Yes, Imbiber's Journal has been quiet lately, at least in terms of publishing. But that doesn't mean the joyful work of trial and error isn't continuing in the background. Aside from another couple of weeks of abstinence to help my aging belt line, I've still been sampling plenty of beverages in an effort to surface those that merit your attention. But this work, especially when focused on value offerings, involves kissing a lot of frogs.
Alas, there is, as it turns out, an ever-increasing amount of mediocre product out there. Finding the diamonds in the rough requires, well, spending a lot of time in the rough. And it feels like that's where I've been lately.
All is not lost, however. Down in the cellar there are some promising sample bottles settling down from their cross country shipping. The latest vintage of Smith Madrone's always stellar cabernet from Spring Mountain is at the top of the list, and there's also a new batch of wines from El Dorado's Starfield I'm looking forward to trying.
In the meantime, I'll leave you with this special nugget: Madre Tequila Blanco ($50) I didn't even know that Madre produced anything besides their tire fire of a mezcal, so when I spotted this on a North Hollywood liquor store shelf, I just knew I'd be checking a bag for the trip home. Like its sibling bottle, this is unapologetic in its peculiarity. At once bright and funky, what's under the cork is in keeping with the primitive label design: weird, authentic, complex, and somehow very enjoyable. No sense in trying to compare it to any mainstream agave-derived drink; this is its own strange thing. Might be a good idea to pay your attorney's retainer before you get carried away, though.
