Tastes
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Templeton Rye Maple Cask Finish
Rye — Indiana (Bottled in Iowa), USA
Reviewed September 21, 2020 (edited March 21, 2021)Neat. Tumbler. Bottle is nearing retirement. Medium yellow-orange and a modestly oily appearance on the swirl. A crisp, bright aroma that permits very long nosings - oak, vanilla, and bell pepper. Dusty grain - rye and oats. The maple syrup is reticent until you wonder where its hiding, then BAM! There it is, front and center - thanks brain. Corn flakes. Definitely can see the reviewer's black tea and toasted pie crust components. Pretty clean and cohesive, but takes unreasonable effort to suss out the extra dimensions. Thin. Initial taste is sweet simple syrup - then the maple notes come back much more clearly on the tongue. Transitions quickly to a drying, vegetal, rye spice. Ethanol fumes are pervasive - oddly so since you can sniff this for weeks. It must behave quite differently once it has breached the fortress and can assault the sinuses from within. Nice and tingly afterward with oak astringency and lingering chocolate notes, more rye, cooked carrots, and pepper. There is appeal there, but the spice and fumes attack as much as they entice. Some promise to the formula, but ultimately more aggressive than would be preferred. Notably, does not seem showcase the cinnamon+Angostura/gentian profile (i.e. flavoring) typical of the standard releases, but perhaps it's there and just masked in the finishing. Okay, a second pour to conclude tasting notes means the bottle got fast-tracked and took the severance package. Honestly I used this mostly for Manhattans where the sweetness plus mule kick of fumes and rye played a bit better than most 51%ers do to my palate. Not terrible, but also not great. For the price, no regrets taking a flier on it, but nothing I will miss on the shelf now that it's gone. That's the definition of a 3-star rating to me.30.0 USD per Bottle -
Wild Turkey Bourbon 101
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed September 11, 2020 (edited August 20, 2021)Neat. Glencairn. A crystal clear yellow-orange, nearly ochre color, with modest viscosity. Noticeably leggy. Not unexpected, but consistently “proofy” on the nose. Some toffee, vanilla, and oak are discernible around the edges. Maybe a touch of jasmine tea. OK, but not a strength. The palate, however… yum. Buttery sweet right off the bat, morphing into salted caramel, cinnamon, then finally some mild oak astringency. Tangy apricot. Vanilla. Dusty hay. Corn syrup. Really just flat out drinkable. A couple fumes may tease one’s sensitivities, but certainly not unpleasant – only a bit brash. Mouthfeel isn't especially remarkable and finish is simple, but I dislike nothing here. A clear VFM rockstar, despite Turkey products being hit or miss to my preferences. A bit on the sweet side and not overly complex, but I'd be surprised if a lot of folks wouldn't pick this more often than not in a blind tasting vs. the latest overpriced boutique bourbon. Universally obtainable and not a sexy choice because you probably took shots of it in college, this deserves consideration as your house bourbon served to guests from a decanter to bypass preconceived notions. Sippable neat, on ice, or in a cocktail. A handle of this would disappear mighty quick shared around a campfire. Thanks to the Russells for a deliciously unpretentious and affordable pour.14.0 USD per Bottle -
Duckett Blue Rum
Other Sugarcane — Franklin County, Missouri, USA
Reviewed August 10, 2020 (edited August 14, 2020)Small startup distillery outside St. Louis. Strong focus on a craft approach and authenticity, no additives, everything done onsite - fermentation through bottling. Agricole-style reportedly using fresh cane and occasionally even dunder (perhaps not universally). Easy to get behind that level of commitment and business model. Unaged. 100 proof. Batch 007, 2019 bottling. A unique bottle shape with a sturdy look and attractive labels, albeit not particularly conveying "rhum" visually. A few re-directed photons shy of being totally vodka clear. Thin body with lots of thin legs. A "proofy" nosing experience with plenty of ethanol to spice the nostrils amplified by some punchy Agricole zest. Not harsh, but the nose is a detractor when sipped neat. I think a number of elements add up to a less than aromatic combination: a tropical fruit undertone of pineapple and papaya, jasmine flowers, bell pepper and cut vegetation that takes an unwelcome turn into flat and musty cereal grain with a few rubbing alcohol notes. Hopefully something that can be improved along the way for a distiller still honing their craft. Hints of sweetness up front on the tongue, then white pepper tingles the sides and cheeks. Creamy. Minerality and yellow squash gives way to resonating coppery notes that dry the mouth and aggressively draw saliva. Absolutely a fresh cane style untempered by the lack of aging. There is a lot to like on the palate, and the sweetness becomes more prominent with subsequent sips and teases an ethereal kinship with Scottish grain whiskies. Honeysuckle. White grappa. Honeydew. Pencil wood. Not a glowing review, but a hopeful one. I think there is huge potential here, and they really have no business doing this well at an extremely assertive spirit that wouldn't surprise me if it took generations to truly get dialed in. Don't know how often I'll sip this, but I think it has the flavor and oomph to shine in a handful of cocktails, and I'll be keeping my eye on Nobleton's House in the future and not afraid to try something new from them.25.0 USD per Bottle -
St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Austria
Reviewed August 10, 2020 (edited August 14, 2020)Rating is subjective without a comparison, but this is the "name brand" and even just 1/4 oz of this is a flat knockout in a tiki cocktail. So much delicious flavor. Neat, a tiny nip fills the mouth and quickly dwarfs the sweet introduction, drying the tongue and cheeks with astringency and baking spice, even adventuring timidly into the nasal reaches. Allspice (duh) that invites thoughts of clove and molasses - approaching, but not quite, black strap. Perhaps this won't be for some folks, but, um, sign me up. Not terribly pricey and a 750ml will last forever. Equally at home most everywhere its buddy Angostura might show up.27.0 USD per Bottle -
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
Triple Sec/Curaçao — Cognac, France
Reviewed August 10, 2020 (edited January 11, 2021)Tasting after a little nip of $5/L triple sec for perspective. Night-and-day: a vastly different product than the sweetened orange water (juice, not peel). Certainly this is a few bucks more, but serves a different function. Complex, rich, and tannic. Sweet syrup carries a dominant bitter orange flavor throughout, but builds into a pronounced snap of nearly-astringent oak and concentrated baking spice, then mellows again into vanilla orange nirvana. That crescendo would be a delicious cookie - toasted walnut, oatmeal, raisin, ginger, clove, and molasses. The sugar level is notable, by design, but does not dominate. A deeply flavorful product for complex cocktails or pairings. Honestly, I would not consider using this in a traditional, fresh, citrus-y blanco tequila margarita (my favorite). All the baking flavors and barrel notes are begging to be used in modest proportions (0.25-0.5 oz in a cocktail) and matched with aged spirits.24.0 USD per Bottle -
John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum
Other Liqueurs — Barbados
Reviewed August 10, 2020 (edited August 24, 2020)Certainly can't knock the O.G., but an interesting experiment to taste on its own. Very syrupy; all of the flavors present extremely mildly. Perhaps someone who'd never had it before could mistake it for a slightly funky simple syrup. I imagine competitors and homemade versions being much more assertive. Creamy on the palate and quite sweet, it's gently rounded with hints of marzipan, lime, ginger and perhaps a fleeting clove. Fresh cane is present but barely. This all sums to a characteristic flavor and nose that is readily identifiable but very hard to place due to complexity and mildness. Regardless, it's tasty, well-made, and does what is intended in a whole host of tiki drinks, flavor and texture-wise. Unlike other (semi-)obscure liqueurs, it is extremely affordable.14.5 USD per Bottle -
Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — France
Reviewed August 10, 2020 (edited December 21, 2020)Operation: rate the cocktail ingredients continues. Really nice ginger bite, although I’d characterize it as definitively dried/ground, rather than fresh. Think ginger snaps instead of stir fry. Might be making that up. Medium-high sweetness, very thick body.25.0 USD per Bottle -
Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear Liqueur
Fruit Liqueurs — Oberosterreich, Austria
Reviewed August 10, 2020Nice moderated sweetness as I've found in all R&M fruit liqueurs, which is a big pro. Can always add sugar to a cocktail through other means, hard to take it away. Mild nose, also common. First instinct is to say the pear taste is tragically mild, but must remind myself that applies to pears in general, so perhaps an accurate expression. Quite nice, actually, but for nuanced cocktails only. Will easily get lost in anything too bold. As always, props for use of the actual fruit eau de vie.21.0 USD per Bottle -
Tasty but somewhat reserved apricot... would like it turned up a bit. First thought is candied apricot rather than fresh, not due to overall sweetness just a "variant" of the flavor. Not syrupy, and I also appreciate the use of eau de vie from the same apricots used for the infusion, if only for the mentality of authenticity vs. its grain neutral alcohol using competition, not sure I could tell there is a net boost taste-wise.21.0 USD per Bottle
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Affordable and pleasant. Full peachy flavor; almost tangy with only a modest sweetness. Avoids the usual syrupy liqueur profile. Made with eau de vie from the same peaches used for the infusion for a big authenticity boost over its competition which generally skip the hassle and use grain neutral alcohol.21.0 USD per Bottle
Results 71-80 of 309 Reviews