Spirits
Reviews
Cazadores Reposado Tequila ($32)
For a reposado, this is very light in color. At first this might be of concern, however this keeps the usual earthy, spice notes of the agave, and adds just a slight amount of sweetness, noticeable from the brief aging in barrel. The Tequila rests for over two months...
6 O’Clock Damson Gin ($40)
As gins go, this Damson deviates quite a bit from traditional gin, as all Damson gins do. Damson gin is more of a liqueur made from damson plums macerated in a sugar and gin syrup for eight weeks or more. The plum notes are quite evident, but it lacks any specific gin...
Cazadores Paloma ($14.99/4pak)
A standard simple cocktail, the Paloma has unclear origins (typical of many cocktails), but many experts believe it was created in Mexico City in the 1950s or earlier. The Paloma is comprised of Tequila, lime juice and grapefruit soda, and though uncomplicated, it is...
Koval Bourbon Whiskey ($21)
This single barrel, distilled in Chicago, offers a surprising mash bill: 51% corn and 49% millet. The corn isn’t unusual — all bourbon has to be made from 51% corn by law — so the millet is the wild card here. This is less sweet than most bourbons on the market and...
Baby Jane Bourbon ($50)
Whatever happened to Baby Jane? She became bourbon. Widow Jane Distillery out of Brooklyn offers this blended bourbon whiskey, light amber in color with golden hues. The nose is immediate butterscotch, cinnamon and caramel. The background is light cinnamon and nutmeg,...
Templeton Rye ($35)
Templeton offers a definitive note of rye, which should be expected. The spiciness is not strong, however, and is well integrated into the bourbon as a whole. There are light notes of resin, butterscotch and sugared almond along with bright but subtle citrus notes....
Redwood Empire “Emerald Giant” Rye Whiskey ($37)
Typically rye whiskey is either a potent pedal to the metal spicy rye, or a calm and tranquil version. You don’t get much in between. The point of the rye as a base is obviously the spicy notes it brings. There is a very nice viscosity to this, but it’s a little...
Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey ($32)
Flavored brown spirits are nothing new, yet the novelty can come across as a one trick pony. I’d heard of Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey for well over a year and, frankly, though salted caramel is wonderful, I wondered whether it could work as a flavored...
Redwood Empire “Pipe Dream” Bourbon Whiskey ($37)
This is less sweet than most bourbons, which is a nice change of pace, but it does offer noticeable, resin, caramel, and butterscotch, apricot and citrus zest, browned butter and pepper spice. It has a soft entry with a little bite in the back pallet. There is also an...
Reserva Don Armando Tequila Añejo Cristalino ($55)
Añejo Tequila is aged in wood, and that process adds an amber shade and some vanilla flavor to the finished product. A “Cristalino” goes through a process to remove the color while maintaining that vanilla note. This helps when making fancy cocktails where keeping...
Cierto Tequila Blanco, Private Collection ($79)
Blanco Tequila has quite a range of style and flavor profile possibilities as more and more folks get into the game. This version is right down the middle, focusing on pure agave character with a slightly reined in rusticity, letting notes of earth and pepper come...
Pennsylvania Dutch American Bourbon Cream Liqueur ($17)
“The cream of the crop” is quite the old saw, used to describe the best of the best, regardless of category. This product fits the bill in multiple ways, taking not only best Cream Liqueur honors at the Sommelier Challenge, but also grabbing the Spirit of the Year...
Besos de Angelica Mezcal Artesanal ($50)
There’s a lot to geek out on with this beautiful Mezcal, so I’ll toss out some terms that will get you in the mood for researching while sipping: Maguey. Agave Karwinskii. Cuishe. First Run. Joven. If you aren’t in the mood for research, just think “young, very...
Glenfiddich 12YO Single Malt Scotch ($47)
Glenfiddich has a long history, beginning with their first stills sparingly distilling Whisky in 1887. Today their Scotch Whisky is produced on a massive scale and you can find it everywhere. Their 12-Year-Old Single Malt is a slightly sweeter Scotch...
Costa Tequila Blanco ($37)
An interesting mix of highland and lowland agave from Jalisco that hits a widely appealing style, meaning that rides a fine line between rustic and refined, carefully blending the more fruited character of the highlands with the spice and earth tones of the lowlands....
Shucked Bourbon ($70)
Let's get shucked! Branded in subtly corny fashion, “Lulu’s Blend” cuts the corn with 21% rye, taming any corn based sweetness with lively rye spice tones. Seven years in the barrel has rounded the edges nicely without killing off the spice or going into overt vanilla...
Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Bourbon ($35)
These days, finishing a bourbon or whiskey in a non-standard barrel provides distillers with diverse options for finishing and gives consumers something new to try. Often the finishing process seems like a parlor game, using odd old barrels from Cognac, Sauternes,...
Austin Cocktails Cucumber Vodka Mojito ($15)
Vodka, lime, mint and cucumber comprise this very tasty RTD mojito. The cucumber is rather dominant, but aside from that the portions work well together and make for a simple quick and easy cocktail when you don’t want to mess with a home bar - or when you’re on the...
Arette Tequila Reposado ($28)
This fifth-generation family produces a fairly light version of repo, however it is nonetheless a solid effort. Additive free and made from all estate Blue Weber agave, it offers up definitive agave notes – earthy, lightly sweet and peppery, with resin notes, browned...
Shedcat Distillery Mountain Lion Tahoe Terroir Gin ($64)
As advertised by the label, this is a true taste of Tahoe, with plenty of juniper and spruce enhanced by a bright spearmint note – likely from the monardella in the mix, and a hint of bitterness from mugwort in the finish just to balance the brightness. Add in that...
Shedcat Distillery Mountain Lion Dry Gin ($54)
I’m always up for a stop into a Distillery that I might not be aware of if I hadn’t driven by, and I’m happy to report that Shedcat Distillery in South Lake Tahoe, California is more than worth a stop if you find yourself in the area. Their Dry Gin has a bright...
Shedcat Distillery “The Lynx” Grappa ($64)
I taste a fair amount of grappa, and much of it lives up to an old “fire water” sort of reputation. That said, there are producers who pay special attention to it with the aim of making an elevated product. Such is the case here. “The Lynx” is distinctively...
Lasso Colorado Wheat Whiskey 6 Year ($70)
Single barrel, small batch – these words are used far too often to illicit a response in consumers who may want something new, and often these terms do not have any meaning pertaining to the spirit. Though not shy from the first sip, Lasso has managed to craft a...
Rey Coyote Tequila Reposado ($56)
Out of the gate his intends on being a bold repo and it delivers on that promise. The nose is classic agave - slightly sweet, earthy and spicy. Slightly aggressive on the palate, There is nonetheless a pleasing viscosity trhoughout, with notes of caramel, cinnamon,...