lummi island wine tasting feb 14 ’20
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Friday Breads This Week
Levain w/ Dried Cherries and Pecans – Made with a levain that is made the night before using a sourdough starter. This allows the fermentation process to start and adds a lot of flavor to the bread. The final dough is mixed the next day with the levain, bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and then loaded up with dried cherries and toasted pecans. A nice rustic loaf that goes well with meats and cheese – $5/loaf
Pan de Cioccolate – A delicious chocolate artisan bread that isn’t an enriched sweet pastry dough with lots of eggs, butter and sugar. Rather this bread is a rich chocolate bread made with a levain, bread flour and fresh milled rye flour, honey for sweetness, vanilla and plenty of dark chocolate. Makes fabulous toast, even better french toast – $5/loaf.
…and pastry this week is something really special and I don’t make it often as it is a really loooong process.
Panettone – an Italian brioche-like sweet bread, generally made during the Christmas holidays. It has become quite popular and one company (Panetonne from Roy) sells a large size Panetonne for $50! These panettone are a smaller version but are every bit as good. Requires building a sweet Italian levain over several days before the final dough is mixed with lots of sugar, butter, eggs and honey and flavored with candied ginger, lemon peel, and chocolate before being topped with a chocolate glaze. Great as a pastry, sliced for toast or french toast, or for bread pudding – 2/$5
(breads must be pre-ordered by Wednesday for pickup here at the wine shop at our Friday wine tasting, 4-6pm. Planning a visit to the Island? Email us to get on the mailing list!)
Climageddon Outlook
Like most of you, we have been wondering more and more about how we as individuals can make a difference in the climate crisis we humans have created. Since the beginning of the “Industrial Revolution,” we have mined and burned coal, oil, and natural gas at exponentially increasing rates to heat our buildings, fuel our transportation systems, and power our electric grids and Global Twitter accounts. These hydrocarbon deposits are the organic remains of hundreds of millions of years of life on our planet. Those of us fortunate enough to have been born in the developed world have enjoyed luxuries and lifestyles Royalty of the past could not even have imagined. We found the Golden Goose, brought it home, and have had a good run cashing in those golden eggs.
Everyone has known at some level that these resources wouldn’t last forever, and someday we would have to come up with another way to power our exploding population and energy-intensive technologies. But we find ourselves in a collective Shock and Denial that this threat that was vaguely Out There Somewhere is now in 3D, standing on our doorstep like a Depression hobo for a handout or maybe The Devil with a Major Accounting. There’s a collective Uneasiness, so we all muse about how we might help. One thing we have mused about lately is whether there is any way we could store more carbon in our undeveloped five-acre woodland. If different species grow faster, last longer, or store more carbon for longer, there might be some net benefit to such efforts.
A recent article in the NY Times explores recent proposals to plant a Trillion Trees to combat global warming. And a series of tweets starting with Greta Thunberg discusses the merits. The upshot is that planting and maintaining millions of new trees would help a little, so the more the better! At the same time, the Sheer Scale of the Problem– so many people burning fossil fuels so often in so many places– is such that there is No Substitute for Not Burning the hydrocarbons in the first place. So yes, by all means plant more trees, cut fewer down, and build things with them that last for a long time.
As shown in the chart, since 1950 world population has tripled from 2 to over 7 billion people, and continues to increase by about 3 people per second, mostly in the less developed countries of Asia and Africa. At the same time the availability of food and water fluctuate dangerously in those same places. Thirst, hunger, and poverty are on the rise, driving both climate and politically induced migrations and resistance to them across the globe. (cont’d next week)
Mar a Lago Update: Taking Bearings
One of the classic characteristics of the Psychopathic character strategy is the Tough/Generous duality. It boils down to an exaggerated punishment/reward system: please me and you get Big Rewards; let me down and you will get Totally F#*ked. We have seen this so often with the Tweetster that it is now a cliché when he throws yet another government professional under the Bus for crossing his interests; the list grows almost daily. Today’s headlines feature the T’s bashing of the career DOJ attorneys who tried the case against the T’s friend and co-conspirator Roger Stone, causing them all to resign from the case.
That has led to a public outcry about yet another Twoverreach conspiracy with AG Barr to get Stone’s likely sentence reduced or eliminated. So there is a New Big Kerfuffle and political Over-reach just when Susan Collins had assured us that he “had learned his lesson” during the impeachment process. Well, it seems, not so much!
Meanwhile, Democratic challengers to contend this Fall are regrouping after their first public skirmishes in Iowa and NH, with a few big Surprises, with Sanders and Buttieg emerging as leaders, Klobuchar surging ahead of Warren, and Biden dropping to the rear…surprising results.
The really Bizarre thing about all of this is the sort of hysteria that is settling in around this year’s election. Somehow we have all been convinced that a majority of our countrymen have lost their minds and will lurch to the polls like a great Zombie Army and make the Tweetster a permanent Evil Dictator like Ming the Magnificent. Even as we write this in the wee hours of the night, and logically see it for the madness it is, we can feel the icy reality of our Fear. We see the continuing blind allegiance of so many of our countrymen to this coarse, ignorant, and self-aggrandizing imposter and find it so completely incomprehensible that it’s hard to find solid ground to stand on.
So here’s the key: he’s making us all Crazy with the endless tweets, the constant assault on Truth, and the incomprehensible ability to get away daily for years with words and actions that would have had any of his predecessors run out of town in Tar and Feathers. Like any Cult Leader, he has the entire Audience in a Trance with his little Magic Show.
Well, it’s time for everyone to wake up, grab an oar, and pull together. Fight for your favorite candidate without putting down any of the others. And be willing to support our collective candidate 100% without reservation. So say we all.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date : 16,241 as of 01/24/20
This week’s tastingit
Folie a Deux Russian River Chardonnay ’18 California $16
Exuberant white with vibrant acidity; clean, rich, and bright on the nose and palate of sweet melon, golden apple and bright perfumed pear. Flavors of ripe vanilla, mandarin, toasted marshmallow, butterscotch, banana and citrus blossom are accompanied by a creamy mid-palate.
La Quercia Montepulciano ’17 Italy $13
100% organic montepulciano d’abruzzo from low-yield vinification by winemaker Antonio Lamona for one of the best, most expressive, and balanced Montepulcianos around. Opens with aromas of sour cherry with a hint of new leather; ripe fruity palate exhibits juicy blackberry, raspberry and a hint of anise; easy drinking with soft tannins.
Sharecroppers Red Blend ’17 Washington $14
Merlot-syrah blend; bright garnet hues lead to aromas and flavors of fresh herbs, vanilla, sweet tobacco and candied berries with underlying nuances of wet stone, cedar and earth on the lasting finish.
Folie a Deux Dry Creek Zinfandel $15
Fermented 20% whole cluster and aged four months in neutral oak; the aromas are pure, bright and fruit filled, with notes of raspberry, ash, cherry and flower; light, elegant, smoky finish.
lummi island wine tasting feb 7 ’20
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Friday Breads This Week
Pear Buckwheat – Made with a a poolish pre-ferment of bread flour, water and a bit of yeast and fermented overnight. Mixed the next day with bread flour and fresh milled buckwheat. Since buckwheat has no gluten using the preferment allows the dough to begin to develop before the final mix. The addition of toasted walnuts and dried pears soaked in white wine makes for a really flavorful bread – $5/loaf
French Country Bread – A levain bread made with mostly bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and and a bit of toasted wheat germ. After building the levain with a sourdough culture and mixing the final dough it gets a long cool overnight ferment in the refrigerator. This really allows the flavor to develop in this bread. Not a refined city baguette, but a rustic loaf that you would find in the countryside. A great all around bread – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Brioche Almond Buns – Made with a delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Rolled out and spread with almond cream filling of butter, sugar and eggs as well as almond flour. Yum, yum! 2/$5
(breads must be pre-ordered by Wednesday for pickup here at the wine shop at our Friday wine tasting, 4-6pm. Planning a visit to the Island? Email us to get on the mailing list!)
Washington Vineyards
We have been pouring Maryhill wines since we opened fifteen years ago, and they just keep getting better. While Maryhill has its own beautiful vineyards visible below the winery along the northern shore of the Columbia River, it also purchases lots of fruit from other Washington and Oregon vineyards. Today’s Maryhill Merlot is a good case in point, made with grapes grown at McKinley Springs, Eagle Ranch, Elephant Mountain, and Les Collines vineyards. So let’s take a moment to explore what that means.
McKinley Springs: Located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in the Yakima valley, McKinley Springs grows over 20 grape varietals. While it continues to sell fruit to some of the best winemakers in the region, since 2003 the vineyard has also made its own wine. The Horse Heaven Hills AVA borders the Yakima Valley AVA on the north and the Columbia River on the south. Despite its 1000 foot elevation, the vineyard ripens relatively early and produces red wines with intense fruity aromas and great structure.
Eagle Ranch: Located near the Eastern Oregon town of Echo, the vineyard is a short distance south of the Columbia River near Umatilla, Washington, specializing in cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
Elephant Mountain: Located high on the southern slopes of Rattlesnake Ridge at the base of Elephant Mountain, sitting on a series of gentle, southern-facing slopes at about 1400 ft., surrounded by dry shrub. It has ideal conditions for growing both Bordeaux and Rhone varietals in sandy, silt loam over gravelly calcareous layers.
Les Collines: From the French for “foothills,” this vineyard in Walla Walla produces 13 different varietals which it sells to dozens of Washington winemakers. The best story about this winery comes from winemaker/founder of Gramercy cellars Greg Harrington: “I first tasted Syrah from Les Collines Vineyard during a visit to Walla Walla in 2004. I immediately returned to New York, quit my Sommelier job, sold everything we owned, moved to Washington, learned to make wine, started a winery and produced our first Les Collines Syrah in 2005. Yeah, it’s that good of a vineyard.”
Mar a Lago Update: Iowa Waltz (listen)
The last few days of political life here in America have been emotionally exhausting: final discussions on Trumpeachment in the Senate on the weekend, the quadrennial kickoff of another Presidential election season with the Iowa caucuses on Monday, the the incredibly Divisive State of the Union address on Tuesday, the final Senate vote against conviction in the impeachment trial (there is no “Acquittal” in an Impeachment trial…) on Wednesday, and the continuing saga of glitches in the vote-reporting apparatus in the Iowa caucuses have all captivated, frustrated, irritated, and depressed our spirits.
One very bright light this week was the decision of Republican Senator (and 2012 Republican Presidential candidate) Mitt Romney to break ranks with his Party and vote in favor impeaching the Tweetster. We all tip our hats, nod our heads, and press our palms together and bow in gratitude for his moral courage. He has certainly earned a noble footnote in history.
It was also impossible for anyone to miss the Open Hostility between Speaker Pelosi and the Tweetster, as he broke protocol by not shaking her hand as he handed her the speech, and as she very deliberately tore up that speech with all cameras rolling. He then threw Flames on the Fire by awarding a Presidential Medal of Freedom to Far Right-Wing talk show host and hate-mongering Slander-Slinger Rush Limbaugh, a drug-addicted, mean-spirited bully who built a lifelong career mocking and insulting anyone who was concerned about Social, Environmental, Economic, or Political Justice. The Proceedings may be over, but it is clear that a State of War exists between Republicans and Democrats in Congress and their supporters across the country which is not likely to Heal on its own anytime soon.
Then, to make matters worse, various media sources are flooding the Web with fabricated stories aimed at increasing divisions at every level. It is barely two days after Iowa, and already the Web is buzzing with bots sowing accusations at every Democratic candidate under the name of another Dem candidate. It’s like 2016 on Steroids, and it just kicked off with the Iowa caucuses. Folks, we are not gonna get through this with either grace of desirable outcomes if we do not refuse every attempt to cast any Democratic candidate as a villain in the coming months. There will be ongoing bombardment of False Facts from now on about every Democratic candidate. We have to focus on our own values and convictions and be very skeptical about every attempt to sow Outrage. It is FAR More Important that we find ways to lobby for our favorite candidates without attacking other contenders, and make a commitment to offer full support for whoever the candidate turns out to be.
Let us be Skeptical, Committed, Kind, Wise, and United.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date : 16,241 as of 01/24/20
This week’s tasting
Chateau L’Ermitage ’17 France $11
Roussanne, grenache, and viognier. Light gold in color with aromas of peach, flowers, and honey; the Grenache provides the richness and the Roussanne the balancing acidity.
St. Cosme Little James Basket Press Grenache ’16 France $11
An old favorite from an ongoing solera* with an aromatic nose of cassis, cherry and lavender; rustic Old World style, with a firm mineral spine giving clarity and lift to the dark berry and bitter cherry flavors.
Maryhill Merlot ‘14 Washington
Blended from McKinley Springs, Eagle Ranch, Elephant Mountain, and Les Collines vineyards; the resulting wine has ripe red fruit tones with coffee, wood spice, a lifted mint note and subtle tannins.
Savage Grace Cab Franc ’17 Washington $22
Fermented 20% whole cluster and aged four months in neutral oak; the aromas are pure, bright and fruit filled, with notes of raspberry, ash, cherry and flower; light, elegant, smoky finish.
lummi island wine tasting groundhog weekend ’20
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No Friday Breads This Week
Baker’s week off. Bread returns next week!
(breads must be pre-ordered by Wednesday for pickup here at the wine shop at our Friday wine tasting, 4-6pm. Planning a visit to the Island? Email us to get on the mailing list!)
Fior D’Arancio
This week we bring back an unusual sparkling dessert wine from Colli Euganei, a series of ancient volcanic hills north of Venice, where 50-million year old mineral deposits add depth and character to local wines.
The wine is a clone of muscat from this region, which either through its own genetic identity or from some kind of symbiosis from nearby orange orchards, has strong scents and flavors of orange. This wine is unusual, surprising, and pleasing in many ways, with its lovely orange blossom bouquet, fine perlage, and fluffy mousse. It makes a great afternoon treat on the deck, or a fine accompaniment with fruit tarts, pies, puddings, or cakes.
We poured this wine a year or two ago, and it sold out quickly as people tasted it. As the season gets colder, it’s a great wine to have on hand for cozying up to a fire!
Wine Club Membership Renewal Time!
Thanks to all of you have already re-upped for Aught-Twenty; it is gratifying to have your continuing support! Our membership renewal campaign will continue for another couple of weeks.
Annual membership is $50 per person, for which you get $5 weekly tastings (save $5/week!) AND we pay the sales tax on all purchases, a hefty 8.7% discount!
Yes, yes, we must be Crazy to offer this incredible Bargain, but there it is, time to sign up for another year to enjoy this great community AND great savings!
Lemberger
Around here we know it as lemberger, a lesser-known red varietal with flavors that always remind us of ripe thimbleberries– yes, those weeds that line many of the roadsides here on Lummi Island and which usually ripen in mid-Spring. In Austria lemberger is more commonly known as Blau Frankisch, literally “blue grape from France.” In the past we have found that under either name it goes really well with spicy food, a revelation a few years ago when we were pouring it along with a tasting of jalapeno cheese– one of those Perfect Pairings one occasionally discovers.
This week’s version is from Kiona winery on Red Mountain here in Washington. Rumor has it that Washington winemakers love the varietal but universally hate the name because too many people imagine some relationship with the famously smelly cheese (limburger) of similar name. We were impressed with this one at a tasting a few months ago. The warmer weather in Eastern Washington provides this version with an enjoyable richness. (photo by Richard Duval)
Mar a Lago Update:
4pm: As we write, the Senate Impeachment hearings are nearing a close for the day, leaving on the table a modest proposal from minority leader Schumer to bring in additional witnesses, while limiting additional testimony to one additional week. While there is little doubt that the Tweetster will not be impeached, there is still at this moment a slim possibility that the four Republican Senators (Romney, Collins, Murkowski, Alexander) necessary to join Democrats in favor of additional testimony might step forward. If they do, there will be witnesses, possibly including Bolton, Mulvaney, and a few others. But if even a single one does not, the trial will be over.
Republican pressure for party conformity being what it is, each of these Senators is facing enormous pressure from McConnell and the rest of the the Hive Brain they all share not to allow witnesses under any circumstances. So chances are that not even a single one of them will dare defy the Pack. But whether there are additional witnesses or not, it is certain that this Fake President will be acquitted, setting the stage for the coming year which is in many ways shaping up to be the World’s Last Chance to save Life As We Know It.
8pm: Home from a lovely dinner break at neighbor Anne’s; six people present, and for statistical purposes, I was the youngest person there at 74. So we are all people with, shall we say, an “experienced historical perspective.” Over dessert I asked everyone to comment on their feelings about the day’s political developments. The common thread was an increasing sense of unease and shock at the relentless Republikan spouting of Orwellian Newspeak. Paraphrasing Orwell: The political purpose of Newspeak is to reduce the expression of ambiguity and nuance to simplistic concepts of pleasure and pain, happiness and sadness, goodthink and crimethink, linguistically reinforcing the State’s totalitarian dominance. Or, as we quoted Hitler recently, “Their character, thought, and conduct are ruled by sentiment rather than reasoning, and neither their intellect nor their sentiment is differentiated enough to understand more than a childlike binary view of love and hate, right and wrong, truth and lie.
We share a growing disbelief that every day since the disaster of the 2016 election has brought yet another outrage, another 50 Outright Lies (see Latest Count below), another full day of Tweets belittling his latest target, destroying yet another American institution and its values, alienating another historic ally, appointing yet another unqualified but subservient cabinet member or another twenty-five Ultra-Conservative federal judges, or conspired to rig the next election.
The basic feeling we share is this: there has been a War. Our side has done our best, and we have Lost, and it Hurts All Over. So let’s take a little break, exhale for a few days, then regroup and come back with Determination. A majority of Americans still believe in the Constitution as our guiding moral principles, but Republicans have shown in the past two weeks that they would repeal the Bill of Rights in a heartbeat. They continually turn upside down Maury’s famous words over a century ago: “Where principle is involved, be deaf to expediency…” Every day of these hearings it has become increasingly clear to all that Republicans have neither honor or principle, and we are depressed because we need our country to be better than that.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date : 16,241 as of 01/24/20
This week’s tasting
Lovo Fior d’Arancio Sparkling Moscato ’18 Italy $15
A very rare clone of Moscato with an unmistakable citrus scent from nearby orange groves for a sparkling wine with refined bubbles and beautiful, pearlescent color, a perfect accompaniment to dessert, or maybe dessert all by itself!
Kiona Lemberger ’18 Washington
Perfumed aromas with traces of orange zest and flower, along with notes of blueberry.
Marchetti Rosso Conero ’17 Italy $11
Rich and inviting aromas of flowers, plums, brown spices, and hillside brush. On the palate, round notes of cherries, blackberries, cocoa and spice. Culminates in a satisfying, lengthy finish.
Lagone Aia Vecchio ’16 Italy $15
“Super-Tuscan”blend of Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Cab Franc. Rich and expressive, with aromas of cherry, vanilla, raw beef, and herbs; structured palate of plum, wild berries, and hints of spice, with a long finish that begs for food.
Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon ’17 California $20
Nose of black plum, blackcurrant and black cherry fruit open to leather, graphite and cast-iron pan with red cherries and chocolate; medium to full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, refreshing finish.
lummi island wine tasting jan 24 ’20
click on photos for larger images
Friday Breads This Week
Multi Grain- Uses a preferment where a portion of the flour, water, salt & yeast is mixed and fermented overnight before mixing the final dough to begin the enzymatic activity and gluten development overnight in a cool environment. The next day it is mixed with bread flour and fresh milled whole wheat and rye, then flax, sunflower and sesame seeds are added for a nice bit of crunch and some extra flavor. – $5/loaf
Rosemary Olive Oil – also made with prefermented dough like the multi grain and then mixed with bread flour and a bit of freshly milled white whole wheat for a little more flavor and texture. Fresh rosemary from the garden and olive oil to make for a nice tender crumb and a nice crisp crust. A great all around bread – $5/loaf
and pastry this week…
Pain aux Raisin – Made with the same laminated dough as croissants, rolled out, spread with pastry cream and sprinkled with a mix of golden raisins and dried cranberries soaked in sugar syrup. Rolled up and sliced before baking. – 2/$5
(breads must be pre-ordered by Wednesday for pickup here at the wine shop at our Friday wine tasting, 4-6pm. Planning a visit to the Island? Email us to get on the mailing list!)
Wine Club Membership Renewal Time!
Thanks to all of you have already re-upped for Aught-Twenty; it is gratifying to have your continuing support! Our membership renewal campaign will continue for another couple of weeks.
Annual membership is $50 per person, for which you get $5 weekly tastings (save $5/week!) AND we pay the sales tax on all purchases, a hefty 8.7% discount!
Yes, yes, we must be Crazy to offer this incredible Bargain, but there it is, time to sign up for another year to enjoy this great community AND great savings!
Alexander Valley Vineyards
Judy (LI’s roving wine minstrel) dropped by yesterday with her wine bag and poured a number of wines from Alexander Valley Vineyards, a pastorally beautiful piece of wine country north of Napa Valley. It is well known for soft, understated, and often elegant wines that its soil and exposure produce. AVV was one of the first wineries in the valley, beginning in the early 60’s. Over all these years it has remained a family winery, no small feat these days.
Their wines tend to be quite moderately priced compared to some of their neighbors and usually offer good value. We expect some of the wines we have ordered to be here in time for this weekend’s tasting, with a few more next week.
Something Magical…
Stumbled onto this stunning video yesterday on Youtube, was mesmerized, and feel compelled to share it. Yes, she goes some six minutes without breathing, yet maintains a profound and captivating grace.
Mar a Lago Update:
It’s been a strange and difficult week in America. On the one hand, we are impressed and grateful to the House Democrats for assembling and presenting an intelligent, carefully crafted, and completely convincing indictment of the Tweetster’s actions regarding the extortion of Ukraine, the famous quid pro quo (this for that) that brought us all to this moment.
On the other hand, it is clear that Senate Republicans are in lock-step, sticking to their mandated talking points despite the undeniable Facts before them. We confess a complete inability to get our heads around this behavior. To borrow a question from an old John Prine song, How the Hell can a person listen to this testimony– and we are talking about Republican Senators– and argue with a straight face that the documented behaviors are not Solid Grounds for impeachment?
Over the past three years we have seen the Republikans abandon every one of the Principles their Party has nominally claimed as their own: balanced budgets, a respected international presence, free trade, a strong defense. So we can logically expect that their “case” against Impeachment will involve wholly undocumented accusations and assertions, few if any facts, mock displays of moral outrage and other sleight-of-hand theatrics.
It all smacks of a smug and virulent Hypocrisy, one that has been epidemic in the Republikan Party for decades: a sense of Entitlement to Power; a facile willingness to abandon any once-dear ethic in the quest to gain and hold that Power; and a shameless disregard for the Constitutional Principles that have held this country together for two and a half centuries. And all of this is being conducted as our Planet, our Civilization, and our very Existence are threatened by a Climate Crisis these Buffoons deny even exists.
Hopefully the Impeachment will be the Catharsis that starts turning the tables toward Sanity.
Washington Post Tweetster Lie Count to date : 16,241 as of 01/24/20
This week’s tasting
Pascual Toso Chardonnay ’18 Argentina $14
Aromas of ripe green apple, pineapple and mango. The palate is fresh, with great acidity, ending with a slight toasty hint on a lingering finish.
Oregon Solidarity Pinot Noir ’18 Oregon $25
Rich and intense fruit flavors that reflect the warm and dry growing season. Aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry and spice. Excellent balance, with solid structure, concentration and firm tannins.
Alexander Valley Vineyards Sin Zin Zinfandel ’15 California $16
Earthy aromas of plum, strawberry jam, fruit leather, black cherry and apricot lead to ripe flavors of red cherry, black pepper, blackberry, wild strawberry and a slight dusting of cocoa powder; a crowd pleaser with a structured, juicy fruit finish.
Seven Hills Walla Walla Red ’14 Washington $20
85% Cab, 10% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot; green herb, black fruit, coffee and anise aromas give way to beautifully balanced red- and black-fruit flavors. The acidity brings a sense of vibrancy, while the tannins provide plenty of structure.
Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth Italy $20
Offers a complex nose of garrigue. spices, plums, figs, licorice, root beer, and citrus peel. Initially sweet,finishing with a bracing bitter edge. Syrupy and compelling by itself or in a cocktail!
2072 Granger Way