Tastes
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A unique flavored vodka, Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka actually plays quite well in a lot of cocktails and can add a nice twist to the normal unflavored vodkas without being too sweet or artificial tasting. The nose reminds me of a farm, with hay being the most pronounced. The palate features coconut, lavender, vanilla and a bit of sweetness. The finish leans into the sweetness, although not too much and there is no burn. For a flavored vodka, this is one of the top one's that I have tried. It is enjoyable neat, as well as in cocktails and I think it's easy to recommend this as a bar staple.27.0 USD per Bottle
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A very cheap polish vodka, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its merits and for the price it's hard to beat the value here. The nose features a bit of charcoal. The palate is starchy and oily, with a bit of the ethanol coming thru. The finish is a bit metallic, with pepper and a bit of a burn. For something as cheap as this, you would expect there to be a good amount of imperfections and while it's not perfect, the metallic notes on the finish are not enough to say it's not worth having around for cocktails at the very least. Plus, for just over $10, the price is hard to beat.12.0 USD per Bottle
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This along with Del Maguey Vida are my bar staples for cocktails. I would even lean towards this being better than Vida since it offers a bit more complexity. The nose is a touch heavy on the petrol, with a hint of chili pepper. The palate is a bit better, with some light smoke, clay and sweetness, although it is a bit watery. The finish has almost no burn and lasts a pretty long time closing with smoke and sweetness. This is a well-made espadin that doesn't try to be more than it is. Simply put, it's a great mezcal for cocktails and a solid every day drinking mezcal.42.0 USD per Bottle
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An espadin that has been sweetened, Del Maguey Crema is a solid choice for cocktails, allowing you to get some of the mezcal smoke and sweetness of the agave syrup without having to add simple syrup or sugar. The nose features smoke and citrus in equal measures. The palate is quite sweet and rich, but there is some clay with a bit of heat. The finish brings on the sweetness and a bit of earthiness. This won't blow you away, but for those that are intimidated by mezcal or think it's too smokey or has too much heat, this is a good starting point (although I think Del Maguey Chichicapa is an even better starting point).37.0 USD per Bottle
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Coquerel Fine is a typical, run-of-the-mill Calvados. It is heavy on the apples and quite young. I would consider this more of a cocktail Calvados then a drinking neat one, but I'm sure there are much worse choices out there. The nose is very whiskey like, with oak leading the way. On the palate I got some clove, honey and vanilla, with a faint hint of apple. The finish is short and there is a bit of burn which is not surprising with how young the spirit is. As a cocktail ingredient, I would say this is closer to a 3, but neat it's more of a 2, hence the 2.5 rating. It's not bad though, just nothing thrilling and for the whiskey drinker it may actually be more up their alley.35.0 USD per Bottle
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A category of spirits that I have not delve into much, Calvados can be made from a combination of apples and pears. Most lean more heavily on the apples, but this bottle is actually heavier on the pears. The nose immediately reminds me of an orchard and pears. The first couple of sips I get granny smith apples, a bit of spice and some citrus. The finish is pretty long, with only a touch of a burn. It definitely feels like a young spirit, but I wouldn't call that a bad thing. As an everyday drink, I would call this serviceable for sure. Again though, I have not had too many so maybe others disagree. For the cost though, I think this is a solid choice and works well in most cocktails that call for Calvados.45.0 USD per Bottle
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I think Benedictine is an underutilized cocktail ingredient that seems to elevate any cocktail it goes into. It is also one of the few liqueurs that you can drink neat. The nose is heavy on the baking spices and a faint hint of lemon peel. The palate mainly features honey, with a touch of sweetness, but not overwhelmingly so. It is thick, but not too syrupy. The finish has no burn, with some nice herbal and pine notes. I don't tend to grade liqueurs on their usefulness neat, but this one holds up pretty well. I would still only buy this as a cocktail ingredient, but it's a worthy one to have around, especially if you want to explore creating new cocktails (and of course the many classic cocktails that this one is in).35.0 USD per Bottle
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I had high expectations for this bottle, unfortunately I don't think it's nearly as good as many others believe. This bottle is supposed to be a close representation of Kina Lillet, a long defunct aperitif bottle from back in the day (most famously used in the Vesper cocktail). From what I've read Kina Lillet was heavy on the quinine, which I don't believe this is. The nose is heavy on the orange notes, along with a touch of vanilla. The first couple sips you get some bitterness, but the quinine is more in the background. It does have a syrupy quality to it. The orange notes are still present on the palate. The finish is quick, with no burn and notes of elderflower and a hint of spice. Overall, it's not bad and works well as an aperitif. However, I can't seem to get the notion out of my head that this is just a much tamer version of Kina Lillet. I don't doubt this is well made and may even be close to what Kina Lillet tasted like back in the day, but if so, I wouldn't say it blew me away. It's decent enough, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it unless you were a big fan of the Vesper cocktail, which this does make for a better Vesper than Lillet Blanc.31.0 USD per Bottle
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As a tiki ingredient, it's hard to go wrong with having John D Taylor's Velvet Falernum on hand. If you are not into tiki cocktails however, I would say you can safely pass on this one. The nose is heavy on the sugar cane with clove notes. The palate features lime, nutmeg and heavy sweetness. The drink is very thick and syrupy, almost too much. As a very low proof drink, this has absolutely no burn and you really just get the sweetness. I would not drink this neat unless you want to see how you would incorporate it into different drinks. It is clearly meant to be used in tiki drinks, so stick to that.16.0 USD per Bottle
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It's not the cheapest triple sec out there, but it's better than most and I would even say probably worth the price tag. Orange blossom is the first thing you get when nosing this, along with some faint lemon zest. Not surprisingly, it is very syrupy, but it's dry, maybe not the Cointreau extent, but close, with citrus peel and a touch of bitterness. The finish is quick, with orange zest and a touch of sweetness. It's not as good as Cointreau, but then again what is. However, for all cocktails that call for triple sec, you could do much worse than this bottle.28.0 USD per Bottle
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