Tastes
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Catoctin Creek Short Hill Mountain Peach Brandy
American Brandy — Purcellville, Virginia , USA
Reviewed July 12, 2024One of the few true peach brandies out there, Catoctin Creek Peach Brandy is a great value choice that works great in cocktails and neat. It comes in a 375ml bottle and well worth picking up if you see it. The nose features stone fruit, tobacco and some honeysuckle with the obvious peach notes. There is an underlying sweetness on the palate, almost like a peach cobbler, along with some grain notes. There is very little burn on the finish, just more sweet peach notes. The fact that there are so few peach brandies out there (and if you want to make a Fish House Punch it's pretty much mandatory) and the cost is very reasonable, I recommend this bottle. It may not blow you away neat, but I still think it has enough complexity to make it interesting and while many wouldn't want to spend over $30 for a 375ml bottle to use in cocktails, it definitely has elevated the cocktails that I have used it in.32.0 USD per Bottle -
I would rank Giffard Banane du Bresil as the second-best banana liqueur out there (only behind Tempus Fugit). It's very popular in cocktail recipes and I haven't found one where it hasn't elevated the drink. The price is a touch high, but appropriate for the quality. The nose is heavy on ripe banana and caramel. The palate continues with the banana notes, thinking green bananas with a good amount of sweetness. It is much thinner than Tempus Fugit. The finish is quick, with no burn and some vanilla notes. As with the Tempus Fugit, you can't go wrong with this banana liqueur. Both are excellent in cocktails; the only real difference is neat the Tempus Fugit is a bit better and richer. It's also a touch more expensive, so if you want a slightly cheaper option, but one that still excels, especially in cocktails, this is a solid choice.34.0 USD per Bottle
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Del Maguey Minero is a solid espadin mezcal. I think it may be a touch expensive, but it holds its own and is a nice step-up from Del Maguey Vida. The tough thing about this bottle is that while it can be used in cocktails, it's a bit expensive for that purpose, unfortunately it's also not a top notch mezcal neat so it hovers in the middle ground not being great in either instance. The nose has some smoke, but it's not as in your face as the Vida, with some wet clay notes. The palate has some lemon zest, while being somewhat sweet and creamy. It's actually pretty fruity. The finish is pretty long and has some mineral notes with very little burn. In comparison to the Vida, it's a solid drink neat, again though you can do better (Del Maguey Chichicapa for example runs circles around this). Overall, it's a solid espadin, but I think many will find it too boring to consider purchasing a whole bottle.65.0 USD per Bottle
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Del Maguey Vida is probably the most well-known mezcal out there. I'm sure many people started with this mezcal before venturing into more complex and interesting mezcals. I still see it a ton in bars, but even as an entry level mezcal, there are better one's out there (thinking El Buho). The nose is heavy on the smoke and a bit of pepper. The smoke follows thru on the palate, but it does feel watered down. A bit of pineapple and leather follows, but it's mainly smoke. The finish has a bit of spice, although I get some chemical/industrial notes with a light burn. I still enjoy this in cocktails, but I don't drink it neat anymore. As a cocktail ingredient I would put this closer to a 3, but neat it's in the 1.5-2 range. The price of this keeps going up and it's been rebranded to Vida Clasico. I'm guessing it still tastes the same, but for $40 or more, this is too expensive for a cocktail focused mezcal. Stick to El Buho or even Banhez which can be found for closer to $30, sometimes cheaper than that for your mezcal cocktails.33.0 USD per Bottle
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The Aperol spritz is immediately what I think about when I see a bottle of Aperol. I honestly am not the biggest fan of the drink, so I've never really seen the appeal of Aperol over say Campari, but clearly a lot of people do. The nose is heavy on the sweetness with some grapefruit peel. The palate leans into the sweetness, with candied fruits, maybe candied oranges or grapefruit, while the bitterness is barely even there. The finish has no burn which is not surprisingly since the ABV is 11%, while the sweetness just overpowers everything. As you can tell, I'm not the biggest fan, but if you have a sweet tooth and are not a fan of bitterness but need just a hint to add some complexity, I guess this would be a good choice. It is used a good amount in cocktails and while I'm not the biggest fan unless it's in small doses, it does offer value there. Drinking it neat, I would go with a 2, but in cocktails I can go with a 3, so I'll split the difference and say 2.5.24.0 USD per Bottle
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I was semi-surprised to find this higher rated than the Marie Duffau Hors d'Age, but while younger, it does have some decent complexity with just a bit less finesse. The nose has some apple notes, oak and a bit of stone fruit, thinking apricot. The palate features nutmeg, oak, vanilla and is a bit oily. You can tell it's a bit of a young brandy. The finish has a light burn and pepper notes, similar to the Hors d'Age. The value is there for this bottle, so I can see people favoring this one over the Hors d'Age, but I still would go with the latter. In the end, both bottles are great introductions to the category of Armagnacs.41.0 USD per Bottle
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This bottle was one of my first Armagnac's. It's one of the more popular options, especially in areas without a ton of options, but I still consider it a very solid choice and in cocktails it works great. On the nose I get oak, marzipan and raisins. The palate leans a bit on the sweeter side with vanilla, figs and the hint of tobacco. The finish has a bit of a burn, not too bad with some pepper notes. I don't anticipate this will blow you away, but it's a very solid Armagnac, especially for the price and a touch better than the Marie Duffau Napoleon in my opinion. In general, I think Armagnac is a better value and more interesting than cognac and this bottle is a good introduction for those who haven't tried it yet.47.0 USD per Bottle
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The debate as to what is the best banana liqueur out there should start and end with this bottle. The complexity and richness of this creme de banane is unmatched in my opinion. The nose is jumps from caramel and vanilla to ripe banana. The palate though is where this shines, with french toast notes, cinnamon, a touch of sweetness, banana peel and an overall silky feel. The finish has absolutely no burn and reminds me of bananas foster. The only thing that should hold someone back from getting this creme de banane is the cost. It is not a cheap bottle, but in my opinion it is absolutely worth it. If you just want a banana liqueur to throw into a jungle punch type drink, then stick to 99 Bananas, but if you want to elevate a stirred cocktail that uses banana liqueur or if you even want an amazing dessert liqueur, then this is the bottle you should pick up.38.0 USD per Bottle
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Clear Creek Douglas Fir Brandy is one of the more interesting brandies out there. It's definitely not a must have bottle, but it actually works quite well in cocktails in small doses. I hadn't tried it on its own so while I didn't have high expectations, I came away pleasantly surprised. Off the bat you immediately get the pine and winter aromas. That also comes thru on the first sip, where you feel like you are transported to a forest, with mint and pine needles. Methanal lingers on the finish with just a touch of heat. I wouldn't exactly say this is great neat, but it also was an interesting diversion from the usual brandies. I can see this being a nice change of pace for a winter sipper, but the primary reason to get this bottle in my eyes is its use in cocktails. It adds complexity to a good number of winter style cocktails. It is a bit expensive and for something you probably won't drink a ton neat, nor use a lot of in cocktails, I can see someone passing on this, but it is unique and well made.42.0 USD per Bottle
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One of the cheaper apricot eau-de-vie's out there, you will often find this as the choice for apricot eau-de-vie's in cocktails. I was expecting a bit more here but comparing it to the higher end eau-de-vie's is probably unfair. The nose features lemon peel, stone fruit and a bit of thai basil. The palate is where I felt a bit let down, the apricot is barely present and you get much more grain instead. The finish has a bit of heat and almost vodka like finish. I wouldn't say this is bad and in the cocktails that I've used it in, it has seemed to work well. But on its own, I would pass on this. Unfortunately, the best eau-de-vie's out there tend to cost a pretty penny, but I guess that's why they say you get what you pay for. In cocktails, this is closer to a 3.5. On its own, more like a 2.25 or so. I'll split the difference and go with a 2.75.32.0 USD per Bottle
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