Tastes
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Archie Rose Original Vodka
Botanical Spirit — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed November 29, 2020 (edited August 5, 2022)Nose: Crisp, clean with mild but well-defined botanical components. Light citrus, green apple skins, a hint of raspberry (but very delicate), mint, coriander and eucalyptus (also very delicate). There is a floral quality to the overall nose. Palate: Faintly sweet arrival with a mild white pepper bite. Yuzu and green apple in the development with a hint of liquorice. The mouthfeel is creamy and silken. Finish: Medium/short. Mineral and light pepper finish tailing into a clean, fresh aftertaste with just a suggestion of citrus. I was uncertain where to classify this spirit because although Archie Rose simply call it their “Original” vodka it is unmistakably a botanical spirit and not simply unflavoured vodka. However, neither is it what I think of as a “flavoured” vodka. There is no heavy-handed injection of flavourings here but instead a subtle and diaphanous infusion of complex botanicals. Mrs Cascode & I attended a gin-blending course yesterday (despite the torrid 41 degree Celsius weather in Sydney!) and we tasted this vodka as part of a flight of spirits following the event. When tasted in isolation this presents as a very delicately flavoured vodka but in the context of several gins, and especially once you have tasted some of their undiluted botanical extracts, it is obvious that this is basically Archie Rose’s Signature Gin executed with a lighter touch and no juniper component at all (and I suspect no coriander or orris root either). Very refreshing, it works well with tonic and also with soda water for a lighter-bodied long drink, and for me anyway it is far more interesting taken neat than any unflavoured vodka I’ve tasted. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)69.0 AUD per Bottle -
Suze Gentian Liqueur
Bitter Liqueurs — France
Reviewed November 26, 2020 (edited September 22, 2023)Appearance (neat): Chrome yellow. Appearance (diluted): Pale canary yellow. Aroma (neat): Crisp, clear, clean gentian extract. Some earthy herbal and root extract notes. Flavour (neat): Sugary, honeyed sweetness at first, followed by a growing awareness of bitterness. Initially the bitterness is one-note, but with time complexity is obvious with turmeric, saffron and juniper all being clearly identifiable. The texture is full and mouth-coating, but not syrupy. Suze is one of the more difficult bitter liqueurs to get to know and use effectively. It’s not an aperitivo like Aperol nor is it an amaro that can stand on its own as an aperitif or digestif. It’s somewhere in between and can be enjoyed equally neat over ice or as a cocktail ingredient. It breaks the rules and does not go particularly well with prosecco, but can be balanced by a sweet asti sparkling wine to create a very pleasant and refreshing long drink. It also rebels against tonic but gets on very well with lemonade. Surprisingly, it loves rouge vermouth. Unlike many amari and aperitifs that employ gentian, either in solo or as a duet with wormwood, in order to add a bitter quality, Suze goes the whole distance and is based squarely on that herbal extract with many other subtle aromatics in support. Its apparent immediate simplicity belies the complexity of the drink and proves that gentian, like juniper, is a subtle and multi-faceted aromatic. A fascinating and initially quirky aperitif that grows on you once you acquire the taste. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)55.0 AUD per Bottle -
Select Aperitivo Liqueur
Bitter Liqueurs — Veneto, Italy
Reviewed November 26, 2020 (edited June 18, 2024)Appearance (neat): Ruby red. Appearance (diluted): Bright red Aroma (neat): Thyme, sage, red grapes, potpourri, citrus peel, lavender and violet. An earthy root-extract and seed spice note. Flavour (neat): Sweet citrus and herbal notes with a full spicy quality. Quite a rich taste of citrus peel, but it’s sweet citrus, not bitter and is supported by some excellent sweet berry notes. There is a definite bitter quality but I believe that is coming from gentian. Very pleasant neat or just on the rocks and there is a more distinct dry bitterness in the aftertaste than with other aperitivo. Flavour (with prosecco): Very well balanced between bitter, sour and sweet with some fine warm herbal tones. Overall, in comparison to its closest rival, Aperol, Select displays a more elegant, aloof and bitter profile. It does not have the immediately entrancing citrus fruit-bowl character of Aperol, but instead relies on a more “grapey” quality and a richer type of herbal bitterness. On the other hand it is not nearly as outright bitter as Campari. Absolutely delightful, and to my mind anyway one of the finest aperitivo. If an Aperol spritz is something to enjoy relaxing in a beach chair at the seaside, the natural home of a Select spritz is at a café in the glorious Piazza San Marco, the “drawing room of Europe” (which Napoleon probably didn’t say, but he should have). Why is my review the first one here, and why is there no official review? Wake up, Distiller crew. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)45.0 AUD per Bottle -
Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select
Tennessee Whiskey — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed November 25, 2020 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Banana, oak, brown sugar, pencil shavings, cigar box and a little spice. There’s a hefty spirit nip on the nose. When diluted, the nose develops a dusty-corn aroma which is pleasant but it also attenuates the rest of the nose dramatically. Palate: A solid arrival that balances between sweet cereal and bitter oak tannin. Baked banana, peach tart, bitter orange peel, raisins and dried dates on the development which veers towards more intense bitterness over time. Some tobacco notes, cherry cola syrup and black tea, all coming from the cask. Adding a dash of water brings out considerable sweetness to modulate the tannins. Finish: Short. An ethanol grip that settles down into a slightly sour peppery aftertaste. When watered the finish is more gradual and mild, and a slight peppermint note is detected. Not as cloying as Old No.7, and not as easy and candied as Gentleman Jack. There is a tight tannic backbone to this whiskey that certainly gives it character and balance, but that said it’s not much more than an average spirit. I greatly preferred it with just a splash of water – about half a teaspoon. It seemed to offset what is otherwise a rather “raw” palate when neat. Needless to say it plays very well with Coke. The big problem with this in my area is the expense – this usually costs about the same here as a bottle of Lagavulin 16. That’s just wrong. Tasted from a 50ml retail sample. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)105.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Artificial berry aromas, both in a good and bad way (see below). Palate: Sweet, strongly artificial berry flavour. Benedryl cough mixture. The texture should be creamy but the flavour is so harsh it combats the texture. There is a sour, mineral-like note. Finish: Short, but not short enough. The artificial berry flavour lingers. This is the last of the 4 tasting samples in the Absolut pack I bought recently, and I intentionally saved what I thought would be either the best or the worst for last. It is the worst. There is a moment, one pure golden moment, when you first nose this that you think – “oh, this is nice, it smells just like fresh berries”. That lasts about 2 seconds. Then your senses are overcome by the irresistible impression that what you are really smelling is berry-flavoured soft drink. This sort of unbalances you, but only for a moment, and you adjust and think “OK, that’s not quite what I thought at first, but it’s alright”. Then the bomb drops. Suddenly, as if it is smashing through a brick wall, you get an overpowering waft of berry-flavoured cough syrup, and the dream is shattered. Then you taste it, and all your worst fears are realized. Artificial berry flavour by the container-load and nothing else. The slide from positive to negative on this profile is vertiginous. It’s a very poor flavoured vodka, and there is no way I’d recommend this. The Absolut Lime and Citron are good spirits and I would consider buying either as a gin alternative to have with tonic. The Vanilla vodka is a bit strange, but fun and palatable. This is just ... not nice. Its only saving grace is that the underlying spirit is of excellent quality. Tasted from a 50ml retail sample. “Poor” : 60/100 (1 star)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Butterscotch! Palate: Sweet arrival with vanilla and butterscotch flavours just barely covering the ethanol foundation. The texture is creamy. Finish: Short. Dilute caramel in the aftertaste. Whoa! That was unexpected. After trying Absolut Lime and Citron flavoured vodkas I was expecting this one to be straight-up vanilla essence, but it is nothing of the kind. Why did they not call this Butterscotch Vodka and be done with it, because that is for sure what it is. Big, warm, hefty and slightly floral but the toffee notes are much more prominent. I guess there is a resemblance to the sort of vanilla flavour you get in Vanilla Coke, but this is really something quite different, and all of its own. It’s so artificial and strange it’s oddly compelling, but unlike the Lime and Citron Absolute (which are deliciously smooth and crazy easy to drink) there is some alcohol heat to this. It’s OK, and I’m sure there are countless ways it can be enjoyed. As with all the Absolut I’ve tasted thus far it has no particular faults, however whereas the citrus-based versions go very well with tonic as gin replacements I don’t think this would work in that context. It would probably go well with coffee and it could be killer as the vodka in an espresso martini! I’m probably the worst person in the world to rate this. I can only critique it on the basis of what I like and this is a spirit that I would probably not use very much. However, if you are looking for an interesting new mixer or something fun and unusual to take to a party then you might well rate it much more generously. Tasted from a 50ml retail sample. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Delicate lemon aroma – not like zest or juice, more like the smell of lemon gelato. Palate: Sweet with a very mild lemon arrival and you definitely taste that characteristic ethanol “vanilla” character. The lemon flavour is demure and does not cover the alcohol but it is not too faint either. The texture is good, creamy and smooth, but not quite as full as the texture of their Lime vodka. Finish: Very short. Hardly anything other than sweetish ethanol, but absolutely no off-notes. I wasn’t planning to taste the rest of the vodkas in my 4-pack of Absolut tasters today but the Lime flavour made such a good impression I had to explore further. This is very pleasant neat, refreshing and disarmingly easy to drink over ice, and delightful with a spot of tonic. I’m sure it also works well in cocktails and would probably team very well with Coke for those who don’t like their soft drink polluted with “brown liquor” flavours. I bet it also has an affinity for rum and Tiki drinks. There’s not much more to add. It’s palatable and there is nothing to criticize. I’m rating this a fraction lower than Lime Absolut as I felt that spirit had a little more presence and verve, but if you prefer a more subtle profile you could justifiably reverse the two scores. Tasted from a 50ml retail sample. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Lime zest, lime juice, a hint of ethanol and a tinge of vanilla. Palate: Citrus with a sweet foundation – not sugary sweet, more like grain sweetness. There is no development or complexity, but it remains fresh and fixated on lime/citrus notes. The texture is creamy and smooth. Finish: Very short. A little lingering citrus zestiness and a mild buzz of ethanol, but certainly nothing metallic or unpleasant in the aftertaste. A sweetness, if anything. I’m not a vodka drinker so just about the only time I taste one is when I’m rating it. Neat unflavoured vodka leaves me completely cold and I was not sure what I would make of a flavoured version, but I was both surprised and impressed. Some people have said the lime flavour tastes artificial but I did not notice that - it smells and tastes like lime essence, but a good one. I bought this as part of a 4-sample tasting pack (along with Citron, Vanilla and Raspberry versions which I’ll be rating in due course). I doubt very much whether I’d ever buy a full bottle of any but I have to admit that over a couple of cubes of ice this is refreshing and perfectly palatable. The official notes are on target. It also works quite nicely with tonic as a gin alternative. It’s no doubt versatile in many mixed drinks and I can’t see anything to criticize. It is very much a one-note song – no, actually it’s more like a long, sustained perfect single note on a wind instrument. Disarming, simplistic, but surprisingly hard to get right. My experience with this style of thing is so limited I can’t make any comparisons, but my gut feeling is that if you have a need for flavoured vodka in your bar you could do a lot worse than this. Tasted from a 50ml retail sample. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed November 19, 2020 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Cinnamon flavoured chewing gum or sweets. Palate: Sickly sweet arrival. Mildly warm cinnamon, but much less intense than expected. It starts low and easy, builds a little in intensity, then falls away. That’s it. There is no “development” in the accepted sense. Finish: Short. Trace cinnamon. A mild buzz in the aftertaste. Like the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey this is more a liqueur than a whisky – in fact even more so. Cinnamon is the sum total of the experience, and it’s not even a particularly intense encounter. It’s not as horrific as I had thought it might be but in the long run it seems trivial. It does not have the complexity of a good liqueur, nor does it have the personality of a good whiskey – in fact any whiskey presence is completely masked and this may as well be based on neutral spirit. The aroma and flavour are so generic and engineered it reminds me more of a mass-produced soft drink than anything that should issue from a distillery. Hell would have to freeze over and I’d be doing axels on the ice for Old Nick before I’d buy a bottle of this. Tasted from a 50ml distillery miniature. “Pointlessly Poor - why does this exist?” : 60/100 (1 star)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey
Other Liqueurs — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed November 19, 2020 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Maple syrup, musty oak, a little vanilla. There is a nutty quality as well. Palate: Very sweet honey arrival. In the development it adds syrup notes, oak and some coffee, but little else. Finish: Medium/Short. Sweet. There is a jaw-clenching white sugar aftertaste. I don’t smell honey on this at all, but it is drenched in maple syrup. There is another aroma I can’t quite place - a nutty smell that I’ve also noticed on some cheap blended scotch whiskies. Weird. This is an odd concoction and much more like a whiskey liqueur than an actual whiskey. It’s not too unpleasant but it has little personality. I’m pleased to have tried it, but I can’t imagine I’d ever buy a bottle. Tasted from a 50ml distillery miniature. “Inferior” : 65/100 (1.5 stars)44.0 AUD per Bottle
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