Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1050740
november 2018 / the tasting panel / 69 SPIRITS Broken Top Bourbon Whiskey, USA ($35) Located southeast of The Three Sisters mountains, Broken Top is nestled in Oregon's Cascade Range. This blend of American corn, rye, and barley comes in at a proof of 87.5 and offers up a nose of caramel, rancio, walnut, and dried apricots. Mouth-filling and unctuous, the weight of this concen- trated and lush spirit coats the tongue with a swath of tangerine nectar and roasted coffee. 94 CASCADE STREET DISTILLERY On The Rocks Premium Cocktails The Old Fashioned, USA ($13/375 mL) This is a 70-proof cock- tail in a bottle featuring premium packaging and liquid. As a partner with Beam Suntory, OTR uses Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey as its base, and with the addition of bitters and other natural flavors, this pre-mix knocks it out of the park, the bar, and the retail shelf. It's a delicious, bar-quality interpre- tation of a classic drink. 94 Frankly Organic Apple Vodka, USA ($22/1.5 oz.) With flecks of organic ginger root floating in a corn-vodka base, this 60-proof spirit exudes clean, fresh, and authentic aromas. Ginger shadowed by baked apple is the key perfume, and on the palate, the ginger goes hot with a touch of cayenne before cooling into calm, maple-flavored waters. It's great for a late-fall or winter cocktail. 90 Ada Lovelace Gin, USA ($40) This English-style, small-batch gin from the Golden State romances with aromas of rose petals, lavender, lanolin, and echoes of juniper. Lemons from a Napa-based estate paint the tongue with an unctuous stroke, adding a hint of cin- namon and salinity. Candied ginger ascends and fades with a kiss of dark chocolate and coffee bean on the finish. 92 THE FAMILY COPPOLA'S GREAT WOMEN SPIRITS Mulderbosch 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa ($17) An exciting, great-value white with tremendous aromas of grass, figs, and lime, this wine is crisp and clean. The follow-through of lime zest is associated with a precise acidity, while a wandering minerality and a pinch of tarragon integrate with the gemstone-fruit character. 92 TERROIR SELECTIONS Black Kite Cellars 2016 Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey County ($45) Aged 11 months in 50% new French oak, this Pisoni-clone Pinot Noir, to our delight, is perfumed with notes of chocolate and plum. Flavors of cherry, soy sauce, white pepper, and tomato leaf stretch out lean and long. Black tea creates a denseness on the finish alongside a wash of blackberry. 93 Qupé 2016 Y Block Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County ($22) While this wine's primary fruit hails from the 15-acre "Y" Block planted exclusively for Qupé, grapes are also sourced from Bien Nacido Vineyards in Santa Maria Valley. Winemaker Bob Lindquist goes "barrel- dirty," his reference to aging on the lees for a fair amount of time (in this case, nine months). He uses Burgundy and new Syrah barrels for fermentation purposes, allowing for more new oak while "taking the edge off the barrel when used for Syrah." Following a nose of caramel apple and Bosc pears, the oak notes emerge alongside flavors offering that sensual and textural leesy character. Verbena and ripe pineapple stage themselves on the palate's round and buoyant texture, and the acidity manages to be both opulent and racy. 93 NON-ALCOHOLIC Icelandic Sparkling Elderflower Glacial Water, Iceland ($29; 24/ case) This has a lovely floral aroma and a lanolin-tinged flavor profile. The bubbles aren't harsh, meaning this can easily be enjoyed alone or as a mixer with vodka or gin. 90