  It is made from a six month barrel aged Kentucky whiskey blended with a natural peanut extract sourced from London.  While Coastal Creek is currently produced in Wisconsin the blending and bottling will soon move to a new distillery in Baltimore Maryland along with several other brands they produce including Ernie Els Iced Coffee, and IC Iced Coffee. Read more »

29
Dec

Review: 2Docks Vodka

2Docks Vodka is crafted at Proof Artisan Distillers in Downtown Fargo North Dakota.  2Docks was the first spirit brothers Jay and Joel Kath released when they opened the distillery in 2015. Their current lineup includes a coffee liqueur, cinnamon whiskey, gin, Old Tom gin, Cream Liqueur, Glen Fargo American Malt Whiskey, Harvest Blend Bourbon, and Crooked Furrow Bourbon.  The distillery was built in a historic building previously occupied by Fargo’s Municipal Court.  A 25 foot copper still named The Judge, is located near the original judges chamber.  2Docks is made from Red River Valley potatoes.  After fermenting a five pass distillation follows.  The finished product is pure and natural without the use of activated carbon, chill filtering, or added sugar. Read more »

27
Dec

Review: The Busker Triple Cask Irish Whiskey

The Busker Triple Cask Irish Whiskey is one of four new expression in The Busker product line that includes all four types of Irish Whiskey.  Those are Single Grain, Single Pot Still, Single Malt, and Blend.  The Busker Triple Cask is made from a high quality single grain and a very high percentage of single malt and single pot still whiskey.  It is triple barrel aged in Marsala casks from Cantine Florio 1833, Spanish Oloroso cask, and American Bourbon casks.  The Busker is crafted at Royal Oak Distillery.  This distillery originally opened June 2016 as the Walsh Distillery.  It was a 50-50 partnership between Bernard Walsh maker of Writers Tears and The Irishman, and Illva Saronna, the Italian Spirit maker of DiSaronno, and Tia Maria.  January 2019 Illva Saronna acquired 100% ownership and renamed the distillery. Read more »

25
Dec

Review: Civic Vodka

Civic Vodka is crafted from 100% North American grown Eastern Sweet Corn.  Once distilled the spirit is charcoal polished 2300 times through a meter of activated charcoal.  Civic is on of four spirits produced and bottled at Republic Restoratives Distillery in the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington DC.  The others include Borough Bourbon, Chapmans Apple Brandy, and Purpose Rye.  The distillery is women owned and crowd funded.  Founders Pia Carusone and Rachel Gardner worked in politics and policy before building the distillery. Read more »

23
Dec

Review: Indigenous Fresh Pressed Apple Vodka

Indigenous Fresh Pressed Apple Vodka is made from 100% Hudson Valley apples grown on orchards less than five miles away from the distillery.  About 80 apples are needed to produce 1, 750ml bottle of vodka.  The apples are juiced into fresh apple cider, fermented, and triple distilled in a hybrid pot column still with 22 plates.  The vodka is hand bottled, unfiltered.  Initially called Heart of the Hudson Vodka when it was first released in 2005, it was the first vodka distilled from apples in the US and possibly the worlds first.  The distillery was built by owners Ralph Erenzo and Brian Lee in 2003 in one of the granaries of the Tuthilltown Gristmill which was built by Selah Tuthill in 1788 and operated for over 200 years.  The Tuthilltown Distillery also produces Hudson Whiskey, the first legal whiskey in the state of New York since Prohibition.  They also craft Indigenous Empire State Wheat Vodka and more recently Indigenous Corn Vodka. Read more »

21
Dec

Review: Willies Superbrew Hard Seltzer

Willies Superbrew Hard Seltzer was started by a surfer and a goat farmer.  It is currently available in 6 flavors.  Three cans of four of these flavors are including in their 12 can variety pack.  Those are Mango & Passion Fruit, Pomegranate & Acai, Pineapple & Lime, and Blueberry & Lemon.  Ginger & Lemon, and Pear & Cinnamon are sold in their own six can packs.  Willies Superbrew is the result of a chance meeting between Nico and Willie who met over a game of beach volleyball over a decade ago.  Eventually Willie shared his prized ginger home brew with Nico.  Soon they started making big batches to sell at local farmers markets.  Every week they would sell out.  From there with help from family, friends and $20,000 from Kickstarter they formed Willies Superbrew.  Each variety is made from water, alcohol from cane sugar, fruit juice, & fruit concentrate.  3% of profits are donated to environmental causes every year.  Last year that money was given to Coral Reef Alliance. Read more »

19
Dec

Review: Mijenta Tequila Blanco

Mijenta Tequila Blanco was launched September 2020.  Former Bacardi CEO Mike Dolan partnered with Maestra Tequilera Ana Maria Romero in crafting the brand.  Mijenta Reposado is currently barrel aging.  Mijenta is inspired by Mi Gente meaning “my people” and refers to a collective mind set.  It is made from 100% agave grown in deep red soil in the Highland region.  Once harvested and hand trimmed the agave is slow cooked and fermented with proprietary yeast strains.  A triple distillation in pot stills follows.  The tequila rests for 45 days prior to bottling unfiltered.  All paper related components including the label and box are made from agave waste. Read more »