Tastes
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When I first opened the bottle, it smelled like red wine, which is not a pleasant aroma to my tastes. When I poured myself a glass it smelled more fruity, with less of the acidic winey elements. When I tasted it, it was a mix of brown sugar, fruit, and a sort of rubbery flavor. At first it seemed a bit weird but overall I've come to enjoy it. The first sentence of the Distiller description (the "soul bass line" bit) is pretty accurate. It does have a subtle spice element to it and a major fruity profile but I don't really pick up on the specific flavor notes mentioned there. Overall it's pretty good and makes me want to try more stuff along these lines, either more from J.M. or just more agricole in general. So far I have slightly preferred Barbados rum or unaged agricole but I'm only just beginning to explore rum.31.5 USD per Bottle
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Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 29, 2020 (edited October 30, 2020)The aroma is thick and dark, with a sort of barbecue or woody feeling, and bits of spice. The flavor is full of spice with a underlying sweetness and a powerful kick. The finish lingers with a smoky taste and a slight tang. Distiller and other reviewers I've seen note the sweetness, but to me it doesn't taste especially sweet, and the spicy element is most prominent. Overall it's very full-flavored and tasty. Good for the price at about $25.25.5 USD per Bottle -
An interesting concoction, unlike anything I've had before (not that I've tried that many things, though). The flavor graph shown on Distiller is pretty accurate. The aroma is intensely fruity and flowery, with the fruitiness reaching to an "overripe" level reminiscent of a funky rum. It didn't strike me as altogether pleasant at first but it's grown on me. The taste is less distinctive but still quite strong. There is a grape-spirit flavor along with a fairly generic alcohol taste, and a faintly bitter, almost herbal dimension that adds some character. The finish has a bit of pepper. Overall it has slightly more bitterness than I'd prefer, but it's mixed with very appealing fruity and flowery aspects, so the total package is enjoyable. It has a light quality that's refreshing with ice on a hot day. The price is pretty good at $30. I could see myself getting this again.30.5 USD per Bottle
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Plantation Pineapple Stiggins' Fancy Rum
Flavored Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed September 9, 2020 (edited September 30, 2020)I have mixed feelings about this. I got it because it had high ratings on here from both experts and users, but I found it doesn't really live up to the hype. It's not bad by any means and it has a certain charm but I'm finding it's not something I feel like drinking very often. Of course, it's pineapple rum, so the prominent flavor note is pineapple. It's pretty well done, overall, in that it doesn't taste syrupy sweet or artificially pineapple flavored. In fact it almost doesn't "taste like" pineapple at all, but there is a sort of aura of pineapple, especially in the aroma. That aroma is quite nice; it's sweet and enticing. The taste is also sweet, but only partly pineapple-ish; there is a more generic sweetness that is similar to cognac. (Apparently Plantation ages most of their rums in cognac casks; not sure if that's true of this one.) There's also a fairly strong alcohol burn, which frankly is stronger than I think it ought to be for something that's otherwise so mellow and mild. That burn lingers on the finish along with some of the sweetness. This might be useful in making cocktails, I suppose. And like I said, it's not bad. Whenever I pull it out and have a glass I think, "Huh, yeah, this is interesting, kind of nice, but. . ." I probably won't buy this again, not because I dislike it but because there are other rums I like better or am interested to try out.32.0 USD per Bottle -
Clément Canne Bleue Rhum Blanc Agricole
Rhum Agricole Blanc — Caribbean, Martinique
Reviewed August 22, 2020 (edited July 26, 2021)Whoa! This is the first rhum agricole I've tried, but based on what I taste here, it definitely won't be the last. The smell is grassy, like everyone says, but not too grassy, and sugary in an interesting way. There's also a sort of general fruitiness, not that I could tell you exactly what fruits I'm talking about. The taste is clean and fresh, and also sugary, but not sweet exactly, it just "feels" like sugar. There are more fruit elements that blend with the sugar creating an effect sort of like lemon or lime frosting. All this is making it sound like it's syrupy sweet, but it's not at all, which is the remarkable thing about it; it has the feel of sugar without actually being sweet. The finish is like a wave that gradually rises and washes over you, becoming stronger and stronger, with some peppery effects along the way and a fairly powerful burn at the end. Great stuff and well worth the $30.30.0 USD per Bottle -
This came highly recommended and didn't disappoint. The smell is like a hearty loaf of bread with maybe a bit of cinnamon and honey. The taste has that same hearty quality and the rich, deep sweetness of maple syrup (but not too much). There is also a sharper element like citrus, and the whole thing has a soft, full, almost creamy texture. It's really nice. Unfortunately it's a bit too pricey for me to get on the regular, but no doubt I'll come back to this when I can resist no longer.57.0 USD per Bottle
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This is a real kick in the pants, for better or for worse. When you smell it, you get a powerful burst of raspberry followed immediately by a strong grassy aroma, as if someone smashed a raspberry against your nose and then pushed you face-first into a pile of lawn clippings. In the taste, the grassy element is again prominent. The raspberry dimension of the smell and taste is wonderful, but the grass dimension is a bit too prominent for my tastes. I can drink a little of it neat, but just as I'm enjoying the raspberry, the grass comes in and pushes it out. I have found, however, that it is a magical reagent for creating two-ingredient "cocktails". I've mixed it with whiskey, rum, liqueurs, etc. In such mixes, the raspberry aroma remains but the grassy part is more subdued (which is fine by me), and the result is often a new angle on the flavor of whatever I mixed with it, modifying but not overwhelming the other taste. All in all it's worth a try.37.0 USD per Bottle
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St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Floral Liqueurs — France
Reviewed June 17, 2020 (edited November 10, 2020)This has its uses, but a little goes a long way. It is very sweet, to me almost syrupy. The aroma is very flowery, and the taste is like a mix of Martinelli's white grape juice and lychee. I find that the supposed elderflower flavor is fairly subtle, less prominent than the grape base. I like sweet things overall, but this is too sweet for me to really enjoy it straight. Its potent flavor is useful in mixing though. When I have some other liquor that I like overall, but that has certain unpleasant elements in the flavor, I will sometimes add a dash of this. It blurs out the less prominent notes in the other flavor while the other liquor tempers the sweetness of the liqueur, and this often results in a taste that is more "average" but still usually pleasant. It is very versatile and can be mixed in this way with all kinds of things. I'm not a maker of complex cocktails but I could imagine this would work well there too. My bottle of St. Germain will probably last me a long time though, as using more than a small amount makes the resulting mix too sweet.32.0 USD per Bottle -
Old Pulteney 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 17, 2020 (edited July 21, 2020)There is a noticeable salty element in the aroma, along with honey. It doesn't taste salty, but it has a tartness that blends well somehow with the salt smell. The flavor is strongly fruity, reminiscent of raspberries and apples. The salt element in the experience here is interesting; it's mild, not seaweedy at all, and pleasantly unusual. Overall a distinctive and enjoyable mix of flavors. I was drinking the "old" version which is 43% ABV. Probably one of my favorite Scotches so far, and a good value for a single malt; I will have to see if the newer 40% version measures up. Fingers crossed.40.0 USD per Bottle -
Knappogue Castle 12 Year Bourbon Cask Matured
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed May 2, 2020 (edited May 12, 2020)This is pretty nice. Overall it's a honey-apple flavor, light and sweet with a hint of tartness. In some ways it is similar to Glenmorangie 10, but I like this a good bit more, because the flavor and finish continue sweet, not turning sour towards the end as I found with Glenmorangie. The only problem is this cost me $50. It's good, but probably not good enough to warrant spending that much again. Maybe once in a while.50.0 USD per Bottle
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