A Year of Drinks

During 2010, the Lyke2Drink blog committed to chronicle a year's worth of adult beverage enjoyment.

Some drinks were consumed with friends, others were tasted solo while researching articles. Some were purchased while on the road, others were shipped to me by brewers, vintners and distillers looking for coverage. Whether they were sipped at a festival or enjoyed during a dinner with my family, the task of making sure I had a new drink to review for each and every of the 365 days of the year was both challenging and rewarding.

Looking back over the 365 drinks, there were 228 different beers, 62 wines, 63 spirits, 6 cocktails, 4 ciders and 2 sakes. There were too many good drinks to try to name favorites. If you put me in a corner and said pick some of the best from each category, I would have to say that it really comes down to a few experiences along the way.

In the Beer category, it is nearly impossible to beat the September afternoon at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. Jolly Pumpkin Biere de Goord was one highlight, the beer that was brewed to help raise awareness and funds for the Pints for Prostates campaign. Among the 26 beers poured that day were some truly rare brews, including three that are single day release big beers that could be sipped just feet from one another: Big Sky Barrel-Aged Ivan the Terrible, Three Floyds Dark Lord  and Foothills Sexual Chocolate.

In Spirits, having the chance to taste two new Bourbon releases at the distilleries was pretty special, particularly when Bill Samuels Jr. was the host for Maker’s Mark 46  and Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris conducted the tasting of the Woodford Reserve Master's Collection.

In Wine, some bottles enjoyed with my wife that reminded us of earlier winery visits. These included Hermann Wiemer Semi-Dry Riesling, Dr. Konstantin Frank Fleur de Pinot Noir, Kathryn Hall 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Louis Martini 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and  Raffaldini La Dolce Vita.

On the “unique” side of things, there was bacon used in vodka and beer; the Bolivian liqueur made from the same raw ingredients used to produce cocaine and the Ohio wine made from a nearly extinct grape variety. Memorable drinks came in the form of a four beer anniversary series from Sierra Nevada, some great cocktails and a number of good wines. But quality is a common thread that unites the drinks of 2010, like Anchor Christmas Ale, Olde Mecklenburg Bauern Bock, Firestone 14 Annivewrsary Ale, Ledson 2009 Carneros Chardonnay , Highland Park 25 Year Old, Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and Germain-Robin Coast Road Reserve.

With Day 365 Drink, this feature of the blog is being retired. But Lyke2Drink will bring back the weekly “Tuesday Tastings” review segment during January. This blog has been around since 2006 (which is almost ancient when it comes to the drinks blog world) and we are approaching 1,500 total posts. Our plan during 2011 is to take a slightly new focus for Lyke2Drink. This approach will encompass a part of the drinks culture that the blog has touched upon from time to time in the past -- a vibrant and fertile topic that few other outlets really thoroughly cover. In this way we hope to remain relevant to readers and enhance the usefulness of this blog in helping you enjoy the best beer, wines and spirits.

Visit Lyke2Drink in the coming weeks and see where this new direction takes us on our drinks journey.

Day 362 Drink: Isle of Jura Superstition Single Malt

The Isle of Jura is just seven miles long and 30 miles wide, but the island has a distillery that makes single malts. Distilling has been taking place on the island since the 1600s, but it had been nearly a century without whisky when the modern distillery opened in 1963.

George Orwell came to Jura in 1946 to write. The result was the novel 1984, which has spawned more than a few college term papers.

Isle of Jura Superstition is a 90 proof single malt. The name comes from the legend that Isle of Jura distillers believe it is unlucky to cut peat during April. Isle of Jura Superstition is a mahogany colored Scotch with a a slightly sweet almost maple nose. The flavor has a good backbone of spice, oak and some nice honey notes in the finish.

Day 350 Drink: Evan Williams Single Barrel 2001 Vintage

Heaven Hill Distilleries has been making whiskey in Bardstown, Kentucky, since 1934. They recently filled their 6 millionth barrel of whiskey on the 75th anniversary of the day that they filled their first barrel.

One of my favorite Bourbons from Heaven Hill is the Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which they have released for 16 straight years. Heaven Hill Master Distiller Parker Beam and his son, Craig, select whiskey for the vintage from among Heaven Hill’s 900,000 barrels of aging Bourbon. At around $26 a bottle, it is one of the best values you will encounter in a Bourbon.

Evan Williams Single Barrel 2001 Vintage is an 86.6 proof Bourbon that is a tarnished copper color with a rich vanilla nose. The flavor is round and inviting. It's not as sweet as the nose suggests, with plenty of wood, some spice that dances across the palate, toffee and a long finish.

Day 347 Drink: Benedictine Liqueur

Benedictine Liqueur was created in 1510 by the Venetian monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli in the Abbey of Fécamp in France. The liqueur is made from 27 plants and spices and only three people are allowed to know the recipe to the drink at any one time.

The liqueur is celebrating its 500th anniversary with special packaging, but the liquid inside is the classic. It is distilled in four batches, two of which have vanilla and lemon peel added for flavor. After aging separately, the batches are combined and then aged for another eight months. Then saffron, Cognac, honey and caramel are added before an additional four months of aging.

Benedictine Liqueur has a sweet, warming layered flavor. You can certainly taste the honey and there is a mild lingering herbal character. Benedictine can be used in several classic cocktails and it is also great for sipping after dinner.

Day 342 Drink: Busnel Fine Calvados

The French have had apple orchards and made cider for centuries. Since the 1500s, apple brandy has been distilled. Calvados was given name protection in 1942 by the appellation contrôlée and three regions can now make the drink.

Busnel Calvados has been produced at the Distillerie Busnel in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy since 1820. Sixteen pounds of apples are used to distill each 750 milliliter bottle of Busnel Fine Calvados, which is aged for at least 2 years in oak.

Busnel Fine Calvados is an 80 proof brandy that pours a tarnished brass color and has a fruit and oak nose. The flavor starts with a warming sensation that opens to a slightly bitter apple skin note, which mellows into a long finish.

Day 341 Drink: Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Plata

Distilling has been going on in Mexico for nearly as long as Scotch has been made. Most people are familiar with Tequila, which must be made in the state of Jalisco around the town of Tequila. Mezcal is also made from agave, but does not have the same geographic restrictions. There are other native spirits to Mexico. Sotol is one example, made using the Dasylirion wild agave.

Hacienda de Chihuahua Sotol Plata is a white spirit with an incredible aromatic nose of sweet floral notes with an earthy undertone. The flavor is a bit of a surprise given the aroma. The sweetness is very faint, with more of a fresh cut green grass and agave flavor base. You can tell that Sotol is a cousin of Tequila, but the wild nature of the agave is very evident.

Day 334 Drink: Conjure Cognac

Conjure Cognac uses a blend of VS, VSOP and XO brandies made from the ugni blanc grape from several Cognac regions, including Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderie. The project combines the talents of Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and third generation master blender Philippe B. Tiffon.

The color is a rich cherry wood with an aroma that melds oak, almonds and a hint of peach skins. The flavor is a layered mix of tobacco, spice and toffee in a smooth package. The flavor lingers nicely.

Day 333 Drink: Highland Park 25 Year Old

Highland Park started making whisky in 1798. The distillery is located in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, the most northern distillery in Scotland. That by itself would make it of interest to Scotch enthusiasts, but the distillery is noteworthy for other things. Highland Park has received many awards for its single malts and it is also a key ingredient in the blend of The Famous Grouse.

Highland Park 25 Year Old Single Malt is a slightly amber gold color and has an oak and mocha nose. The 96 proof whisky is a wonderful combination of honey, spice, smoke and hazelnut. Complex, sweet and smooth, this spirit has a long finish with bits of peat, heather and vanilla that emerge.

Day 330 Drink: El Zarco Tequila

El Zarco has just started to be imported into the U.S. by New York-based Proximo.

El Zarco Tequila has a rich agave nose for a silver tequila. The 80 proof Tequila is pretty smooth, with an aroma that features earthiness, agave and grass notes. There is just a hint of smoke in the finish.

Day 329 Drink: Laird's Apple Jack

William Laird emigrated to what is now New Jersey from Scotland in 1698. He soon started to distill a brandy using the most abundant fruit available in the area, apples. Later, Robert Laird supplied George Washington's troops with applejack.

Applejack was a commodity in rural areas during the first 100 years of this country. It was made for home consumption and could also be sold and traded.

Laird's Applejack is made with 35 percent apple brandy and 65 percent grain neutral spirit. It is the color of Bourbon and has a slightly oaky nose. The 80 proof spirit has a rum like base, with a touch a toffee in the midst of a long finish. There is a good peppery note that also comes through.

Day 328 Drink: Banks 5 Island Rum

Joseph Banks Rums Corp. launched Banks 5 Island Rum in August 2010. Named for English naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, Banks 5 Island Rum combines aged and unaged, pot and column-distilled rums including mature Trinidadian rum, aromatic Jamaican rum, grassy Guyanese rum, clean Barbados rum and Indonesian Batavia arrack.

Banks 5 Island Rum is a clear 86 proof rum with a tropical nose. The rum has more depth than most white rums you will encounter. There is a unique spice quality to the flavor base -- ginger perhaps -- and a just a fleating sense of smoke in the finish.

Day 324 Drink: Angel's Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Angel's Envy Bourbon is the work of Lincoln Henderson, a well respected master distiller, and his son Wes. They have formed a new distillery, the Louisville Distilling Co. Henderson spent several decades at Brown-Forman, helping to launch the Woodford Reserve label.

Angel's Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon 10/10 Expression is a 86.6 proof whiskey, which blends 40 percent Port-barrel finished spirit. Angel's Share has a sweet nose with hints of toffee. The whiskey has a bright amber golden color. The flavor has quite a bit of depth. There is a lively fruity base that brings the drink forward. The wood is clearly present in Angel's Envy and the Port finishing adds an appealing note.

Day 314 Drink: Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha

Kahlúa is the world’s number one selling coffee liqueur. Kahlúa originated in Mexico in 1936 and is made with 100 percent Arabica coffee beans grown in the foothills of Veracruz and blended with a sugarcane spirit.

In recent years, Kahlúa has launched special flavor offerings for the holiday season. Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha will be available for about three months, through the end of December.

Kahlúa Peppermint Mocha is a 40 proof liqueur that pours a coffee brown color and has a peppermint nose. The flavor is a sweet combination of coffee, peppermint and a touch of chocolate in the finish. A nice holiday flavored drink perfect for the end of a meal.

Day 312 Drink: Harlem Kruiden Liqueur

Haarlem is a town outside of Amsterdam, Holland. Harlem Kruiden Liqueur is a Dutch spirit named for the town, even if the name is anglicized.

The ingredients in this liqueur are a secret combination of herbs and the makers urge you to serve it ice cold. So there is a shooter component to this drink, along with cocktail options.

Harlem Kruiden Liqueur is 80 proof and pours a cola-like color. The nose is a slightly sweet medicinal mixture of aromas. The flavor is sweeter than you would expect when compared to other herbal liqueurs. The dominant note is orange peel, with a sweet edge and a finish that has a balancing bitterness.

Day 311 Drink: Citadelle 2010 Reserve Gin

Citadelle Gin is distilled in France using pot stills that are normally used to make Cognac. The gin uses 19 different botanicals and comes in a standard and reserve vintage variety.

Citadelle 2010 Reserve Gin is an 88 proof spirit aged for several months in old oak casks. It has just a slight hint of color, but the aroma is a full on floral and spice assault. The botanicals really come through in the flavor of this gin. I don't pick up much wood, but the distillery says the flavor is mellowed a bit.

Day 310 Drink: Plantation Grande Reserve Rum

Plantation Rum is distilled in Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Grenada, Trinidad, Guyana and Nicaragua and aged for a period of time, then shipped to France where the cellar master at Cognac Ferrand transfers the liquid to small French oak casks.

Plantation Grande Reserve Rum is aged for five years in ex-Bourbon barrels in Barbados, then shipped to France. The 80 proof rum has has a sweet nose. The flavor is pretty complex for a 5-year-old rum. Nice oak and vanilla upfront, tropical notes and a faint nutty finish.

Day 309 Drink: Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac

Pierre Ferrand is located in the heart of Grande Champagne, considered the Premier Cru de Cognac. The chalky soil and climate make it the perfect location for growing grapes to make Cognac. The distillery makes a range of Cognacs, starting with Ambre up through the Collection Privee, a selection of aged brandies.

Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac is a slightly amber tinted golden color. It has a floral nose with a vanilla base. The base flavor has pear skin, apricots and solid oak around the edge. This is a nice Cognac to have as an digestif or for mixing in a cocktail.

Day 307 Drink: Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve

Glen Garioch is a Highland maker of single malt Scotch whisky. The distillery is located in the town of Oldmeldrum, which is 18 miles outside of Aberdeen. The distillery was founded by John Manson in 1797.

Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve is a light golden color and offers an aroma that combines slightly sweet butterscotch and nutty tones. The flavor is oak forward, but as you linger over the drink there is some sharp ginger, vanilla and green apple that emerges. This Scotch finishes very dry.

Day 303 Drink: Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion Vodka

Finlandia Vodka is made from pure glacial spring water and six-row barley grown in Finland. Finlandia uses the peel and pulp of pink grapefruits in the 100 percent natural flavoring of Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion Vodka.

Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion Vodka is a crystal clear vodka. The nose is exactly what you smell when you break open the peel of a fresh grapefruit. The flavor delivers a very true fresh citrus experience. Tart, yet with sweet fruit around the edges. A very nice cocktail mixer.

Day 293 Drink: Gosling's Family Reserve Old Rum

Gosling's has been making rum since 1806. Gossling's Black Seal Rum is a liquid symbol of Bermuda. A family business for two centuries, Gosling's is the leading export from the island nation.

Gosling's Family Reserve Old Rum is a rich amber color and has an attractive maple nose. The flavor is big and rich. Sweet baking spices, plum and some wood pushes forward. Not a light rum for a fruity cocktail, this one should be sipped and savored.