Tastes
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The low proof (for a gin) is an immediate red flag. The nose smells like gin but has no further character to it. I get juniper and alcohol, but the smell isn't even rich and bold juniper. The palate is kind of light and watery, but there is some juniper. It isn't bad, but there really isn't anything going on here unfortunately. There's some peppery spice, but it isn't an overly harsh drink. There is t anything really objectionable in the flavor, but there isn't really anything interesting to like either. I won't gag drinking this, but I'd really rather not have to have it. With every sip the flavor is passable. It's never engaging though. With some water, a slight floral flavor comes out. It reminds me of Goose Island IPA: there's no denying that it is what it says it is, but it's the blandest allowable version of that.10.0 USD per Bottle
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This has a really interesting - and deeply terrifying - sprite nose, though a tad more floral and less industrial. The palate is almost nicely delicate, but there is this immediate industrial flavor to it. It isn't this big bitter industrial flavor so much as some alcohol with a dash of motor oil. There are lots of light floral notes in here as well. I appreciate those. It's peppery without being unbearably harsh. It's sweeter than Starr Blu and also less harsh. For those reasons, I think I like this better. I'd take Dover over this since it actually has a juniper flavor to it, but this isn't bad. Actually, it is bad, but it's a bit of an improvement on Starr Blu. As with Starr Blu, this is improved by mixing with Dover, mellowing out the flavors of both while also making it a bit more complex. The result is a dry gin on the sweeter side like a less complex Ford's or Pacific Voyager with some Nolet's mixed in. If those flavor profiles are your thing, it's an improvement, though still not great. I won't be eating based on that though. This is somewhere between Starr Blu Gin and Dover Gin in quality. It's not good, but it's a substantial improvement over Starr Blu... And not even as good as Dover. I'm not entirely sure I'd identify this as gin if handed an unmarked sample. I'm not sure what I would think it is, but the super floral flavor could definitely throw me off. This is quite different from Dover, but it's closer in quality to that than it is to Starr Blu. I can't really compare this with anything that anyone is likely to have tasted though because it just isn't very good and most gins (fortunately) that anyone is likely to have tasted are reasonably solid (think Tanqueray or Beefeater).13.0 USD per Bottle
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A floral, citrus dish soap nose. Well, maybe this is actually hand soap. There's some alcohol on the nose and it does smell dry. The palate is similarly dry with some of that dish soap flavor coming through but also some juniper. There are some suggestions of other botanicals they I'm having trouble picking out out this time and some peppery harshness. It's not that great, but I think it could pass in a cocktail. The dish soap flavor is a problem, but otherwise this is a serviceable bottom-shelf gin. It seems to have more complexity (and hand soap flavor) than Dover, but less richness. I'll have to compare them again to determine which is better, but for now I'd say their qualities are similar.16.0 USD per Bottle
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Wow! Between the sugar and alcohol, this had quite a reaction to the water in my freshly washed copita. I'm not sure I've ever seen such legs before. She nose definitely has a lot more alcohol than Sheep Dog and Ram's Point do. It also has a rich sweetness of peanut butter mixed with caramel bordering on molasses. There might be a hint of something spicy on the nose too. The palate has this big sugary rich viscosity of a Werther's original melting in your mouth. It's actually amazing - I really don't get peanut butter so much as butterscotch. The alcohol is sharp and tastes a bit off, but if this were instead advertised as butterscotch flavored vodka, I'd pin a gold medal on it immediately. I think the alcohol is still too sharp and odd like some more richness to come in to round and balance it, but I'd say that this nails the experience of Werther's dipped in vodka, which I can definitely see somebody wanting to have. This still leaves me with the problem of this calling itself a peanut butter whiskey when neither of those flavors are really present. I mean, there are faint hints of them, but I'd hate for somebody to be disappointed if they got something they didn't want. If I bought a bottle labeled Fortaleza and it tastes like George T. Stagg, I'd certainly have mixed emotions, especially if I'd just poured it into a margarita (don't @ me - I wouldn't use Fortaleza in a margarita). At the end of the day, I guess I have to dock this a bit for not being what it purports to be, but aside from the biting nature of the alcohol, I actually kind of enjoy it. Hmm... It isn't anywhere near excellent, but it does such a good job of imitating that Werther's flavor that I have to give it at least 12. I'm going to say it's a 13 minus 1 for the deception and end on a 12. Sheep Dog is certainly a more complex and balanced product with a better profile, but it doesn't really taste like peanut butter either and I also can figure out its purpose or what it actually tastes like. Geeze, these things are hard to rate. You know, the harshness here is just too much. With water, this does work though. I won't dock it too much for the harshness caused by the high proof since water fixes it pretty well without screwing up the flavor, but I need to drop it a hair. I think a 10 to 11 is more appropriate now, so I'm going to give it an 11. Eh, with that artificial note on the finish, I'm dropping it to a 10. If I were to buy a bottle of peanut butter whiskey, first I'd get a CAT scan, but then I'd grab a bottle of Sheep Dog. It plain does not taste like peanut butter, but as some sort of sweetened whiskey it's a solid offering.19.0 USD per Bottle
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Ram's Point Peanut Butter Whiskey
Flavored Whiskey — USA
Reviewed July 22, 2020 (edited September 6, 2024)This smells a bit more like peanut butter than Sheep Dog does. It has a hint of Reese's cup rather than just butterfinger. The palate is harsher with less subtlety. There's some richer but slightly more artificial caramel. The flavor is less complex than that of Sheep Dog, but it does taste more like actual peanut butter. There's something a bit artificial in this flavor profile though that there wasn't in Sheep Dog. I'd give slight preference to Sheep dog for drinking neat. For mixing... Uh, I'm not sure what this would be mixed with, so I'm not sure. Of Sheep Dog, 99, and this, Ram's Point tastes the richest and most like peanut butter. But. It also tastes the most artificial and sort of gross. If I had a cocktail that called for peanut butter whiskey, I'd probabaly choose this. Otherwise, I'd probably choose one of the other two. This leaves me with the dilemma of having to answer the questions "are there really cocktails calling for peanut butter whiskey?" and "would anyone ever drink one of these things neat?". Honestly, I might actually sip a small portion of Sheep Dog or 99 Peanut Butter at dessert time. This is still way better than most of those flavored vodkas, so it isn't awful, but it isn't really great. I'll give it an 8 for it's fun sweetness and richness and bump it up to a 9 for potential mixability.15.0 USD per Bottle -
Sheep Dog Peanut Butter Whiskey
Flavored Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed July 22, 2020 (edited October 30, 2020)There's a really sweet, caramel, peanut butter smell that reminds me a bit of Van Meer's Imitation Chocolate mixed with Butterfingers. The palate is similarly sweet with a bit of peppery cinnamon spice. There's a really buttery flavor - kind of like movie theater popcorn - with some peanut butter to it. It's also surprisingly floral. It doesn't taste bad, but it is weird. I'm not sure what the situation for drinking this is, but it's surprisingly not bad as an interesting liqueur. If you expect a strong peanut butter flavor though, this isn't really that. I'm not sure I want to go as high as a 12 for this, but it is kind of fun and tasty, so it's not below a 9. Choosing among this, Ram's Point, and 99 Peanut Butter has been difficult, but at the end of it, I think I need to give the win to Sheep Dog. It doesn't really remind me of peanut butter, but it actually tastes OK. Golly, I feel like a judge on a cooking program saying "well, you made the dish most like phad Thai, but her spaghetti Bolognese was edible, so I'm giving her the win". This is a weird category. It's been interesting to try, but I don't think I'll be coming back to it (beyond finishing these darned 50 ml bottles).15.5 USD per Bottle -
The nose has a bit of alcohol, but is otherwise not there. The palate is immediately harsher than other vodkas with its higher proof. It's a kind of sweet flavor with some richness and a hint of slightly floral grain. It's fairly harsh and not super complex, but I rather enjoy it. It's better than a 12, but probabaly not a 15. There's definitely a suggestion of corn and there is also something a tad more herbal. It's good, so I'll start it with a 14.12.0 USD per Bottle
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Ocean Organic Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — Hawaii, USA
Reviewed July 22, 2020 (edited February 28, 2021)The nose is non-existent. The palate is super clean with a really light pepperiness throughout. The mouth feel is south of moderate. This is a refreshing vodka with sort of a spring water essence. It's quite sweet for a vodka, though it works in this case. There are some nice light mineral and floral flavors. In that regard, it reminds me of Esmé, though less on the nose. It's subtle and easy to sip. I really quite enjoy this vodka. It's quite different from Chopin Wheat, but this also is a vodka I'd like to keep around. Really tasty and way to drink! I'm thinking of starting with a 15 to 16 for this. I'll go with 16 because there's this interesting swirling light floral flavor.22.0 USD per Bottle -
There's none of the floral nose of regular Esmé. Weird - I would have expected the regular to be the more neutral and generic (though not necessarily in a bad way). The palate here is sweet like that of the regular Esmé, but it's rich with a kind of inexplicable bitterness that seems a bit industrial. I wouldn't say that this one tastes bad, but it isn't all that great. It tastes a bit sulfuric. It's also pretty harsh, though there is a nice peppery heat with that harshness. With the sulfur and harshness, I'm having trouble even giving this a 12. Sadly, this is just not very good. There is actually something a bit floral here. What's weird is that the regular Esmé tastes like a cleaner, better vodka was used to start and floral flavor was infused, whereas this tastes like a not-as-good vodka just happened to have a floral character to it. There is at least a little tad of complexity. But I have to say that this is a 10 at best. I like the sweetness and floral (borderline fruity) character, along with the fullness that the sulfur brings. I don't like the sulfur though and that's a big problem. I'm thinking 8 to 10, so I'll go with a 9.17.0 USD per Bottle
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The nose is surprisingly floral! Roses, but also some floral citrus like lemon blossoms. Quite interesting and enticing! The palate mirrors this nose with a big - though not overpowering - floral hit of rose with lemon and orange blossoms. Pepper makes its way in. This is more harsh than I'd like, but there's some nice pepper with it. The floral flavors are surprisingly genuine rather than artificial - quite an accomplishment! The amount of viscosity is pretty good, retaining a spring water feel without seeming thin. It's perhaps a tad sweet though. Well, let's be real: this is extremely floral for a vodka and also well on the sweet side. It's fun to sip, but very situational and may not appeal to many who are looking for a more genuine vodka. I'm enjoying it, but it's kind of a gimmick. But a tasty one. Do I still like Chopin Wheat better? Absolutely. Would I be happy sipping this? Also absolutely. I'd put this around the level of Tobaritch, so in the 14 to 15 range. It's not super complex, but it's quite tasty. The harshness is a bit strong there though. I think I'll have to stick with a 14.20.0 USD per Bottle
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