James Forsyth

8.9

There's a lot to like about this whisky. There's also quite a lot not to like. The intense vanilla, caramel, mocha flavors are delicious and sustain beautifully. However, there isn't the elegance or smoothness of a great whisky. Better than most large production options at a similar price point and a worthy addition to the home bar.
Artwork: a work on paper by Thornton Dial who lived and worked in Bessemer, Alabama some 175 miles south of the Dickel distillery, near Nashville TN. — 8 years ago

Eloisa Tristan

9.4

Nice crisp chardonnay with a mellow fruit and citrus finish. Dry but not too dry finish on palate. Great to have with Lemon chicken, pesto, fruit and cheese. Nice everyday. Great buy at Costco. 2014 vintage. — 9 years ago

John Osier

9.1

Very smooth. Great bourbon. — 10 years ago

Miguel A. Nistal

9.0

So peaty you love and hate it. But you really love it. — 10 years ago

with Dom

John Scherrer

10

Dinner at Chi Spacca with this monster! — 11 years ago

with Kat

Phil Resor

8.9

Good Shiraz for price — 11 years ago

James Darch

9.2

Crowd pleasing monster. We liked it — 11 years ago

Aaron Means

9.5

4 hour decant and this big boy was still closed down. What little it revealed hinted at the monster wine this will become. Still very primary extracted black fruit, pencil shavings, camphor, mammoth tannins with fresh acid. Desperately needs time to open up. — 11 years ago

David Kuchar

9.4

really really nice — 12 years ago

Jeffrey Long

9.0

Stumbled into the best whisk(e)y bar in the East Bay. — 9 years ago

with Chris

Jason B

8.9

2014 nice, peppery/graphite, dark fruit, med body, med Tannins. — 9 years ago

Eric

9.3

Not as much of a monster as other vintages but still an awesome wine. Great mix of dark fruit, spearmint, smoke, leather, and chocolate. Touch of tannin left. Gave it about an hour in the decanter. — 10 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.5

This might be the richest Hochrain I've ever had. It's a wine that usually comes across more sharp and spinal than the Singerriedel, and if that's still the case the Singerriedel must be a monster this year. This is deep and golden though with some fresh spring green flavors almost like a gruner, though it's still cut like an icicle. It keeps its chilling refreshment value even at room temperature even though that leaves the fruit totally uncoiled and showing off the wine's huge scale, just a big round ball of riesling sizzle. — 10 years ago

Erik Von Rueden

10

Great full body red. Goes great with Pork Tingas!! — 10 years ago

with Laura

David C

9.5

Sweet, smooth for such high proof. Great value — 11 years ago

Philip Cook

9.0

Smoke monster. — 11 years ago

Sean Crosbie

9.5

Rediscovered in the pantry.... Left behind by my father, who always enjoys a good bourbon. — 11 years ago

Jim Lindsay

9.0

Ribena, starburst fruit, vanilla oak. Drying tannins — 12 years ago

with Will

Chris Messina

9.3

It's Friday before Burning Man. Time to break open the White Dog. — 13 years ago

Cait Eslinger

8.9

Very acidic, pineapple notes but good over all — 9 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.0

Pale amber. Fresh and fruity for a skin contact wine, maybe because of carbonic. Hint of smokey peat or pine resin on the nose with toffee, plenty of zesty orange and saline on the palate. — 9 years ago

Cody Short

9.7

Tied for wine of the trip. A monster now but this is going to be insane with time. Classic Veeder mountain fruit lots of black and blue fruits. Built for the long haul. — 9 years ago

with Erik

Amanda Reamer

9.4

Bright red fruit flavors with lush tannin. This wine can enjoyed on its own, with friends, on a sunny day. Or with rich duck confit and bbq'd red meats. Can't beat the price. -wine batman — 10 years ago

James Parker Huston, CWE

Sommelier Charlie Palmer

9.5

A lot of new oak on this monster Sangiovese. Tastes like a Napa Cult Cab to me. — 10 years ago

Raymond C Wiley

8.9

Out of the three Rye Whiskey samples that we tried this was my favorite. Keeping in mind that I was a "Rye Whiskey Virgin" until that night, so I'm no expert. But I do know what I like. It was smooth out of the glass, had a nice nose, and wasn't over powering. Jeff and I agreed, and ranked this one 1st. — 11 years ago

Jon Bonné

Wine Editor San Francisco Chronicle

9.1

Grenache in mountain man guise, from the Mullineuxes. Swartland meets Amador. — 11 years ago

Nina Zie

9.5

Okanagan summer in a glass. — 12 years ago

Bryant Bickel

9.2

Drop da top on the Whip son! This a ripe monster. Great juice. — 12 years ago

Corey Zamora, CSW

9.6

Just a monster of a wine — 12 years ago