Tastes
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Extremely different from my wheelhouse. Fresh, sweet, round, and floral. Apricot and honeydew. Jasmine. Fresh white grape must. Quite distinct from aged spirits, there is a saccharine stevia sweetness that is inescapable, yet underneath that my tastebuds toggle between yeasty hefeweizen beer, Medjool dates, sweet simple syrup, and crisp green bean vegetal notes. Raw egg white. Agree whole-heartedly with the reviewer's oolong - somewhere between green and oxidized tea. Everything works surprisingly well but is totally in left field versus my expectations and preferences. The youth and single distillation seem to reinforce the impression of unaged spirit, but cohesive and soft, without any prevailing ethanol note that one would expect. I have to peg this as a success because most of the factors I could construe as detractors seem to be based in my lack of familiarity rather than a lack of quality. Fresh, young, vibrant, and inescapably floral, this is clearly a good value. I'll need to continue my pisco education.24.0 USD per Bottle
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Plantation Pineapple Stiggins' Fancy Rum
Flavored Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed January 30, 2021 (edited August 1, 2021)A deep, rich orange. Vegetal nose, pineapple for sure but sharing a kinship with rye whiskey. A twinge of spice. Sweet syrup, then the pineapple builds. Prominently features the bark: grassy, bitter, and fresh, with pineapple juice complimenting around the edges. That bitter edge offsets the sweet, with a delicate burn and spice that lingers. Really nicely done, and complex in a way that conventionally flavored rums can only dream of. Creamy coconut evokes pina colada. Gentle fruit and floral notes. Somewhere between a rum and liqueur, this is a quality option on the shelf that is not imitated by merely mixing rum with pineapple juice. Worth a try.26.0 USD per Bottle -
Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro
Amaro — Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Reviewed January 21, 2021 (edited August 1, 2021)A striking aroma right out of the bottle, no nosing necessary. While it edges toward pungent, there is some intrigue about it. Earth, bitter roots, medicine, some citrus, rain-soaked campfire ash. Not phenolic, like a peated scotch... more like, "evocative." of smoke. Not explicitly bad, but also not a selling point. Unique, no doubt. Unusually cloudy. Whereas most liqueurs are transparent, no matter how dark, this is milky and opaque - a chalky chocolate brown. Not explicitly bad, but also not a selling point. Unique, no doubt. An above-average sweetness opens the palate, quickly revealing veins of smoked vegetation and a rich, molasses-y pumpernickel rye, then rides a building wave of bitterness throughout the mouth, which echoes for minutes. Rhubarb, obviously, but not your grandma's pie (maybe your nonna's, though). Cola. Oregano. Citrus. Menthol. Walnut. Toothpaste. Cocoa. Fennel. Explicitly: not bad, and grows on you as you start to see how it all comes together... there is the selling point. Unique, no doubt.20.0 USD per Bottle -
Relatively deep mahogany brown. Caramelly vin santo nose. Not as sugary as expected based on how this one is often described. Offers a pleasing, modest sweetness that plays cherry and vanilla well to the forefront, but I think it presents sweeter than reality because it isn’t tempered by much of any acidic or bitter elements. Bittering agents stay well in the shadows, and the herbal components are present but very subtle. Gentle nutty, cola notes. Extremely well-executed and high-quality, but… perhaps not quite all that interesting? Still, it's good-to-great and makes a knockout “sweet” Manhattan just begging for those amazing candied Italian cherries - Maraschino or Amarena... pick your favorite. Side-by-side with Cocchi and I wouldn’t see a reason to pick this one given how much more expensive it is and surprisingly less complex.35.0 USD per Bottle
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Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino
Vermouth — Italy
Reviewed January 19, 2021 (edited September 30, 2022)Medium brown. Orange, cola, raisin, and hint of menthol and bitter roots on the nose. The palate is the nose, amplified. I can’t escape the notion of a cherry coke, but sweetened only with pressed raisins. A relatively thin body, considering the weighty appearance. The sweet fruits and vanilla start, then turn to raisin/port, then the mint notes and bittering agents take over, finally coming full circle to off-sweet citrus, cherry and vanilla to linger and dance with a gentle bitterness. The sugar is just right on this, and the flavors are complex but cohesive. Great value for a higher quality vermouth. Side-by-side with Carpano Antica, and I’d select this one for the more interesting bitter notes and is only 60% of the price.20.0 USD per Bottle -
Banks 5 Island Rum
Silver Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed January 11, 2021 (edited March 19, 2021)Bright and clear, modest weight but leaves decadent legs cascading down the glass, surprising considering its low proof and probable youth. Hogo slaps the nose, married quite appealingly to a bouquet of young tropical fruits and herbal notes. Pineapple, banana peel. Oregano. 100% agree with a previous taster’s tarragon. Brown rice? Simultaneously assertive, complex, yet smooth as silk. Clean, young, and bright. Can inhale all day. Really nice. Uh oh. The palate is great too. A dash of sweet syrup and pineapple juice tangoes with the aromatics from the nose, then settles across the tongue with bitter lime pith, mint, and a touch of saccharine. Thin vein of Tahitian vanilla. Finally, those herbs return and settle across the tongue, throwing the finish off marginally with a bitter, earthy vibe instead of a tropical sunset. A modest critique, at most. Did we just become best friends? Yep! This is one heck of a lot of affordable fun. Wow. Leave it to E&A Scheer. If you dig young, expressive rum: this is your jam to drink neat. If you dig clean, charismatic rum as cocktail fodder: this is your jam to shake with fruit juice. If you dig neither of those things: just give me one sunny Saturday and I can probably overwrite your operating system.20.0 USD per Bottle -
Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed January 7, 2021 (edited March 19, 2021)Lukas KCMO, 2018. OESK 10y2m. 115.2. Been open quite a while, half full. Was challenged by this pour at the start and been slow to embrace. Long past time for a formal tasting. Well... sort of. Wish I was kidding, but am tasting neat from a previously-filled pint glass. Desperate times... An attractive deep orange-brown. Modest weight and sheeting. Very fruity nose with red hots, brown sugar and caramel. Zesty and notably vegetal. Not gentle, but a huge + on the score sheet. Spicy all day. Pleasing viscosity. A mild sweetness carries the full length of the tasting but takes a clear backseat to assertive tongue spice. Some cream. Lemon drop, then cinnamon mingles with hot pepper capsaicin. A wave of caramel. Right back to the hot salsa tongue tingle. Mellows with bubble gum, more lemon, and pecan pie. Bitter grapefruit peel. Cinnamon returns through the long finish. Lingering lactose. Torn on this one. 100% good whiskey. Probably even great to certain palates. But maybe not mine? Academically, I can appreciate this, but my admitted sweet tooth yearns for the (slightly) cheaper ECBP. I will enjoy this bottle but would not repurchase at the typical 4RSiB SP price (usually $70+ these days). I've had other recipes that were a better match for my palate.65.0 USD per Bottle -
Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still Black Rum
Dark Rum — Jamaica
Reviewed December 28, 2020 (edited August 14, 2021)Appearance: Dark brown, presumably heavily colored as with all black rums (not sure I'd touch anything turned this color by a barrel!). A thin body. Negligible legs. Nose: I'd be surprised if this was unusually high-ester, but low-ester it is not, as its heritage is clear on first sniff as it invades the nose with tropical vegetation, a pronounced sour edge, and an undercurrent of gently sulfured molasses. Bright acidic fruits lead - papaya; passion fruit - laced with floral notes, but transformed and deepened by molasses and ripe banana peel. No ethanol singe, but not for the faint of heart regardless. <side rant> "funk" and "hogo" don't resonate with me as descriptors, despite their ubiquity. I get the benefit of a quick way to describe the style, but it seems like they are often used to describe: - all Jamaican rums, even where not applicable whatsoever or extremely subtle (ex: aged Appleton rums) and - extremely complex flavor profiles, in a single catchall word, that can differ wildly from one expression to the next which ultimately throws a lot of beautiful, assertive spirits and all of their myriad component flavors and differences into one "note". </side rant> Opening: sweet and rich syrup, subtle molasses Mid-palate: tart tropical fruits from the nose build then fade to growing oak astringency with a vein of Juicy Fruit gum Finish: brief flash on the swallow; lingering dryness and the molasses returns for a lengthy finish Empty glass: prunes all day; smells like a port and it's delightful Very satisfying overall. Don't have a good feel for value without tasting competition (Corbua? others?). Head and shoulders above Myers's in refinement and depth. Gosling's is half the price and would still be my preference for Dark & Stormys, but this has much more character, plays lead instead of 3rd chair like Goslings, and was a delightful foil for the creamy, sweet spices in coquitos over the holiday.28.0 USD per Bottle -
Papa's Pilar Dark Rum
Dark Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed December 25, 2020 (edited September 12, 2021)An interesting approach to a rum, bordering on "the kitchen sink": solera vatting rums from 5 countries (perhaps even more unique recipes) including some of their own distillate, using bourbon, port, and sherry casks, and likely being a little loose in the dosage/flavoring department. Nothing to do but give it a whirl! The bottle and (distillery-only) cap are both extravagantly pleasing to the touch and very heavy. Unfortunately, while this makes the cap feel quite special, like an unearthed Spanish doubloon, the bottle is so heavy, wide, and smooth that its tiny central spout is tragically frustrating to pour. An odd gripe, but prominently noticeable. A very dark brown with long, treacly, sugar-aided legs. The nose is quite appealing but eventually I settled on imitation maple syrup… or a combination of aromas that add up to maple syrup without actually containing it. Strong vanilla. Graham cracker. Shares an unexpected but striking kinship with Angel’s Envy (rum barrel) Finished Rye. Quite pleasant on the surface, but unsettling as a veteran of distilled spirits who prizes authenticity. The palate opens sweet but just avoids syrupy, perhaps due to a thin body. This undoubtedly has added sugar, but I’d wager it is a smidge less than the worst offenders: Diplomatico, Zacapa, et al. More maple syrup and charred oak dominate the flavors. Brown sugar rounds into molasses. Vanilla cavendish tobacco. Sweetness along with the oak, quasi-maple, and vanilla resonate through the finish while a touch of astringency dries the mouth. At the end of the day there are a number of things to enjoy about this, but an impression of artificiality saps most of the excitement.40.0 USD per Bottle -
GlenDronach Original 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed December 25, 2020 (edited March 19, 2021)A deep, blood-stained ochre. Thick and oily sheets follow a swirl. Sherry leaps out of the glass, riding the grain-forward nose. Bitter orange and red grapes. Fruity. Enticing. Strong floral notes captivate the senses, like a desert garden. Near-zero ethanol. The palate opens sweet, rich and luscious with juicy raspberry and orange, culminates into a decidedly sharp and drying metallic tang, a bit gingery on later tastes... then fading back into mouth-filling dried fruits – prune, fig, and apricot. Hints of black walnut. The lingering finish carries notes of allspice and ginger. Pleasing and decadent, but imperfect. Sherry-dominated by design, but not a “dessert dram” in my book as the nose and first taste belie an aggressive mid-palate. Enjoyable and I’d recommend for those who like prominent fruit profiles but don't mind a bold and well-spiced adventure to get there, but priced a touch above its competition.62.0 USD per Bottle
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