Spirits
Reviews
E&J Peach Brandy ($16)
American brandy, especially fruit brandy, has been around since the 1600s. More to the point, peach brandy was the most profitable spirit and was being distilled in the American Colonies as early as 1645. But as other spirits became popular flavored brandy has taken a...
The Singleton Single Malt Scotch 12 Year ($45)
From Speyside, in Scotland’s northeastern region. Speyside is home to roughly half of Scotland’s distilleries, therefore the competition is keen. A single malt scotch has to stand out to be noticed. The Singleton offers complex notes of resin, light citrus, roasted...
Cointreau ($50)
Édouard Cointreau created his eponymous liqueur in 1885 using a distillation of all-natural sweet and bitter orange peels, sugar, water and using a neutral spirit as its base. Like many triple secs, the orange on this is obvious, as it should be, but so is the...
Cutler’s Apple Pie Liqueur ($26)
Cutler’s distillery was started by Ian Cutler in Santa Barbara in 2013, perhaps inheriting the distilling bug from his great-grandfather who was a bootlegger in Northern California in the gold rush days. This is exactly what you should expect from a liqueur labeled...
Larrikin Single Barrel High Wheat Rye ($100)
High wheat rye (here 65% rye and 35% wheat) is a bit of an oddity, but it may not be for much longer after this example finds wider recognition. It’s all about clean, light texture that carries deep flavor. The nose is wildly attractive, with zippy spice and...
Garrison Brothers “Guadalupe” Port Cask Finished Bourbon ($130)
An earlier iteration of this bottling took a Platinum Award at the 2023 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge, and this 2024 release took a step up to become the 2025 event’s Brown Spirit of the Year. It again testifies to the validity of the current...
Santa Teresa 1796 Solera Rum ($40)
Here’s a rum that will blow your mind with aromatic liveliness and complexity. With the glass sitting literally 18 inches from my nose, its scents entice with notes of caramel, vanillin and layered fall spice – sort of an edgy Bananas Foster vibe. On the palate things...
Familia Camarena Tequila Reposado ($26)
I’m always impressed when I taste this Reposado, and I’m even more impressed when it rises to the top in a blind tasting against much more expensive competition, as it has done in several spirits competitions over the last few years. This is what Reposado should be –...
Crema De Alba Liqueur ($25)
This takes the cream liqueur category in a distinctly Spanish direction, with rich chocolate cream aromas that get an interesting twist from a sherried note on the nose and in the finish that serves to deepen the cacao nib and cream character. I’m personally not...
Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Single Barrel ($79)
This is a new barrel number from the last iteration that I tasted, but the quality level remains very high in this barrel, as you might expect. The approach here isn’t the “take your breath away” smack in the nose, but rather a rich caramel and apple pie aromatic that...
Larrikin Bourbon Co. “American Maple” ($60)
As an unabashed fan of Maple Syrup, the label gets my attention, and the product delivers on the promise, with hints of maple and toasty oak on the nose. A silky entry and clean midpalate texture keep the maple character alive, with the oak tones sidling up nicely....
Weldon Mills Reserve Bourbon Barrel Proof ($65)
High proof Bourbons continue to grab market share from more traditional offerings, and while I generally don’t use them in cocktailing, they certainly have their own unique charms. This is bottling always in the conversation as one of the best, maintaining a...
Weldon Mills Bourbon “Soldier’s Cut” ($45)
With all the high proof Bourbon out there (some of the best are made by this same producer) it’s nice to have solid lower proof options for sipping or cocktailing when balance is important to you. This is perfectly suited for use when either Bourbon or Rye is called...
Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon ($170)
It’s always educational to taste a bourbon that hasn’t been cut – you get a clear picture of what happens in the cask, with everything set in sharp relief. With something like this particular bombastic character, try it neat first to get all the pure corn and rye...
Monkey in Paradise Vodka ($22)
Built to take on the Tito’s juggernaut, this is well positioned to take the lead in the marketplace. Distilled seven times, it’s got a nice clean texture without completely obliterating its corn characteristics. Accents of flint and wet stone add depth depth, and it...
Barrell Dovetail Whiskey ($90)
Barrell has long produced an excellent line of unique, blended whiskies and bourbons. As one of their least expensive whiskies, Dovetail delivers the quality you should expect. The nose is initially a light rum note, followed by traditional whiskey notes. Sourced from...
Bosscal Mezcal Joven ($55)
Bosscal Mezcal Joven, produced in the Mexican state of Durango, is crafted by a 4th generation Mezcalero. The agave is cooked with volcanic rock in earth ovens, then ground by hand before being fermented in oak wood vats and finally double-distilled. Bosscal Joven is...
Backwards Distilling Strongman Gin ($45)
Backwards Distilling, based in Wyoming, claims that five times more juniper is used in their gin than in other gins. They also boast of using three types of peppercorns and 11 different botanicals. To a degree, the additional juniper and pepper are noticeable, but so...
Mijenta Tequila Blanco ($50)
Mijenta launched their first Tequila in 2020 and this additive free blanco is two-times distilled in copper pots. Though it hits with the agave notes straight off, there is a surprisingly muddled entry with light sweetness competing for cooked agave notes. In short...
Adelaide’s Creamsicle Liqueur ($17)
Adelaide's Dreamsicle Liqueur is pretty eye-catching for its orangey-sunset colors, and its nose catching as well with aromas of fresh squeezed blood orange, orange blossom, and cream. The palate is filled with creamsicle notes in a way that is soft and tactile but...
Three Chord Bourbon: Allman Brothers ($200)
Three Chord was begun by musician Neil Giraldo (Pat Benatar band mate) and aims to trying to capture music in brown spirit form. To a large degree, Giraldo has had much success with earlier expressions. This collaboration with the Allman Brothers uses their “Eat a...
Molinari Sambuca Extra ($28)
Sambuca's roots can be traced to 1851 in Civitavecchia, a port town 50 miles northeast of Rome, when Luigi Manzi came up with the first commercially sold Sambuca. Yet the most well-known Sambuca brand is Molinari, which started in 1945. A sweet and...
Jian Nan Chan Baijiu ($50)
Baijiu (pronounced “bye-joe”) is one of the oldest white spirits on the plant. Yet few people, it seems, have ever had it – unless you live in China, and Baijiu is the de facto celebratory alcoholic beverage. Jian Nan Chun is one of the oldest distilleries...
Hine Cognac Rare VSOP ($55)
Begun in the mid-1700s, Hine Cognac combines “around twenty” different eaux-du-vie from various sources in and around Cognac, creating a final blend to age at their Maison. That said, they don’t release an exact aging statement - they state at least four years –...