Blog

Old Forester is making a huge comeback, propelled by great new releases and the contributions of fresh blood including Master Taster Jackie Zykan. Jackie joins the Barrel to Bottle team to taste through some excellent bottles from Old Forester, including two now nearly unobtainable Binny's handpicks (a few bottles are still out there, so if you see one, buy it!) plus Old Fo's 1897 Bottled in Bond and their new 100 Proof Rye. Topics include tasting to a brand's profile, what is the mullet of bourbon whiskey, not being an ageist or a floorist, tasting flaws and blind spots and why having more or fewer taste buds don't specifically make you a better or worse taster. And stick around for the Q&A segment - this week the team gives away three $20 gift cards and answers your questions. #tryrye #oldfonotjustforoldfolks

Spain is more than old school! Just back from his trip to Spain, Binny's Oak Brook Wine Manager Jon Adam joins the Barrel to Bottle team to highlight wines from two thriving Spanish winemaking regions: Rueda and Ribera del Duero. The team tastes whites from Rueda: Jose Pariente Sauvignon Blanc, Naia Rueda and Naia Naiades; and reds from Ribera del Duero: Torres Celeste Crianza Blue Label, Protos Reserva and Vega Sicilia Valbuena. Stick around for the Q&A segment, when your questions are answered for a $20 Binny's Gift Card. This week, the team explains why wine prices can vary so much from bottle to bottle.

Director of Winemaking at Hess, David Guffy, is back on the Barrel to Bottle podcast. Topics include his love of malbec and cabernet, earthquakes and fires and his daily commute, the impact of elevation, and of course, winery dogs. The team tastes through a flight of Hess cabernet, including Hess Select, Hess Collection Allomi Vineyard, Hess Collection Mount Veeder, and the iconic The Lion. Stick around for the Q&A portion of the podcast, when David and the Barrel to Bottle Team share their favorite wine coffee table books.

For many, tacos are THE definition of Mexican food. Our recipe focuses on the classic preparation. But whatever you prepare as a filling, we STRONGLY suggest skipping the microwave and warming the corn tortillas in the oven - see step #3 below. The tortillas gain not only an attractive color but also a delicious smoky/toasty note.

Another industry giant joins the Barrel to Bottle podcast. This week, it's Stone Brewing Executive Chairman and Co-founder Greg Koch. Greg and the team taste Stone IPA, Arrogant Consortia's Arrogant Bastard and Enter Night, plus Courage Russian Imperial Stout (made by Wells &Young, not by Stone) and Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2014 (from Roger's personal stash). This episode marks Greg's first Malort experience. Other topics include hanging with Metallica, helping to make "Russian Imperial Stout" a thing, staying fresh in a beer scene that's always chasing what's new, and how PET is destroying the planet. Stick around for the Q&A segment, when Greg tackles the perennial listener question "bottles or cans?"

How do you describe what you're tasting? How do you put into words the difference between a navel orange and a mandarin orange? This week's Barrel to Bottle podcast is all about the language we - tasters and critics both professional and amateur - use to describe wine, spirits and beer, from flavor to texture and beyond. And stick around to the end. Host Kristen has some big news.

Aging red wines is common - but what about aging white wines? Kristen is joined by Binny's Wine Buyer Bill Newton and legendary German wine importer Derek Vinnicombe, plus producers Paul Anheuser and Stefen Bollig. The team talks recent German vintages, differences across years and drinking these wines aged and unaged. To illustrate, the team tries young and old bottles from the same vineyard side by side: Bollig Lehnert Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese from 2018 and 2006. Also Paul Anheuser Keuznacher Krotenpfuhl Riesling Auslese 2001. And it's not all about white! Germany also makes great red wines, and the team tastes Heyden Pinot Noir 2016. These guys are fun!

When it comes to imperial stout, we see a lot of pastry stouts these days. This category includes stouts modeled after all manner of desserts, and we’ve seen everything from cookies to whole chocolate cakes dumped into beer. When we approached Brickstone about doing a collaborative brew, we wanted to go back to basics. Their Dark Secret imperial stout is proof that an imperial stout can be dessert like and decadent, without being overly sweet.

Ian Millar has seen it all and has the stories and knowledge to prove it. Ian and Kirstin Grant of William Grant & Sons join the Barrel to Bottle Crew for a conversation about the past, present and future of Glenfiddich. It wouldn't be a Barrel to Bottle podcast without sampling some of their fine Scotch, including the Glenfiddich 12-year-old, Glenfiddich 14-year-old and Fire & Cane, a blend of peated and unpeated Scotch, aged in Rum barrels. Plus, Ian and the team revisit the legendary Annasach Reserve 25 Year blend.

Let's answer the question you're asking yourself. What distinguishes gelato from ice cream is the following: more egg yolks, less cream/more milk, and definitely less air churned into it than ice cream. The key to expressing that dense and creamy note is dry ice. Dry ice is not only cold enough to solidify the base. What's more, (unlike regular ice) dry ice sublimes into a gas, leaving nothing to dilute gelato's intensity of flavors. A word of caution: avoid touching the dry ice with your bare hands.