The Last Call

     Santa Teresa 1796 is one of those bottles that holds a special place in my rum collection. It was one of the first rums that really made me stop and think about what rum could be. I remember trying it and basically thinking, "Wait a minute. What am I drinking?" It was that much of a departure from some of the lighter, simpler rums I had encountered before.      I've also gifted quite a few bottles of the standard Santa Teresa 1796 over the years, and it's actually helped turn a few people into rum drinkers. So when Santa Teresa comes out with something different, I'm usually pretty interested in checking it out. And they've done quite a few interesting things with 1796 and their other releases. We've seen coffee barrel finishes, Scotch barrel finishes and other experiments with different casks. This time around, Santa Teresa decided to take their solera-aged rum and give it a 10-month finish in Teeling Irish whiskey barrels.      That im...

     K. Luke is one of those whiskey brands that I've been seeing more and more of lately, and for good reason. The brand has been expanding into more states and becoming easier to find both on shelves and online, while some of its more interesting barrel-strength and finished releases have started getting people’s attention. Their core lineup is particularly interesting because the company has been experimenting with some pretty unique finishes. I've had the opportunity to try several of them, including the Oloroso Sherry, Toasted, and Armagnac finishes, and they've generally been very impressive. The Oloroso Sherry has actually been my favorite of the bunch so far. This particular bottle takes a different approach.      The Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 100 proof and carries a minimum age of 7 years. Rather than being another barrel-strength or heavily finished release, this is meant to be a more approachable expression of what they are d...

     Penelope has built a reputation for producing creative, transparent, and consistently enjoyable whiskeys. Their Cooper Series continues that trend by experimenting with unique finishing casks, and Riviera Lumière looked like one of the most exciting releases yet. Taking the original Riviera concept and bottling it at a much higher proof sounded like a recipe for success. Unfortunately, higher proof doesn't always mean a better whiskey.      Riviera Lumière starts with a blend of 8-year American Light Whiskey and Straight Bourbon sourced from MGP before being finished in rosé wine casks from Spain. Unlike Penelope's standard Rosé Cask Finish, which uses French rosé barrels, Riviera Lumière uses Spanish rosé casks. This Total Wine exclusive is bottled at 60% ABV (120 Proof) and listed as cask strength.      On paper, everything about this release sounds like it should work. The question is whether the proof elevates the blend or ...