2022 Vint Merlot Robert Mondavi Private Selection

 

One of the rewards of writing about and reviewing wines from all over the world, is the satisfaction we take knowing that not all wines have to be a one-hundred fifty dollar, ninety-five point, single estate stunner.  Since 2011, we have maintained that we write about wines of all varietals and price points with an emphasis on, "if we like the wine, then you will see it here."  And the wine we are discussing today is a perfect case in point.

This is the 2022 Vint California Merlot from Robert Mondavi.  This bottle was born to commemorate thirty years of the Robert Mondavi Private Selection series, which is more of an "every day budget concious" offering that is still full of flavors and attention to detail from the Mondavi winery.  Raspberry jam colored and medium bodies. Aromas of black cherry, plum and whisps of campfire smoke lay a foundation to the straighforward flavors.  Blackberry, coffee bean, vanilla, brown sugar and mild spices play well together, creating a satisfying wine that would be complimentary to a wide variety of foods.  For those who don't drink wine with food, this would be a great place to start.  This wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak barrels.  

The Robert Mondavi Private Selection is a great way for newer oenophiles to dip their toe into the winery's offering and we think most people will be satisfiled with this bottle.

ABV:  13.5%

Central Coast, California

Winery:  Robert Mondavi Winery

Suggested retail price:  $12.99

Drink The Bottles score:  86/100

Bardstown Bourbon Releases Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish

 

Bardstown Bourbon Scales Centuries Through Latest Distillery Reserve Launch,

Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish

The once forbidden flavor of Calvados casks now awaits discovery through limited-edition distillery exclusive

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (November 18, 2025) - Providing that there is nowhere Bardstown Bourbon Company won't go to push the boudaries of whiskey innovation, the latest launch from the brand's Distillery Reserve is an elevated marriage of French tradition and American craft.

Once forbidden by the Master of State Jean-Baptiste Colbert to protect the French wine brandy trade, cider eua-de vie, Calvados, made the journey from the white chalk cliffs of Noramndy to the home of bourbon innovation, Bardstown Bourbon Company, resulting in a decadent and unexpected blend aptly named Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish.

This release emphasizes Bardstown Bourbon's promise to push the boundaries of traditional whiskey production, crafting bespoke products through experimental finishes, extended aging and uncommon blending.  Nowhere is this approach more evident than through the Distillery Reserve.  Extremely limited in quantity and packaged at 375mL, Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish is the third and final Distillery Reserve release of 2025.  Previous small-batch explorations in the series include Cathedral French Oak and Hokkaido Mizunara Oak, each distinctly showcasing how relentless innovation and global curiosity fuel the brand's rapid growth.

"Three generations of meticulous craftsmanship and nearly 300 gold medals have made Christian Drouin House and icon of Calvados," said Dan Callaway, Master Blender, Lofted Spirits.  "Over the course of the past two years, these five barrels have become the apple of my eye - the most attention per barrel project aging in Bardstown.  The result:  a cross-continent conversation in a glass that bridges centuries of tradition on both sides of the Atlantic."

Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish is a tasting experience borne of curiosity.  Each 59-gallon Calvados cask was filled with a custom bourbon blend of stock aged between 12 and 13 years.  After a 28-month slumber, the whiskey settled into new, medium-toast American white oak, coaxing out layers of caramel, spice and roasted almond.  The result is an elegent confluence of crisp orchard fruit and velvety bourbon sweetness accented by gentle wood smoke and a whisper of vanilla.

Bardstown Bourbon's Distillery Reserve launced in February of this year to much fanfare with the Cathedral 300-Year-Old French Oak featured on 60 Minutes, and continued with Hokkaido Mizunara Oak finish, awarded as Best Bourbon in both Rolling Stone and Esquire's 2025 Spirit Awards.

Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish Distillery Reserve is presented at 104.2 proof (51.2% ABV) and is avaiable in extremely limited quantities at Bardstown Bourbon's distillery gift shop and Louisville Tasting Room beginning Black Friday, November 28, 2025.  Distillery Reserve releases are offered in a small format 375mL and retail for $99.99.

Bardstown Bourbon Company will host a digital raffle allowing a number of bourbon fans the opportunity to purchase all three 2025 Distillery Reserve releases including Cathedral French Oak and Hokkaido Mizunara Oak, and will offer tasting experiences with Master Blender, Dan Callaway.  Details about these offerings will be available exclusively through Bardstown Bourbon's email list.  For more information fans can sign up at BardstownBourbon.com.

Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof Joins the Buffalo Trace Distillery Portfolio

FRANKFORT, KY (November 12, 2025) – Buffalo Trace Distillery is proud to introduce Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof as a permanent addition to its growing Sazerac Rye portfolio. Bottled at 125 proof, this bold new release emerges from the Distillery’s recent expansion and amplifies the brand’s signature spicy, peppery, and dry profile to create a sipping whiskey with remarkable intensity. 

Born out of the spirit of New Orleans, Sazerac Rye Whiskey captures the character of the city: bold, timeless, and unapologetically original. The brand has evolved from a bartender’s best-kept secret into a connoisseur’s staple, with the original 90 proof and the recently launched 100 proof expressions celebrated for their distinctive spice and dry complexity. The addition of Full Proof offers a full-bodied expression crafted for sipping and savoring, highlighting the versatility of Sazerac Rye while reflecting Buffalo Trace Distillery’s commitment to delivering exceptional whiskey experiences for enthusiasts at every stage of their rye journey.

“Rye whiskey is the perfect next step for whiskey drinkers looking for more flavor. Sazerac Rye’s unique, balanced, Kentucky-style recipe makes it the brand whiskey drinkers have trusted for years,” says Andrew Duncan, Global Brand Director at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Sazerac Rye Full Proof amplifies the brand’s floral notes of vanilla and clove, along with fruity hints of orange, with just a touch of pepper, proving that rye whiskeys aren’t just great in cocktails—they shine on their own.”

A result of Buffalo Trace Distillery’s $1.2 billion expansion, Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof continues the Distillery’s legacy of innovation and craftsmanship. The addition of new still houses and enhanced distilling capacity enables great production of its core bourbon and rye whiskeys, while also exploring bolder proofs and distinctive flavor profiles that push tradition forward.

“We’re excited to bring another full proof option to fans after they’ve expressed their love for our W.L. Weller and Benchmark full proof offerings,” remarks Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “Our expansion is ten years in the making, and it’s rewarding to see how it’s already allowing us to create more of these whiskeys while maintaining the quality our fans expect.”

Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof opens with bold aromas of rye spice, fresh dill, and smoky oak, immediately signaling its intensity and depth. On the palate, it delivers a surprisingly smooth sweetness up front, followed by floral and herbal notes, supported by rich oak and classic rye grain character throughout. The finish is lightly peppery with a late rye spice that gently lingers, presenting warmth and complexity without being overwhelming.

Sazerac Whiskey Rye Full Proof will be available in select markets beginning November 2025 at select retailers, bars, and restaurants for a suggested retail price of $39.99 per 750ML bottle (taxes and fees vary by market) via Sazerac’s United States distributor networks.

2022 Cline Cellars Eight Spur Zinfandel

 

From Cline Cellars and the Dry Creek Valley Appellation comes the 2022 Eight Spur Zinfandel.  Dry Creek Valley is one of the oldest growing regions in California and the Zinfndel vines resemble small trees that are spur pruned to eight canes, hence the name of this affordable and completely approachable wine.  Coming in at 15% alcohol by volume, the 2022 release is showing off some ripe red raspberries, cranberry and baking spice aromas.  The palate is full of sweet and sour cherry candies, plum, sage, beef stake tomato and sweet spices on the finish.  This is a straightforward and tasty Zinfandel that is very versatile and would pair very well with braised short ribs, a bold blue cheese or even a burger and fries.  This wine is very food friendly with an MSRP of only $35.00 you really can’t go wrong here.  This, in our opinion, is a solid 90-point wine all day long.

The 2023 release is currently available on the Cline Cellars website.  While we have not tasted that particular release, we can bet that it is as equally tasty as the 2022 vintage.  We will tell you that we have never tasted anything from Cline Cellars that wasn't top notch!

Cline Cellars was founded by Fred & Nancy Cline in 1982.   Their portfolio of businesses is impressive and includes a wide array of exceptional products and experiences that we think you’ll enjoy.   If you’re not familiar with the story and history of Cline Cellars, visit ClineCellars.com.

ABV:  15.0%

Dry Creek Valley AVA

Winery:  Cline Family Cellars

Suggested retail price:  $35.00

Drink The Bottles score:  90/100

Barrell Craft Spirits 12 Year Bourbon French Oak Finish

We are suckers for age-stated whiskeys so when we received a sample of this Barrell Craft Spirits 12 Year Bourbon French Oak Finish we leapt at the opportunity!  It's no secret that we have been fans of BCS for several years, way back when we dubbed Seagrass Rye in our top 5 favorite rye expressions - ever.  The concensus was that we suspsected this bottle would be nothing short of incredible, and we were not disappointed.  This whiskey was distilled and sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Wyoming and then finished in French Oak barrels with varying toast levels.

Aged copper penny in appearance, this bourbon immediately oozes ageworthy aromas of well-weathered saddle leather, antique butter churn, dried herbs, cinnamon stick and fresh baked bread.   There is so much going on here, and between both of us tasting this bottle, we probably came up with close to twenty separate aromas, but had to settle on the aforementioned as we felt they were most dominant.

Mouth-watering and inviting, the palate brought us roasted nuts, tons of dried spices that reminded us of Christmas seasonal baking, graphite, dried peppers and cinnamon streusel topping.  You get rewarded with a long and very lingering finish that is satisfying and scrumptuous!  We are going to go back and taste this again with a couple of drops of water to see what other flavors make an appearance!

For reference, we tasted this neat in a Glencairn from a 100mL sample.

Barrell Craft Spirits proves again why they have set themselves apart from everyone else in the blending and finished whiskey world!

Check out our previous post about this hazmat Triple Rum Cask finished whiskey too!

ABV:  54.25%  (108.5 proof)

Distillery:  Barrell Craft Spirits

Suggested retail price:  $159.99

Drink The Bottles score:  95/100

 

Barrell Craft Spirits Triple Rum Cask Finished Whiskey

Attention all hazmat enthusiasts - check this out!   This is the brand new release from Barrell Craft Spirits - the Triple Rum Cask Finished Whiskey - and it is an absolute banger!  When we were offered a sample of this new release, we couldn't wait to get our hands (lips?) on this one.  For those who may not be familiar, any spirits with a proof of 140-plus is commonly referrred to lovingly as a "hazmat" bottle.  Some of these can burn your face off, but this one?  Well, this one doesn't drink like a 70%-plus ABV bottle and it is just stunning!  The picture above is for reference only.

The 100mL sample bottle is what we tasted this from - neat from a Glencairn, of course.  A little back story on this uniquely-blended whiskey tells us that it was distilled and sourced from Indiana, Tennessee and Canada.  The Canadian blend likely provides the lighter color than what you would see if this was a straight USA sourced product.  Some of the barrels used in this blend were aged for as much as 25 years.  Yes, you're reading that right!  That in of itself is a little mind-blowing.

The whiskeys selected for this blend were finished in Caribbean rum casks from Jamaica, Barbados or Saint Lucia before blending into the final product we have here.  Light golden in color, we allowed this to breathe in some room air for the first taste and eventually added a couple drops of water to see what further flavors developed.  

On the nose is a fresh spring floral bouquet, joined by strawberry jam, island fruits and vanilla cream.  On the palate was more fresh flowers, roasted cashew, sugary corn flakes, clove, baking spices and rum cake.  There is a buttery goodness that finishes with cherry cola and citrus fruits.  This one lingers for moments and invites you back for another sip.  Absolutely delicious!

Well, would you look at that!  What's this 12 Year Sample Bottle?  Stay tuned!

ABV:  71.12% (142.24 proof)

Distillery:  Barrell Craft Spirits

Suggested retail price:  $199.99

Drink The Bottles score:  94/100

 

Johnny Pickles Distillery Red Stinger Hibiscus Whiskey

 

Earlier this year, we accidentally stumbled across Johnny Pickles Distillery out of Texas and we were immediately intrigued by what they were doing.  First and foremost, Jeff was a firefighter for over twenty years and when he saw the distillery's home, the decomissioned Austin Street Fire Station, he knew he had to dig further.  If you haven't seen it, go to their website and if you're a 50's-something kid-at-heart, you'd swear you are back on the set of the 1970's TV show Emergency.

The second thing that caught our eye was that this small distillery was determined to use local grains in their spirits and we always have mad respect for people who don't overlook the details.  The Texas heat allows for a shorter aging process and delicious results of the uniquely named bottles that Johnny Pickles is bringing to market.  This particular whiskey is made from 100% local corn.  Love it!

When the good folks at Johnny Pickles Distillery sent us their Red Stinger Hibiscus Whiskey to taste, we honestly didn't know what to think.  This was one of the most unique spirits we had ever laid eyes on and we were certainly fascinated!

First of all, check out the amazing, rich color of this whiskey.  It's absolutely gorgeous and reminiscent of a Merlot wine.  The viscosity of this spirit is comparable to a ruby Port wine, and since we are Port lovers, we knew this would be a great fit for us.  On the nose are chocolate bits, dusty library books and sour cherry chewy candies.  Mouth-coating and medium sweetness from start to finish.  There's a sweet and sour Asian fusion feel here, joined by sweet red fruits, herbaceous undertones and a finish that brings Sweet Tart candy to mind.  

You don't find too many truly (what we would call) dessert whiskeys.  But this one fits that category and it would likely pair beautifully with a mild cigar if that is your thing.  

ABV:  40.0% (80 proof)

Distillery:  Johnny Pickles Distillery

Suggested retail price:  $26.99

Drink The Bottles score:  89/100