Category Archives: Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut

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We’re back with another question from the Binny’s Mailbag.

 

Dear Binny’s Mailbag -

White Star is my favorite Champagne. Why don’t you stock it any more? Can you order some for me?

- W.S.

 

Hello W.S.!

 

Good question. The short answer is that Moet no longer makes White Star.

 

The more honest, complicated and rambling answer is that the product that used to be called “White Star” has undergone an evolution in style and branding over the last few years. In the very same spot on Binny’s shelves that once held White Star, you will now find Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut. Moet cites shifting consumer expectations and a better representation of the house style as motivation for this gradual change.

 

We were a bit stunned a few years ago when Moet announced that they were changing the name of Moet White Star to Moet Imperial. Everything else on the bottle and label stayed the same except for the brand name. The formula shifted a little, too. The new Imperial was a touch more dry than White Star, but shared the same characteristic breadth and weight with the iconic extra dry. And for about a year, customers couldn’t believe us when we told them about the change.

 

The brand is now making a second shift. The Imperial label now carries the word Brut, meaning an even more dry, streamlined, fresh and elegant Champagne. Watch for that word – Brut – to know which Imperial you are buying. As the transition happens, any Binny’s location may have one, or the other, or even both, until the older blend has sold through.

 

Now let’s get geeky. What makes this new Imperial Brut fresher and lighter? The biggest factor is lower dosage, meaning less sugar is added into the bottles during aging. Specifically 9 g/liter. Sugar feeds the yeast that make the bubbles, but there’s often a little left over, giving the wine some sweetness and breadth. Less dosage means a leaner Champagne. Also, there is more chardonnay and less pinot noir in the assemblage, giving the wine more structure and less fruit weight. Plus the each bottle of Imperial Brut sees more time in the cellar – an increase from 18 up to 24 months, lending more maturity and a finer bead.

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Binny’s Mailbag: Re-refrigerating Beer

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We’re bringing back the Binny’s mailbag with a question as old as bottled beer itself. Somehow, we hear this question over and over again.

 

Binny’s Mailbag -

We have two cases of bottled MGD and Stella that are left over from a party. They were refrigerated and very cold. We took them out and they are room temperature. Can we re-refrigerate them? My husband says that re-refrigerated beer loses its quality. Is that correct? We would like to only re-refrigerate some of them and keep the rest at room temperature until needed. Will they be all right?

- C.O.

 

Hi C.O!

 

Your beer is fine. You can absolutely re-refrigerate beer with no worries. Even fancy-pants unpasturized craft beer. Once again, beer can go from fridge cold to room temperature and back to fridge cold with no ill effects.

 

What can we do to dispel this old wives’ tale? We aren’t entirely sure how it started, but it seems to be intertwined with an advertising campaign waged decades ago by the littlest big brewer in Colorado. Something about being brewed cold, and transported cold, and the myth spread.

 

Beer is as shelf-stable as most other nonperishable food items. Similar to, say, a can of creamed corn? You wouldn’t want either to sit around forever, but a few temperature changes won’t hurt. Sure you can affect the taste with extreme temperature fluctuations, but the minor change from fridge to room temperature (from ~37 to ~74) isn’t going to ruin a shelf-stable product.

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Binny’s Mailbag: Green Beer

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A timely question from the Binny’s Mailbag:
 

Does Binnys sell kegs of green beer for St. Patricks day? If so do I just contact my local store to order it?
– K.

 
It seems like we’re getting this question a lot more often lately. Must be something in the air.
 
Green beer is dyed at the distributor. Some distributors color their beer, some don’t. Since distributors cover areas around Chicagoland like patchwork, some Binny’s stores can totally get you emerald suds while others can only hook you up with plain old yellow beer. Which still isn’t bad, right? We’re talking about beer, after all.
 
We can’t really list on the Blog which Binny’s stores can get green beer – you’ll have to swing by your favorite Binny’s to order your keg. We need keg orders at least a week in advance, and for green beer, orders must be prepaid. Because … you know … nobody wants a green beer on March 18th.
 
By the way, you can dye your own beer green – just add one drop of green food coloring to your beer glass. Do this to Guiness and the beer will stay black but the head will be an adorable green.
 
Now we just need a special color of beer for tonight’s Leap Day festivities. We might be a little late on this one. Remind us again in four years.

Binny’s Mailbag: Gluten Free Beer

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Let’s keep the Binny’s Mailbag rolling. Here’s a question that is asked more and more frequently, and we’re glad to be able to answer it with a smile:

 

Hi!  I talked with someone at your place who said there is a good gluten free beer that starts with a D and that you have trouble getting it in (and keeping it in I guess).  Ive been there twice to look for something like that and havent seen anything.

Do you know the name of the beer Im talking about I want to tell another friend with Celiac – and do you have that in stock now?

Thanks for the info.

- A.M.

 

Hi A.M, and thanks for the question! We get it a lot, and we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy a good beer, so we offer a reasonable range of gluten free brews.

   We’re pretty sure the beer you are thinking of is Estrella Damm Daura. It’s our best selling (and best tasting?) gluten free beer for a good reason. It’s actually made with an essential beer ingredient: malted barley. Estrella has a proprietary process that removes the gluten proteins to below 6 ppm. To put that in perspective, the FDA and international standard for gluten free labeling in food is below 20 ppm.

Similarly, Illinois natives Two Brothers are now re-labelling their Prairie Path Golden Ale as gluten free. Prairie Path is made with an enzyme that destroys the gluten during the brewing process. Recent lab testing showed that it contains gluten in quantities less than 5 ppm. Plus it’s delicious bright hops keep it light and refreshing. Watch for their labels to change soon.

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Binny’s Mailbag: Beer Recommendations

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   We’re offering you a peek at our mail with Binny’s Mailbag. Here’s a great beer question, the kind of open-minded searching that really gets us going:

 

Can you recommend a beer that tastes similar to each one of these three?
- Kalamazoo Stout - Green Line - Gumball Head

Much appreciated! Regards, CK

 

Hi CK, and thanks for the great question!

 

   We think a great alternative to the Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout is Sierra Nevada’s Stout, a well-rounded stout in good availability. If you are big Bell’s fan, you could give their Double Cream Stout a try, which is similar in ABV and flavor, but has more of a creamy texture and mouthfeel.

    Goose Island’s Green Line Pale Ale is a bit on the light side compared with many other American versions of Pale Ale’s (and isn’t bottled, which is why we can’t offer it). Give Stone Pale or Founder’s Pale Ale a try.

 

   Gumball Head will be a bit tougher though. It is hoppier than any wheat beer we have in the store, so nothing will match perfectly. If you want to go the wheat route, Boulevard Wheat is a great candidate. If you like Gumball Head’s hop profile, we have found Victory Headwaters Pale Ale and Emmett’s Victory Pale Ale to be similar in flavor.

 

   We sure hope this helps! There are so many amazing beers!

   Cheers,

Binny’s Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: Getting into Scotch

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We answer a lot of questions from The Binny’s Mailbag, and it seems like a common theme is getting one’s foot in the door to the world of Scotch. For example:

 

Binny’s,

   I have always enjoyed bourbon but have recently been intrigued by single malt scotch. Admittedly I don’t have much knowledge about scotch. That being said I am hoping that you could give some background knowledge on scotch and give me a few ideas as where to start (i.e. what is a good beginner scotch and possibly some other single malts to start).

Thanks a lot,

M

 

Hi M,

   We always recommend starting a voyage through single malts with some whiskies from Speyside or the Highlands. You’ll find a great amount of variety in the flavor and profile of single malts depending on the region of Scotland that they come from. Generally malts from these regions won’t be peaty or smokey and will focus more on fruity, floral, and caramel/toffee flavors.

   Age matters with Scotch, but not as much as some people insist. You can find some great introductions to the style in Glenlivet 12 year, Glenfiddich 12 year, and Glenmorangie 10 year. Glenlivet is soft and floral, Glenfiddich is slightly fuller and finishes with some spice, and Glenmorangie is sweet and smooth.

   When you’re tasting whisky, try to take note of the specific flavors or characteristics you like, and those you don’t. Being aware of this will help you narrow down what you really like and guide you when you pick out your next bottle.

   Let us know how it goes! Cheers!

 - Binny’s Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: Top Ten “Smooth Sweet” Scotches

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We’ve been opening up the Binny’s Mailbag for a while now – giving you the chance to see the kinds of mail that we get all the time. Its surprising how often these questions are super topical, or how they give us the opportunity to rant. This is one of those questions:

 

What are the best sweet, smooth single malt scotches that you recommend (top 10)?   Thanks!

- B.B.

 

Hi B.B.

   What a loaded question! Tops 10′s are hard because inevitably some great whiskies get left out. That said, here is our current top 10, in no particular order and in no particular price range. 

 

Glenmorangie 18 Year Old - Very light, lots of honey and ripe fruits. VERY smooth.

Dalmore 18 Year Old - Full bodied and incredibly heavily sherry aged. Sweet dark fruits abound with a long, clinging finish. 

Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood - This one is port cask finished, and very sweet, and very smooth. 

Samaroli Glenburgie 21 Year Old - Fairly sweet, but has a slight, coastal-salt balance. Samaroli is an amazing independent bottler.

Signatory Glenlossie 18 Year Old - A hand-picked Binny’s cask. Gently sweet and very light. Smooth even at cask strength. 

Glenrothes 1985 Vintage - Glenrothes is medium bodied and particularly creamy. A sweet butter cream is the leading flavor. 

BenRiach 20 Year Old - Creamy and honey with a balance of citrus fruits. Very gentle and clean. 

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or - This is the light, sweet and smooth 10 year Glenmorangie that sees an additional 2 years in Sauternes casks. ‘Nuff said. 

Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition - Cragganmore is one of the real sleepers in the crowded Speyside category. Fuller bodied than most, and sweeter with less spice. This Cragganmore is finished in port casks, and is incredibly smooth with a rich, raisin-y depth in flavor. 

Blackadder Lochranza 11 Year Old – Don’t be fooled by the island origin of this scotch (distilled at Arran). This is very sweet stuff. Light on the palate and dangerously smooth even at cask strength.  

 

Hope this gives some guidance. Plenty to choose from! Thanks for thinking Binny’s!

Cheers,

- Binny’s Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: Bourbon Gift Idea

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Let’s take a look and see what’s in the Binny’s Mailbag.

 

Hi!

   I am looking to get my boyfriend a package of an assortment of his favorite whiskeys for Christmas. I have a few in mind (Jack Single Barrel, Gentleman Jack, Bookers, George Dickle No 8 or No 12 — just to name a few) but was curious what are the size bottles you sell, since I’m getting a few i was wondering if you have smaller size bottles than the normal ones?

   Also, do you have any suggestions as another good one based on the list I gave above that he hasn’t had as a new one to offer him?

Thanks!

- J.B.

 

Hi J.B.,

   We carry the whiskies you list in just the 750mL (fifth) size, plus 1.75L in the case of Gentleman Jack.

   Since he likes these sweeter, fuller-bodies Tennessee whiskies, we would also recommend that he try some sweeter bourbons. Eagle Rare, a 10 year old single barrel, is a fantastic value and has a really rich vanilla and caramel flavor to it. Buffalo Trace would be a good one as well. It tends to be a little sweet, with a lot of oak and caramel in the profile. Both of these are available in 375 mL (pint) bottles at most Binny’s.

   A “wheated” bourbon would also be a good pick, these tend to be fatter on the palate, and a bit buttery in taste. Old Fitzgerald and Weller would be my recommendations for those.

   All these are less than $30 for the standard bottles, and less for the pints. 

   Sounds like he’s going to have an awesome Christmas! Thanks for thinking Binny’s,

- Binny’s Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: The Next Step

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   Ever wonder about the mail we receive here at Binny’s? We get tons of questions at beer, spirits, and cellarmaster@binnys.com. Now we’re opening it for you with the Binny’s Mailbag.

 

Binny’s - 

   Im fairly new to the scotch world, having tried and really liked Glenmorangie and Glenrothes which I believe are considered lighter scotches. Ive read quite a bit about Highland Park so  Im eager to try that next but Im wondering if that may be too strong for my taste just yet? Would I be better off sticking with something lighter or is there anything else you could recommend as a next step?

Thank you

J.P.

 

Hi J.P.,

   You’re right on track with Highland Park. Their whiskies would be a good step forward. You’ll find that the HP’s are slightly fuller bodied, and in our opinion pack quite an impressive depth of flavor. Highland Park is lightly peated, so it doesn’t come off so much as smoke, but more of a spiciness on the finish of the whisky. In the case of the Highland Park 12 year old, it is 90% sherry aged, 10% bourbon, so there is a great dark-fruit flavor balancing the baking spice character and the very gentle seaside/island profile.

   Along the same lines of fuller, richer flavored whiskies, we would also recommend checking out Aberlour, a sherry finished highland malt, and also Old Pulteney. Pulteney is from the northeast corner of Scotland. The Old Pulteney 12 year old has a gentle “maritime” profile, and is a great value at under $40.

   Hope this helps. Any others questions, let us know.

Cheers,

- Binny’s Mailbag

Binny’s Mailbag: Great, Affordable Scotch

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Let’s see what’s new in the Binny’s Mailbag.

 

Hi,

   I was just reading The Whiskey Hotline on your website. Very interesting.

   A few weeks ago, I had my first experience with Scotch. Ive classically avoided the darker liquors ever since my bachelor party, oh so many years ago. (but thats a whole other story)

   Heres my problem. I had a friend come in from out of town, and he insisted that I hadnt given Scotch a fair chance. He told me to locate a very specific bottle, which you luckily had one bottle left at your South Loop location; Classic Cask 35 Year Old Blended Scotch.

   I loved it! It wasnt at all what I was expecting. It didnt have the harshness that I remember. It was caramel on the nose and the palate. Oak and a little smoke too. It was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. Delicious.

   The real problem? That bottle is pretty expensive. $299.99Thats okay for a special occasion here and there, but Id really like to find something similar thats not so pricey.

   Do you ever have Scotch tastings? Or, do you have any suggestions for something similar? Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

- JW

 

Hi JW,

   Thanks for checking out The Whisky Hotline! Watch for another update soon.

If you’re looking for something with a smoky and sweet balance, be sure to check out some Highland Park and Talisker offerings. Talisker is the smokier of the two, but is balanced by a lot of honey and some brine. Highland Park picks up a more spicy character from the peat, and is predominantly sherry aged so it has a rich and full front with a mildly smoky and spicy finish.

Highland Park 18 Year is a bargain for the price, with younger expressions starting under $50 and going up from there. The base Talisker is a 10 Year Old at sixty bucks, and an exceptional 18 Year Old is sometimes available for eighty.

Our largest and best Scotch event – Binny’s World of Whiskey – is held in early April each year. Keep an eye on our blog for info as the date nears.

Hope this helps! Cheers,

- Binny’s Mailbag