Tastes
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I recently bought this bottle because I saw it in a few cocktail recipes I wanted to try out and since I'm almost finished with it, I figured I would review it. On the nose it's pretty juniper forward and it's hard to make out much else. However, after taking a few sips, the juniper is almost not even there and it's very heavy on the citrus, primarily lemon peel with a touch of spice. It feels very thin, almost watery, except for the lemon peel. The finish is pretty short, but there is almost no heat or burn. Overall, I wouldn't say this is a bad gin, it's decent, but less juniper forward than I would prefer. It does have a decent ABV (at 86 proof), but it doesn't have the weight of the other gins that I lean towards, whether it be drinking gin neat (which isn't often, but when it is I usually lean towards Monkey 47) or in cocktails (Tanqueray, Beefeater & Plymouth). It also isn't the cheapest out there, so for those reasons, I scored it just below a 3.30.0 USD per Bottle
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I actually finished off the bottle a couple months ago and completely forgot to post a review, so this will be all from memory, but while I feel like this is a very good anejo tequila, I will say it's getting a bit too expensive for what it is in my opinion. I don't remember much of the nose, but I feel like it was pretty on point with the taste, with caramel, touch of oak and citrus peel. I remember it being a touch sweet, but I think it complimented the oak. The finish had decent length and introduced cinnamon to the mix, with no burn whatsoever. I bought this bottle a few years ago when you could still buy it for under $100, but nowadays it seems like it's hard to get it anywhere close to that. I think it's a very good tequila, but I'm not sure it's worth the price tag these days. This nearly qualifies as an extra anejo tequila (it's rested 32-35 months), but falls a couple months short, so while it would be considered one of the most expensive anejo tequilas out there, it may be appropriate to split the difference of the prices between an anejo and an extra anejo. Either way, seems a touch expensive for me, so I gave it a 4, but I can easily see why a lot of reviews have it closer to a 4.5.90.0 USD per Bottle
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I have a bit of a soft spot for this rum since it was the first aged rum that I ever tried neat. The only reason I picked it up is because I got a cocktail book that called for it in a few recipes and I never really heard of a solera rum before (plus the bottle and packaging are pretty unique and have that cool old time look to it). My prior rum experience was Bacardi or some other cheap rum, either mixed or in a shot. Anyway, long story short, I may overrate this a touch, but I still think it's a good rum regardless. The bottle that I'm tasting is only about half full so it may skew the notes. The nose is a touch light, you get the hints of sweetness, along with dark chocolate. On the palate, you have a good amount of complexity, with cherries, orange peel, sherry notes, oak and prunes. I will say, it goes down very smooth, albeit can be a touch thin when compared to more barrel proof rums. I found it unique years ago and even now it doesn't disappoint on the complexity front. On the finish the sweetness takes center stage with some honey notes. There is virtually no burn whatsoever. I may have originally stumbled on this rum because of a cocktail recipe or two, but I find that I drink it neat more often than using it in cocktails. It may not be a rum that you show off to your friends, but it gets the job done and is more than satisfactory as an everyday sipper. If you are interested in trying a rum that has a little bit more going on then the usual rich sweet rums that are often marketed to the masses (and often at even more elevated prices than this), then I would recommend this rum for sure.40.0 USD per Bottle
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US rums have not exactly been the most sought after in the world, but it would appear Privateer is starting to change that perception. I haven't actually tried anything from them yet, but I have heard good things and a couple of people have mentioned them in the same sentence as Foursquare, which is high praise indeed. The barrel number that I have is P609, which has an ABV of 54.8%. On the nose I get vanilla and spice, along with some oak. It definitely smells like an older rum. A few sips and this has a nice mouthfeel to it. It's rich, but not overly sweet (it's more on the dry side), albeit not exactly complex. I pick up some dried fruit and chocolate to go along with the oak. The finish is a touch short, but not surprising since it's in the 2-5 year range. There is a bit of heat, but overall pretty smooth with the spices returning. For the price, it's hard to complain about this rum. It may not be the most complex rum out there, but I can definitely see the hype with the brand. I wouldn't say it's that close to Foursquare yet, but it's on the right path. I can even see this being a good choice for certain cocktails if you need a rum with some strength to it. If you don't feel like shelling out $80-100 on a Foursquare (sometimes even more than that nowadays), this isn't a bad alternative for half the price.40.0 USD per Bottle
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I typically don't drink bitter liqueurs neat, but I do love them in cocktails so I tend to have a decent number lying around. Salers apparently comes in a few different proofs but from what I can tell in the US I can only get the 32 proof. On the nose the herbal notes are at the forefront. After a sip or two, despite the low proof it definitely is not sweet, in fact it's pretty dry, and the gentian root is the first thing you taste. The bitterness follows right after and doesnt let go. The finish is pretty smooth and gradually allows the bitterness to slip away. At only $20 it's a pretty useful bitter liqueur for cocktails. I'm sure most people wont drink this neat often but if so, they probably will appreciate its straight forward gentian root forward taste. As a cocktail ingredient I would go with a 4. Neat or over ice I would lean towards a 3/3.25.20.0 USD per Bottle
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El Tesoro Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed October 27, 2021 (edited February 5, 2023)This is my go to blanco tequila neat. It works great in cocktails too but taking into account the price its probably best to look in another direction as a mixer. I will say though it makes a great margarita. The nose features strong earthy notes with olive brine and sea salt. The palate is where this shines with citrus, bell pepper and a smooth oily feel to it. The finish is pretty long with virtually no burn. If you are looking for a top shelf blanco tequila, this should be up there on your list. It's great neat or in cocktails. Highly recommended.45.0 USD per Bottle -
At $20-25 a bottle it's pretty much impossible not to say this is a great value tequila. This works great in cocktails and is a great choice for a bars well blanco tequila. The nose is pretty simple and light with earthy notes. On the palate it's a touch watery, sweet with pepper and a bit oily. The finish kind of reminds me of a smooth vodka, with some spice and a touch of heat. I wouldnt necessarily recommend this neat but it's not terrible and for the price you can do much worse. I would probably put this in the 2.5 to 3 range neat but I bumped it up to 3.5 because of the price and its use in cocktails.20.0 USD per Bottle
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Rittenhouse Rye is my go to rye whiskey for cocktails. As a cocktail ingredient, you cannot find a better rye whiskey. It has the strength to stand up in cocktails and decent spice but not overwhelmingly so. As a sipping rye whiskey, its probably not something you will reach for much, but there is a reason nearly every cocktail recipe that calls for rye whiskey uses Rittenhouse Rye. The nose doesn't have much going on, some grain notes, but it's pretty mellow. The palate is where the spice kicks it up a notch and I start to get some stone fruit and white pepper. The finish is definitely pretty hot, which is probably its biggest downfall, although not completely surprising when you consider it's 100 proof. I wouldn't say it's a bad everyday sipper especially considering the price, but you will feel the heat on the finish which may be a bit much for some. I will say I'm not one to drink rye whiskey neat all that often, I tend to lean toward bourbon or scotch if I'm going to drink whiskey, but the value again is where Rittenhouse can plant it's flag. Would I recommend someone pick up Rittenhouse Rye? It would depend on what they plan to do with it. If they plan to make cocktails with it, absolutely, it would be my top rye whiskey choice. If they plan to sip this neat and they are looking for complexity, you probably should look elsewhere. However, if you want a value everyday sipper, this wouldn't be a bad choice. I rated it a 4, but again that is because of how valuable it can be in cocktails and the value (good luck finding a bottled in bond rye whiskey for under $30), as a sipper it leans more towards a 3.25.0 USD per Bottle
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Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed October 23, 2021 (edited November 15, 2021)Elijah Craig Small Batch is one of my standby bourbons. It has punch, but it's not overpowering despite the 94 proof, and it really excels in cocktails. It's tough to say which bourbon I like to always have on hand at my bar, but it's either this or Buffalo Trace, both because of the price and because of how well they play with other ingredients. I will say though, I probably do like this in an Old Fashioned over the Buffalo Trace. The nose is pretty standard fare bourbon, vanilla, sweetness and a touch of oak. The palate reinforces the nose, with the vanilla taking the forefront. It does have a nice mouthful to it though and there is a bit of cherry and caramel. The aftertaste is pretty lengthy. The heat does hit you but it's not too off-putting and has some nice spice to it. As a sipping bourbon, you can find better out there, but for the price it's not a bad everyday drink. I would probably give it a 3 if it was just going to be consumed neat, but I bumped it up to a 3.5 because of how well it does in nearly any cocktail that calls for bourbon.28.0 USD per Bottle -
Byrrh Grand Quinquina
Bitter Liqueurs — Thuir, France, France
Reviewed June 16, 2021 (edited August 9, 2022)Byrrh, which is actually pronounced beer, is one of the better bitter aperitifs. It is definitely less bitter than many French bitters but its actually very good on it's own and maybe even better in cocktails. On the nose you get blueberries and prunes. The palate brings cherry, slight bitterness and blackberry, with the hint of red wine (not surprising since it has a wine base). The finish has some spice, no burn and decent length. For the price, Byrrh is a great value. If you want a bitter liqueur that leans heavy on the bitterness, such as Campari, look elsewhere, but as an aperitif (with a bit of ice and a citrus peel) you cant go wrong. I'm tempted to boost this to 4 but neat it doesnt offer much complexity. It's still worth seeking out in my book.15.0 USD per Bottle
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