Judy’s Halloween Picks
Halloween Wine Pick
Casillero del Diablo Devil’s Red
Casillero del Diablo is one of the many brands of Concha Y Toro, Legend has it that Don Melchor, founder of Concha Y Toro invented the tale that the devil lived in the cellar to discourage thieves after some wine went missing.
This wine has a ruby colour with plum, blackberry and oak aromas. On the palate, it is medium bodied with good acidity, a smooth texture and easy black currant, vanilla and dark chocolate flavours.
The Devil’s Collection Red is a blend of 60% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Carmenere from Chile’s Rapel Valley. Approximately 60% of the wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak for 9 months, while the rest was aged in stainless steel.
Serve and enjoy on its own or with a meal. Devil’s Red pairs perfectly with Burgers, Tacos and hard cheeses.
Halloween Spirit Pick
Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon
When whiskey is aged some of the liquid in the barrels is lost to evaporation, this is called the angel’s share, but some soaks into the wood and stays there. Beam has coined this the Devil’s Cut; First they take barrels of whiskey that have been aged for at least 6 years, and dump them for Blending. Then they take those barrels and use a process involving water, mechanical agitation and heat to basically sweat the barrels and extract the bourbon from the wood. Then they add the extract back into the previously dumped whiskey and bottle it as Devil’s Cut.
Nose: a distinctly bold bourbon with rich flavor unleashed from deep inside the barrel wood.
Palate: full bodied with intense oak and vanilla notes.
Finish: Long, smooth with a hint of sweetness.
Mix Devil’s Cut with coca cola, slice of lemon, ice cubes and you have a nice drink. The oak notes become more pronounced with the addition of the coke, yet there is a nice tart nip on the tongue that tells your rum is not the only spirit to add to coke. A nice change.