WhistlePig Goes Beyond Bonded with 100.1% Farm-to-Bottle, Single Barrel Rye & Bourbon

June 30, 2021 by evebushman

SHOREHAM, VT. (PRWEB) – WhistlePig Whiskey, the #1 distiller in the ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category in North America, celebrates a milestone this Spring with the release of two 100% grain-to-glass whiskeys from the WhistlePig Farm. WhistlePig’s long anticipated FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye is joined by FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon. Both Rye and Bourbon are harvested, distilled, aged and bottled by hand at the WhistlePig Farm and Distillery in Shoreham, Vermont. With Beyond Bonded, WhistlePig defines a new standard of quality that is not only Bottled-in-Bond, but Single Barrel, fully traceable at every step of the Farm-to-bottle journey, and bottled at 100.1 proof, just beyond the Bonded whiskey standard. With just 24 barrels of Rye and 16 barrels of Bourbon in the 2021 release, Beyond Bonded FarmStock Rye and Bourbon are among the most rare and collectible whiskies ever produced from the WhistlePig Farm.

WhistlePig’s FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye is a Straight Rye Whiskey crafted from 100% Remington Rye harvested from the ‘North Orwell 1’ field of WhistlePig’s 500-acre Farm. FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon is a Straight Bourbon Whiskey made with a high rye mash bill clocking in at 51% Dent Corn and 49% Remington and Rifle Rye varietals harvested from ‘North Orwell 1’ and ‘North Orwell 2’ fields. Both whiskeys were distilled on WhistlePig’s original hybrid still, ‘Mortimer’, proofed with water from WhistlePig’s Farm well, and aged for upwards of four years in Vermont Estate Oak barrels which were produced from local Vermont oak. The oldest barrel in the release was aged for four years, 8 months and 14 days.

WhistlePig FarmStock collectors will be able to trace the Farm-to-bottle journey via a unique QR code on the label. Each code reveals thirty unique facts about their individual whiskey, from growing conditions to fermentation days to barrel specs to bottling team.

“Today’s craft spirits drinkers, especially whiskey collectors, are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about process,” says Jeff Kozak, CEO. “After working toward a 100% Farm whiskey vision for more than a decade, our team is proud to invite WhistlePig fans to look under the hood at who, where, when and how our grain-to-glass whiskey is created, and to offer a one-of-a-kind experience from each barrel.”

Beyond Bonded Rye follows WhistlePig’s original FarmStock Rye Crop series, released between 2017 and 2019, blending WhistlePig Farm Rye and other aged Straight Rye Whiskeys. The third and final edition, featuring 52% Farm-to-bottle Rye, will continue to be available alongside the limited release FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye. Beyond Bonded Bourbon takes the whiskey world by surprise as WhistlePig’s first ever Bourbon release, after quietly seeding, harvesting and distilling the grain alongside their Rye varietals and other experimental crops.

Behind the scenes at WhistlePig, you’ll find Distiller Emily Harrison. Beyond Bonded Bourbon is especially close to her heart, having started out in Kentucky’s large bourbon distilleries before discovering her true passion for craft whiskey, and following it to Vermont. Emily leads a team of 4 distillers at WhistlePig Farm and manages the Farm-to-bottle process from the beginning. This includes creating crop plans with WhistlePig’s farmer, checking quality of the mash ingredients and distilled whiskey, and creating schedules for mashing, fermentation and distillation. Emily works closely alongside Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig’s Chief Blender, who in college, after reading an article about a female chemical engineer turned Master Blender, knew that she also wanted to get into the craft spirits industry. At the WhistlePig Farm, Meghan picks up when the barrels are filled, seeing the process through to ensure WhistlePig maintains its award-winning quality and taste.

“Beyond Bonded has been our most ambitious experiment to date. Whiskey making is a labor of love, with challenges at every step of the process” says Emily Harrison, WhistlePig Distiller. “In Vermont, the short growing season and extreme temperatures make for much tougher farming than in the south. After harvest, Rye is a notoriously difficult grain to distill, but we’ve always believed that the benefits of its complexity are well worth the effort. FarmStock Beyond Bonded shows its incredible potential once again, in both Rye and Bourbon. Seeing it leave the Farm is a dream come true.”

Earlier this month, to debut the Beyond Bonded collection, the first ever barrel of Beyond Bonded FarmStock Rye, Barrel No. 0001, was auctioned off at Dana Mecum’s 34th Original Spring Classic in Indianapolis. After whiskey fans across the country bid on Barrel No. 0001, the winning bid resulted in a total contribution of $100,100.00 to Farm Aid.

Hitting shelves across the United States this month, with no barrel or bottle being exactly alike, both Beyond Bonded Rye and Bourbon will be offered with an SRP of $99.99 per 750ml bottle. The next limited release of Beyond Bonded is expected in Spring 2022.

About WhistlePig Whiskey

Founded in 2007, WhistlePig has become the #1 distiller in the ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category in North America, featuring the bold and often untapped flavor of Rye. WhistlePig is leading a surge of innovation in the emerging field of North American whiskey. As the most decorated Rye whiskey – having received the coveted ‘Best in Show Whiskey’ title from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, WhistlePig is widely viewed as the world’s finest Rye. With the opening of its distillery on its 500-acre Vermont farm in the fall of 2015, WhistlePig has also become one of the leading farm-to-bottle Rye whiskeys in the world. For additional information, please visit whistlepigwhiskey.com.

The Award-Winning Lost Explorer Mezcal Brand Expands Distribution Presence in U.S.

June 28, 2021 by evebushman

OAXACA, Mexico/PRNewswire/ — The Lost Explorer Mezcal, an award-winning, sustainably crafted and Oaxacan-cultivated mezcal, announces expanded distribution across the U.S. by partnering with Infuse Spirits Group. Infuse has built a strong distribution network spanning 34 states for their unique single-bottle infused vodkas and unapologetically non-traditional Broken Barrel Whiskey brands. As a part of the agreement, Infuse Spirits Group will lead U.S. sales for The Lost Explorer Mezcal, making inroads in 12 markets by the end of 2021.

Seth Benhaim, founder of Infuse Spirits Group says, “Working with The Lost Explorer Mezcal will open many doors for all brands involved. The undeniable popularity of Mezcal and the unique profile, quality and packaging of The Lost Explorer are perfect compliments to the vodka and whiskey brands we currently sell. There are so many great synergies between our two teams.”

Launched at the end of 2020, The Lost Explorer Mezcal most recently received Double Gold (Salmiana), Gold (Espadin) and Silver (Tobala) recognition from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the most established and influential spirits competition in the world. The brand was also named Taste Master, the prestigious accolade of the best of the best across the tequila and mezcal category, in a competition hosted by The Spirits Business.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Infuse Sprits Group to bring The Lost Explorer Mezcal to even more consumers across the country,” said The Lost Explorer Mezcal CEO Tanya Clarke. “As a new brand entering the growing Mezcal market and gaining recognition quickly, this partnership puts our sustainably-crafted and Oaxacan made Mezcal on the fast track for growth.”

In addition to its direct-to-consumer platform, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is now listed with a variety of e-commerce partners including Caskers.com, ReserveBar and Mercado de Mezcal. The Lost Explorer Mezcal is also available in high-end retailers, restaurants and bar locations throughout California, including Gracias Madre, The Peninsula Hotel, Old Town Tequila and Beverly Hills Liquor & Wine.

The Mezcal is now available in Mexico, the UK and US, and was created in partnership with award-winning Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos and his daughter Xitlali as a premier, earth-centric spirit. For more information on The Lost Explorer Mezcal, visit www.thelostexplorermezcal.com or follow their journey on Instagram @thelostexplorermezcal.

ABOUT THE LOST EXPLORER MEZCAL
Handcrafted from 100% agave cultivated in the sun-soaked Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, Mexico, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is co-founded by David de Rothschild and Thor Björgólfsson, and created in partnership with award-winning Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos and his daughter Xitlali. It is a toast to empowering sustainable Mexican enterprise, while protecting the ancient artisanal craft, heritage, and biodiversity of Mexico. Harvested in harmony with the elements and in tune with the rhythm of nature, the three uniquely profiled varietals – Espadín, Tobalá, and Salmiana – invite people to celebrate the earth and live curiously, exploring the diversity and wonder of the sacred agave.

ABOUT INFUSE SPIRITS GROUP
Infuse Spirits Group [ISG] is based in Los Angeles, California but produces its one-of-a-kind vodkas in North Las Vegas, Nevada and its small batch craft whiskeys in Owensboro, Kentucky. ISG is unlike any other spirits company in the industry, focusing its attention on the diversification and process behind spirits, rather than just the provenance of spirits. In addition to the six current vodka expressions, its Broken Barrel whiskey brands each feature a unique Oak Bill™, which like the “mash bill” describes the barrel stave composition that finishes each whiskey batch. All Broken Barrel whiskeys are finished with various broken cask staves, steeped into the whiskey. ISG’s portfolio is made with passion and purpose and is currently sold in 34 states throughout the U.S. ISG’s brands have received over 70 awards in the past seven years including (3) Double Gold Medals & Best-of-Show at the San Francisco & New York World Spirits Competition.

The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” Beats Established Competitors in Blind Tasting; Rated Best Irish Whiskey Blend

April 10, 2021 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – The Busker, a “new-to-world” Irish Whiskey, is proud to announce that it was named the top Irish Whiskey Blend in a blind, independent tasting of industry experts. The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” was blind-tasted against four leading Irish whiskeys in similar price points, including Proper Twelve, Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore D.E.W. The panel consisted of five renowned industry experts, including Andy Seymour, Julie Reiner, Anu Apte, Sean Kenyon and Jackie Summers. The panel judged each spirit on appearance, nose, aroma and finish. Awarded the highest aggregate score, The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” was recognized as a standout among the judges for its distinctive taste in a world of similar-tasting Irish whiskeys.

“The Busker is unique, unlike any other of the whiskies we tasted,” said Andy Seymour, owner of Liquid Productions and partner in BAR. “All the others were going in the same direction, and this stood out right away. The Busker has a bolder and richer taste that we all immediately picked up on.”

“The Busker is an apple among oranges,” said New York-based Julie Reiner, known for her award-winning beverage programs at Clover Club and Leyenda. “This is a whiskey that bartenders will embrace because it will perform excellently in craft cocktails.” The panel noted that the bold flavors of The Busker make it suitable for sipping as well as for cocktails that might overwhelm less distinctive Irish whiskeys.

The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” combines the Busker Single Grain with a high percentage of The Busker’s Single Malt and Single Pot whiskeys. Matured and finished in three different casks (Bourbon, Sherry, Marsala), this whiskey brings a new definition of richness and smoothness to the Irish whiskey landscape. The flavor profile of The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” blend is ideal for multiple consumption occasions, from sipping neat or on the rocks to classic cocktails that don’t typically use Irish whiskey, like Manhattans, Sours, tiki drinks, Old-Fashioneds or even the Vieux-Carre. These are cocktails that craft bartenders embrace and cocktails that are trending at-home with consumers.

“Our team at The Royal Oak Distillery set out to make an Irish whiskey that would appeal not only to Irish whiskey drinkers, but also to bourbon lovers,” said Ignacio Llaneza, Vice President of Brand & Trade Marketing for Disaronno International in the U.S. “We’re able to achieve a fuller, rounder whiskey with a higher malt content in the recipe, and triple cask finishing in Bourbon, Sherry and Marsala casks. Ultimately, we want to provide a journey into Irish whiskey at an affordable price point. Based on the tremendous feedback from our esteemed judging panel, quite frankly we believe The Busker has the potential to become the preferred Irish whiskey in the United States.”

Jackie Summers, creator of Sorel Liqueur and named Drinks International’s “100 Most Influential Bar Industry Figures” (2020) and Imbibe 75 (2021), noted that “The Busker was the outlier, and the only bottle I would drink and buy again.” Denver-based Sean Kenyon, the person behind award-winning bars Williams & Graham, Occidental and American Bonded and recognized as Tales of the Cocktail’s American Bartender of the Year (2014), agreed, calling The Busker blend “a real stand out, something interesting in the Irish whiskey world where the others go in the same direction.” Anu Apte, behind a number of award-winning Seattle bars including Rob Roy, No Anchor, Navy Strength, Vinnie’s Wine Shop and The Bar Bazaar enjoyed The Busker’s round, soft and integrated notes. “The Busker brings an exciting and very different new distillate to market,” she said.

The blind tasting recognition follows The Busker “Triple Cask Triple Smooth” receiving a “Best Buy” rating and 94 points in the April 2021 issue of Wine Enthusiast. This impressive ranking outclassed the other major whiskey brands, and was the highest-rated Irish whiskey when measured against similar priced competitors.

About The Busker
The Busker is a “new to world” Irish Whiskey that is born out of a modern Ireland, where the contemporary and bold meet at the crossroads of tradition. The Busker is produced at the Royal Oak Distillery, in County Carlow, Ireland, located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. It is the only distillery in Ireland which offers all three classic Irish styles of whiskey – Single Grain, Single Malt, & Single Pot Still, which make The Busker Single Collection. The Busker portfolio also includes The Busker Blend which is a beautiful blend of The Single Collection. The Busker uses different casks during the maturation process of their whiskeys including Bourbon casks, Sherry casks and Marsala casks. Most recently, The Busker took home multiple top accolades at the 2020 LA Spirits Awards: The Busker Single Malt was awarded the 2020 Platinum Medal and Best Irish Whiskey, while the Single Pot Still and Blend were awarded the Gold Medal.

For more information, visit http://www.thebusker.com and join the conversation at @thebusker_official

Evidence mounts that eco-friendly wine tastes better, From a Kedge Expert

March 6, 2021 by evebushman

Consumers have shown that they are willing to pay extra for organic produce grown without pesticides, even if it doesn’t taste better.

That has not been the case for organic wine. Organic-labeled wines generally sell at prices similar to those of non-organic wines. And that’s despite growing evidence that they actually do taste better.

Olivier Gergaud, an economist at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France.

A new study by Magali Delmas, an environmental economist at UCLA Anderson School of Management, and Olivier Gergaud, an economist at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, France, found that organic wines are judged to be higher quality by experts — but that the difference is not just a matter of whether the wines came from organic or conventionally grown grapes.

That is, the difference in quality is apparent for wines that certified organic by a third-party accreditation service, but not for those that are self-labeled by a French wine industry-backed group for using conscientious practices.

Three esteemed wine guides — Gault Millau, Gilbert Gaillard and Bettane Desseauve — scored the third-party–certified wines an average of 6.2% higher than those that were certified organic by an industry-backed group. The findings are based on ratings data for 128,182 French wines that were produced from 1995 to 2015.

Wines that were certified as biodynamic by the third-party association performed even better, scoring 11.8% higher. Biodynamic wines take organic farming a step further, using methods that time planting, trimming and harvests to coincide with seasonal and lunar cycles, and integrating animals for a more complete ecosystem.

“Organic and biodynamic wines showed much higher quality,” Delmas said. “It’s another example of sustainable goods providing additional benefits to consumers.”

The paper, published in Ecological Economics, follows a 2016 study by Delmas aind Gergaud that yielded similar findings for California wines. In that research, critics scored eco-labeled, organic California wines 4.1% better than unlabeled wines — those not certified by a third-party organization as organic or biodynamic.

A biodynamic vineyard near Ukiah, California. Biodynamic farming uses methods that time planting, trimming and harvests to coincide with seasonal and lunar cycles, and integrate animals for a more complete ecosystem.

Delmas conducted the new study on French varietals to understand whether the results would hold in the world’s second-largest wine producing country (after Italy). France’s wine-making traditions date back 2,600 years, and in 2019, the nation produced over 1 billion gallons of wine — enough to fill the 90,000-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena 7.4 times.

Conventionally grown wine grapes use more pesticides than most other crops, Delmas said. That puts the health of farm workers, wildlife and neighboring communities at risk.

The dangers of pesticides’ use in winemaking was highlighted dramatically in 2014, when teachers and students at a rural school in Bordeaux were hospitalized due to exposure to the toxic chemicals. Protests followed, and winemakers faced strong public pressure. The wine industry in France has evolved more rapidly towards organic farming methods since then.

Rather than turning to third parties to certify that their wines are either organic or biodynamic — which would involve inspections and audits to ensure products meet certain criteria — some French winemakers devised their own industry certification standard. In the new study, wines that were self-labeled as having been produced using conscientious practices according to that standard received scores that weren’t measurably different from those of conventional wines.

Overall, more French winemakers are going organic or biodynamic. Among the wines analyzed in the study, just 3.87% of wines were third-party certified as organic or biodynamic from 1995 to 2000; the figure increased to 7.37% for wines produced between 2001 and 2015. Delmas said owners of smaller vineyards don’t want their families and farmworkers exposed to pesticides, and larger vineyards are beginning to follow their lead.

That’s worth clinking glasses about.

“It seems like another step in the right direction,” Delmas said. “Not just for the health and the environment, but for wine quality.”

The challenge of communicating to consumers that organic wines actually taste better, however, is another hurdle. In her 2018 book “The Green Bundle: Pairing the Market with the Planet”. Delmas suggests that wine producers advertise their products’ quality rather than their environmental benefits. And that they communicate that organic and biodynamic practices are actually in line with centuries-old practices — a nod to the fact that the industry is so steeped in tradition — whereas the use of synthetic pesticides didn’t begin until the 1930s.

About Olivier Gergaud :

Olivier Gergaud is Professor of Economics at KEDGE Business School and affiliate researcher at LIEPP in Sciences Po Paris. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Reims, 2000 and an accreditation to supervise research from Sciences-Po Paris, 2009. His research areas are Cultural Economics, Wine Economics, Sports Economics, Economics of Pro-Social Behavior and Restaurants Economics. He has been visiting professor at different European (Sciences Po Paris, Université Libre de Bruxelles) and North American universities (NYU, UCLA, HEC Montréal). He has been awarded several prizes including the President’s prize during the 12th International Conference of the Association for Cultural Economics International (ACEI) and a Certificate of Merit for his Ph.D. from the French Economic Association. Olivier Gergaud has published several papers on different topics in applied economics, some of which appeared in international journals such as Economic Journal, Economic Inquiry, Journal of Portfolio Management, Family Business Review, Journal of Sports Economics, Journal of Wine Economics, Journal of Cultural Economics and got substantial coverage in the media (e.g., The New York Times, The Guardian, The Sunday Telegraph, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Financial Time, Le Monde, France 5, etc.). In addition, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Wine Economics and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Prediction Markets.?

About KEDGE Business School:

KEDGE Business School is a benchmark French business school with 4 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille and Toulon), 3 overseas (2 in China, in Shanghai and Suzhou, and 1 in Africa in Dakar) and 3 partner campuses (Avignon, Bastia and Bayonne). The KEDGE community is made up of 14,800 students (23% of whom are international students), 192 full-time lecturers (45% of whom are international), 201 international academic partners and 70,000 graduates worldwide. KEDGE offers a portfolio of 36 training programmes in management and design for students and industry professionals. It also provides customised educational programmes for businesses at national and international levels. KEDGE Business School is AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA-accredited, and is a member of the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles. It is also recognised by the French government, with officially approved programmes, and is EESPIG-certified. KEDGE is ranked 34st by the Financial Times in the European Business School rankings and 41th globally for its Executive MBA.

kedge.edu

2021 TASTE Hall of Fame Inductees include Gail Simmons, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jon Taffer, Ruth Reichl…

January 27, 2021 by evebushman

LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) – The TASTE AWARDS Committee, celebrating the best in food, fashion, and lifestyle programming on television, film, online and streaming video, on radio and in podcasts, is pleased to announce inductees in the Eighth class of the TASTE HALL OF FAME. Inductees include tastemakers, celebrities, and industry leaders such as Gail Simmons, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jon Taffer, Nigella Lawson, Questlove, Ruth Reichl, and Zendaya.

Eighth year TASTE HALL OF FAME Inductees are selected based on either having received numerous TASTE AWARDS and finalist nominations over the years, or having made a significant impact in the world of taste and broadcast entertainment. Inductees range from television and movies, to online video, radio, and real world experiences.

8th TASTE Hall of Fame Inductees are:

A Taste of Louisiana
Andre Leon Talley
Architectural Digest
Buddy Valastro
Burt Wolfe
Chefs Table
Debi Mazar & Gabriele Corcos
Dining with the Chef
Dwell
Engineer Your Space
Equitrekking
Gail Simmons
Gary Vaynerchuk
Hotel Impossible
House Hunters International
House of Style (CNN)
How Do I Look? (Style Network)
James Charles
Jon Taffer
Kitchen Nightmares
Lucky Chow
Masterchef Latino
Michelle Bernstein
Nigella Lawson
Paint this with Jerry Yarnell
Questlove
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Ruth Reichl
Unwrapped
WatchMojo
Wine Road Podcast
Zendaya

Says TASTE AWARDS Chair, A.K Crump, “We are very proud of this year’s TASTE Hall of Fame inductees and all that they have achieved and contributed. In a normal year we would hold their induction during the annual TASTE AWARDS ceremony and awards show in Beverly Hills. This year it does look like we’ll be doing at least that portion virtually.” The Academy also has announced plans for a live Hall of Fame exhibition in California in fall of 2021.

The Annual TASTE AWARDS have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, Sony Pictures, DreamWorks, TLC, Discovery Communications, Lifetime Network, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, APT, Create TV, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Vimeo, Vice, LiveWell Network, Esquire Network, Bio/FYI Channel, iHeart Radio, HBO, MyxTV, Small Screen Network, StyleHaul, PTA, Zagat, Mode Media, WatchMojo, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Instagram, Facebook, and more.

The viewer appetite and response to food and style programs has surged over the last decade, making them some of the highest watched and sponsored broadcast and broadband content. The TASTE AWARDS spotlight the year’s best achievements in food, fashion, and lifestyle programs on television, in film, online, in podcasts and on radio.

As an awards show and as an industry networking and validation event, the TASTE Awards have launched scores of notable business partnerships and projects for nominees, winners, presenters, and sponsors.

Along with the TASTE Hall of Fame announcement, several association partnerships and sponsorships for the upcoming TASTE Awards include TasteTV, Intermezzo Magazine, SIP For the Love of Drink Magazine, Schiltz Farm’s Roast Goose, PRWeb, SIXTY Beverly Hills, Clubcard Printing, BridalChocolate.com, KRCB, and FilmFreeway. In honor of this year’s TASTE AWARDS, a collab with R&B Cellars has also released an ultra-limited edition fine wine of only 100 bottles called “Domaine de Taste: The Gift”.

For more information about the TASTE Awards, go to http://www.TheTasteAwards.com, as well as get updates on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/TASTEAwards. Previous TASTE HALL OF FAME classes can be seen at http://www.TasteHallofFame.com

Olive Oil Club Enjoys Top 5-Star Rating from Top Consumer Reviews

January 18, 2021 by evebushman

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. (PRWEB) – TopConsumerReviews.com once again awarded their highest ranking to Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, a popular choice among subscription-based Olive Oil retailers.

Olive oil offers many benefits as part of a healthy diet — and it tastes amazing! However, many shoppers aren’t aware that what they buy off their supermarket shelves is rarely fresh, often mixed with less expensive non-olive oils, and probably doesn’t have much of a range in flavors. When it comes to high-quality olive oil, the maxim of “you get what you pay for” holds true: the best oils tend to cost more but deliver an extraordinary taste experience. How can true foodies and aspiring kitchen magicians get their hands on the freshest, purest olive oils available today? The most fun way is through an Olive Oil Club membership. These subscription-based companies go to great lengths to source the world’s best varieties, often produced in small batches by artisanal growers, and many times deliver the products within a month or less of being pressed.

“With Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, you can try a full-sized bottle of premium olive oil for just $1 — starting you on a taste journey you’ll definitely want to continue with their quarterly deliveries,” affirmed Brian Dolezal of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. “As an ‘olive oil sommelier’, Fresh Pressed owner T.J. Robinson travels the world with his team, to find the best harvests for their loyal customers. Subscribers choose between the small and the large set (three 250-mL bottles or 500 mL bottles) which arrive every three months. With each shipment, customers get a detailed newsletter describing each olive oil’s origins, providing recipes and pairings, and offering in-depth knowledge about the olive oil industry. While Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club backs their olive oils with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, customers rarely need to take advantage of it: the quality of the olive oils in this club is exemplary. For all of these reasons, Fresh Pressed Olive Club once again earns our highest recommendation among Olive Oil Clubs in 2020.”

To find out more about Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club and other Olive Oil membership plans, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the Olive Oil Club category of TopConsumerReviews.com at https://www.topconsumerreviews.com/best-olive-oil-clubs/.

About Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club
Fresh Pressed Olive Oil is the creation of “Olive Oil Sommelier” and expert T.J. Robinson, award-winning chef and food journalist. Every year, he and his team travel the world, seeking out only the best-tasting oils and acquiring them for club members during the olive harvest and shipping them by jet to ensure maximum freshness. Every olive oil shipped to club members is fresher, better-tasting and healthier than anything found on store shelves, leading to an 87% renewal rate quarter after quarter.

About TopConsumerReviews.com
TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of reviews and rankings for thousands of consumer products and services. From Olive Oil Clubs to Coffee Clubs and Flower Delivery Services, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier.

Vintage Eve Circa 5/2018: A Trio of 2016 Carmenere

December 22, 2020 by evebushman

I became a fan of Carmenere wines when first introduced to them, most likely via Alex Guarachi of Guarachi Wine Partners when his distribution company was formerly known as TGIC – Thank God it’s Chilean – a decade or more ago. The grape is one of the noble Bordeaux grape varieties and made especially well in the Chilean terroir, in my humble opinion. Today I share my tasting notes of three from the recent 2016 vintage.

Photo of Carmenere grapes from Wine.com

Marques de Casa Concha 2016: SRP $25

Color: Dark purple opaque in color.

Aromas: boysenberry, sweet plums, blackberry, blueberry, stems, mild spice, cigar, coffee grounds, rich.

Taste: big and jammy, spicy, blue to black fruit, tobacco, oak, dark chocolate, espresso.

90 Eve pts.

Casillero del Diablo Reserva 2016: SRP $11

Color: Deep purple.

Aromas: blueberry, blackberry, milk chocolate, coffee, black pepper, balanced.

Taste: tart, bright red fruit but dark fruit and tannins on the back palate that delivered a nice medium length finish.

87 Eve pts.

Serie Riberas Gran Reserva 2016: SRP $17

Color: Purple, dark edge

Aromas: red, blue and black fruit, cloves, mint, black tea, pepper.

Taste: dark and tannic, predominant black fruit, dusty and spicy.

89 Eve pts.

Carmenere Over The Years (Abbreviated facts from Distributor)

Ancient grape variety from Médoc region of France, where it rarely played more than a walk-on role in the pre-Phylloxera (i.e. pre-1867) Bordeaux blend. Possibly a clone of Cabernet Sauvignon (debatable). Prone to coulure (prevents vine buds from flowering) in Bordeaux’s damp, old spring climate; hence, Bordeaux growers opted not to replant in the post-Phylloxera era.

Rediscovered in Chile in 1994 by visiting French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot who, noting the unusual length of time certain portions of Chilean Merlot took to mature, deduced that those vines were in fact Carmenere. It’s thought that Carmenere cuttings from Bordeaux were introduced in Chile in the 1900s and quickly confused with Merlot.

Chile’s long, dry growing season has proven far more conducive to quality, stand-alone Carmenere than Bordeaux’s Médoc, with its damp, chilly spring and early-autumn rains. South of Santiago, Chile’s Cachapoal region and the Peumo area in particular produce the country’s finest Carmenere — a super-finicky grape when it comes to terroir. Carmenere requires a long growing season: in Chile, Merlot is harvested in early March; Cabernet Sauvignon in mid-April; Carmenere, however, is best left on the vine until mid-May.

As its name suggests, Carmenere has a high natural color index, resulting in a crimson-red wine, but it’s equally likely the name refers to the carmine-red foliage of Carmenere vines in the fall.

At its best, a Carmenere is silky, dense, juicy even, with barely perceptible tannins, which is why it was and still often is used to counterbalance other varieties with harder tannins.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

The Diamond of Duality: Tequila Partida Launches Añejo Cristalino

November 30, 2020 by evebushman

NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Tequila Partida is excited to announce the launch of Partida Añejo Cristalino, the latest expression to join Partida’s award-winning portfolio. The portfolio, once described as “simply the finest line of tequilas that money can buy,” by leading spirits authority F. Paul Pacult, currently includes a Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and Extra Añejo. Available nationwide beginning November 2020, the Añejo Cristalino is aged a minimum of 18-months before being naturally filtered through activated carbon, showcasing the complexity of both age and minerality. The Añejo Cristalino follows the launch of Partida Roble Fino, a luxury line of sipping tequilas made in partnership with Edrington’s best in cask management.

“To create Cristalino the right way, the perfect base is needed. We tasted through our portfolio and found that our Añejo retained the most interesting aromas and flavors that typically tend to disappear with longer aging time,” says Maestro Tequilero José Valdez. “With Cristalino, there’s a duality where the flavors of age–chocolate, maple–and the flavors of the field–agave, minerality–meet. This is truly an achievement of cristalino.”

Partida Añejo Cristalino is produced using fully mature blue weber agave cultivated in the Tequila Valley. The freshly harvested agaves are slowly and evenly cooked for 24 hours before they’re aged in white American oak medium toast ex-bourbon barrels for a minimum of 18 months. After the liquid finishes aging, the cristalino is naturally filtered using activated carbon to remove most of the color while still maintaining the aromas and flavors gained through aging. The transparent Añejo is then diluted with demineralized volcanic spring water until 40% ABV.

Silky and delicate with a transparent, full body and light yellow shimmers, Partida Añejo Cristalino offers sweet and woody aromas stemming from its prolonged aging process. After the intense, natural fragrance of vanilla and toasted America oak, a second layer emerges with dry fruits such as raisins, quince and figs. Flavors of butterscotch, agave, vanilla, citrus and banana encapsulate the palate before a gentle, pleasantly dry finish completes the complex tasting experience.

Cristalino is the fastest growing tequila category in Mexico which has helped tequila become the largest spirit category in the country. It’s exponential growth has led to the category’s rise in the US.

Partida Añejo Cristalino will be available nationwide and online at a suggested retail price of $59.99 per bottle.

For more information on Tequila Partida, please contact Andrew Quinzi at Colangelo & Partners (Aquinzi@ColangeloPR.com) and visit: http://www.partidatequila.com/.

About Tequila Partida

Tequila Partida is an authentic, all-natural, estate-grown premium tequila, made from 100% blue agave in the heart of Mexico’s historic Tequila Valley region. From cultivation and harvest to cooking, distillation and aging, Partida maintains exceptional standards of quality and consistency, making Partida “the finest tequila that money can buy,” according to F. Paul Pacult, the leading spirits authority in America. Partida Reposado was recently ranked as one of the top ten spirits of 2019 by the Spirit Journal, the industry’s most respected publication for spirits reviews.

About Edrington

Edrington’s vision is to give more by building the world’s leading portfolio of exceptional super premium spirits. Edrington owns some of the leading Scotch whisky and rum brands in the world, including The Macallan, The Famous Grouse, Highland Park, The Glenrothes and Brugal. Edrington Americas added Tequila Partida to its portfolio in 2017 and Wyoming Whiskey in 2018.

Edrington Americas is headquartered in New York, NY with regional offices in Chicago, Miami and Orange County. To learn more visit https://www.edrington.com, and to find our brands visit https://www.findourspirits.com.

Sampling Single Estate El Sativo Tequila Blanco

November 20, 2020 by evebushman

I have two go-to Tequilas: Cazadores and Asombroso, the former was a gift from my daughter’s fiancé and the latter was one I reviewed that I have since purchased for my liquor cabinet. I’m not much of a tequila-cocktail lover and prefer to sip alone or on ice, and was happy to receive another tequila for review that I could add into my “sipper” category of spirits.

After reading the press release for El Sativo below, I was intrigued by several points it made including the idea that the “terpenes, found in the agave, have a myriad of health benefits, including mood-lifting and energy-boosting attributes”, that they give back to ocean conservancy and are a triple time double gold medal winner. Definitely made me ready to sample.

Tasting Notes

Notes of vanilla bean, heavy sweet cream and toasted popcorn kernel – with no burn whatsoever – on the nose. The taste was smooth yet peppery – so interesting – and flavors reminiscent of buttered popcorn, and that same cream, ending with a spicy finish. Really liked having it both smooth and spicy! Then tried it with a little bit of squeezed lemon and it was like a lo-cal Margarita. This is not a Tequila to shoot! Not so sure about added energy, may have to do further study = drink more!

News Release

EL SATIVO, THE FIRST TEQUILA TO INNOVATE A “ONE OF A KIND” COMPOUND FOCUSED DISTILLATION, MAINTAINING THE BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS IN THE AGAVE

100% Blue Agave – Single Estate – 100% USDA Organic – 100% NON-GMO – Certified OK Kosher

El Sativo, the 2020 Tequila of the Year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, launched this summer. Bottles will be available for purchase at Whole Foods and Total Wine in California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Illinois along with retail stores throughout Texas, more states will be added shortly. El Sativo will debut their offerings with the award-winning Tequila Blanco, with plans to offer a reposado and anejo in 2021. Tequila Blanco will retail between $39.99 – $45.99 for a 750ml.

El Sativo’s co-creators and fourth-generation family of distillers use an innovative distillation process that captures and accentuates the agave plant’s own natural benefits. “These terpenes, found in the agave, have a myriad of health benefits, including mood-lifting and energy-boosting attributes, which is why we transformed our distillation process in order to help maintain their properties,” states co-founder Dr. Robert Summers.

The El Sativo team is committed to improving the environment, helping to build awareness, and pushing to find remedies to help preserve the precious resources of our planet. Translated from Spanish, El Sativo means “Sown in Seeds,” as anything planted, nurtured, and grown is life. Every bottle sold gives back to ocean conservancy. The bottle is made of 100% recycled smart non-combustible glass and has an organic soluble label that is pesticide free.

El Sativo Tequila is certified USDA organic, 100% Non–GMO, Kosher and Eco-friendly.

THE PROCESS

“Our distillery is located in the lowlands of Amatitán, Jalisco; we’re single estate, our agaves are planted, nurtured, and harvested solely in our fields and never sourced. It was important for us to be completely organic, so our cultivation is carried out without pesticides or fungicides, and we only use organic fertilizers. The organic certification process is far more complex and time consuming than the process for common tequila.” says co-founder and singer-songwriter Jaime Whitton.

Using small batch stone ovens, the blue agaves are slowly steamed for 24-48 hours, using no diffusers nor autoclaves. The process pays homage to the art of tequila making by using the traditional technique. Fermenting with its own natural yeast, the team uses reverse osmosis water filtered through 135 feet of volcanic rock for a pure filtration process.

40% ABV, 750ml, NOM 1480

TASTING NOTES: EL SATIVO TEQUILA BLANCO

Bouquet: Opulent bright citrus with sweet agave
Palate: Lift of white pepper and sweet agave with a waterfall of stone fruit savoring on the taste buds Finish: Long, seductive rollercoaster finish.

ABOUT EL SATIVO

Originated by a spirited family with over 25 years in the tequila industry. El Sativo is an innovative tequila that lifts the spirits and stands apart from the crowd. Our sweet agave dances in waterfalls of stone fruit soaking in memorable days and fun-filled nights. El Sativo sets itself apart by utilizing a special distillation method that naturally highlights the agave plant’s precious resources known to have mood lifting and energy boosting attributes that exemplify #SoSativo. A Single Estate masterpiece and the winner of 3 double gold awards, including 2020 Tequila of the Year (San Francisco World Spirits Competition).

El Sativo Tequila is Certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO, OK Kosher and each bottle is 100% smart combustible recycled glass with organic soluble labels. Every bottle sold gives back to ocean conservancy. Truly “A Better Tequila for a Better World.”

…

Website: http://www.elsativo.com/
Instagram: @elsativotequila

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

The “Argument” Wine and Movie! (Eve’s Notes On Both Are Below the News Release)

November 6, 2020 by evebushman

The Argument wine has launched for the perfect wine and movie pairing

The team behind the new comedy movie The Argument (starring Dan Fogler, Emma Bell, Maggie Q, Danny Pudi, Cleopatra Coleman, Tyler James Williams and Charlotte McKinney and directed by Robert Schwartzman) is creating a multi-sensory movie-watching experience with the launch of The Argumentwine, a Sonoma Pinot Noir, to be enjoyed as a bundle with the movie. (Eve’s review of the wine and notes on the film are below, after this press release.)

My bottle and a frozen frame of lead actress Emma Bell in full argument mode.

As enjoying new movies from the comfort of your home becomes the new normal, there’s no better time to pop open a great bottle of wine to enjoy with a great movie, and perhaps some cheese and charcuterie too. Inspired by the film, The Argument wine is the perfect pairing to enjoy alone or with friends, with 3 bundle options to choose from now available for purchase from TheArgumentWine.com.

Filmmaker Robert Schwartzman debuted his third feature film on September 4th in theaters and on-demand. The offbeat American comedy is set in a Los Angeles apartment where Jack (Dan Fogler from the Fantastic Beasts franchise) and his girlfriend, Lisa (Emma Bell from The Walking Dead) get into an argument during a get together with some friends over wine and charcuterie. As the argument escalates, the party comes to an end and all their friends leave — but the party isn’t really over. Jack and Lisa recreate the party over and over again — with all their guests — in order to figure out who was right.

The film also stars Maggie Q (Divergent franchise, Live Free Die Hard), Danny Pudi (Mythic Quest, Community, Star Trek Beyond),Cleopatra Coleman (In the Shadow of the Moon, The Last Man on Earth),Tyler James Williams (Dear White People, Detroit),Charlotte McKinney (Fantasy Island, Flat Liners, Bay Watch), Karan Brar (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Marielle Scott (Lady Bird), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Mope) and Mark Ryder (Borgia).

The Argument wine is a 2019 vintage with fruit harvested from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma County. It was made by winemaker Matt Ahern of The Wonderland Project who notes aromas of Black Cherry, Coriander and Assam Tea.

The wine is sold as a single bottle, two-pack or three-pack with the movie and can be purchased from TheArgumentWine.com.

Watch kit #1 (Wine + Movie) aka “Lisa + Jack”

$35.00 1x Bottle of THE ARGUMENT wine 1x Movie stream

Watch Kit #2 (Wine + Movie) aka “Lisa + Jack, Paul + Trina”

$55.00 2x Bottle of THE ARGUMENT 1x Movie stream

Watch Kit #3 (Wine + Movie) aka “Lisa + Jack, Paul + Trina, Sarah + Brett”

$85.00 3x Bottles of THE ARGUMENT 1x Movie stream

Check out the trailer for The Argument HERE.

From Eve

I was certainly intrigued by the idea of a movie screening paired with wine, in the comfort of my own home! Especially liked the mention of The Argument taking place over the quintessential wine paring: cheese and charcuterie. And instead of a Ground Hog Day-esque film, with the main character not being able to wake up to a new day, this was unpredictable as the arguing couple purposely redo the same evening just to see who the heck was right…in the argument. To make it a wilder ride, they include the same guests and later, a set of actors!

Within a few minutes of the film I hated every character – but wait – that didn’t last long. There were twists I did not expect, some insults but no injury, but don’t worry, I won’t give you any spoilers here. The characters enjoyed a LOT of bourbon, but no red wine. Let me remedy that here with my review:

The nose of The Argument wine was filled with cherry cola (not sweet like the characters), brambly (like some characters), with notes of toasted oak, marshmallow and pine needles. (All of the characters had needling imperfections.)

The taste had that same cherry cola, raspberry, smooth and balanced with a medium length – much like the film at just under 90 minutes. And by the film’s conclusion the argument was over and, I’ll give you this, there was a smooth and happy ending.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.