Published in July 2008

Wines, Spirits and Beers published in the July 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

Sort By:

BenRiach Madeira Wood Finish 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Price $95

After the first rush of alcohol the spirit diminishes, leaving behind big, accessible smells of grain, malt, light caramel, light fudge and almond butter. Entry is big flavored and spirity, with upfront tastes of marshmallow, buttercream, egg cream, dark chocolate, nougat and vanilla bean. Luscious; a Speyside classic. — P.P. (7/1/2008)

96-100

points

BenRiach Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Price $95

Heady aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa butter, cream sherry, dates, black raisins and sweet barley malt. Entry tastes include honey wheat bread, prune Danish and lots of honey; by midpalate the taste profile increases, as hardy flavors of marzipan, treacle, blackberry preserves, cherries covered in dark chocolate and orange-flavored chocolates bombard the taste buds… — P.P. (7/1/2008)

96-100

points

BenRiach Tawny Port Wood Finish 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky

Price $95

A more austere and citrusy bouquet than the previous two BenRiachs, with latent smells of oak, vanilla, nutmeg and old leather. Entry is satiny, plummy sweet, and ripe; the midpalate is deep-running, concentrated, chocolaty and honeyed. Ends masterfully in a velvet rush of sweet oakiness, cocoa and cake frosting. — P.P. (7/1/2008)

96-100

points

Bruichladdich Rocks Islay Single Malt Whisky

Price $47

The inviting bouquet offers aromas of fruitcake, banana nut bread, sweet malt, crispy pork rind, sweet oak, vanilla, red grapes and blackberry jam. Entry is sweet and grainy; at midpalate the taste profile suddenly bursts with red fruit presence and oaky vanilla. Finishes clean as a whistle, chewy and concentrated. — P.P. (7/1/2008)

96-100

points

Chauffe-Coeur Hors d’Age Calvados

Best Buy

Price $40

The complex bouquet offers layers of scents of very toasty, baked apple, pie crust, spicy and resiny, rancio notes, walnut meat, butterscotch and hard cheese. Entry tastes like caramel-covered apple, baked apple with cinnamon, and honey; the sweetness increases at midpalate as the flavor becomes succulent, creamy and buttery. Hint of rancio in the finish. Wonderful. — P.P. (10/1/2008)

96-100

points

Poli Miele Honey Liqueur

Online Exclusive

Price $35

A curiously old-fashioned spirit, within an old-fashioned wine bottle with a tall, skinny neck topped with a swing-line cap. The yellow-tinged liqueur is botanical and citrusy up front, with grappa-like heat fading into a creamy honey note. — K.N. (10/1/2012)

points

Goldeneye 2005 Confluence Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)

Price $75

The vineyard has been the source to some of Goldeneye’s deepest, most profound wines, and the ’05 certainly is big and cellar-worthy. It’s somewhat tannic, and very deep in black cherries and blackberries, with rich complexities of figs, dusty spices and smoky oak. The power of this wine is considerable, yet it somehow retains the light silkiness of great Pinot Noir. — S.H. (7/1/2008)

points

Livio Felluga 2004 Picolit (Colli Orientali del Friuli)

Online Exclusive

Price $100

An intriguing, fabulous dessert wine. The aromas are complex, intense and balanced on a tightrope: mature peach, honey, wet stone, peppermint and delicate mineral nuances. Picolit is an indigenous grape that suffers from a unique disorder in which a good number of berries on each cluster never mature. The remaining berries become concentrated in rich flavor and… — M.L. (7/1/2008)

2009 Mira Hyde Vineyard

The esteemed Hyde Vineyard is in Carneros, and is the source for some…

(Sponsored)