Tastes
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Casamigos Blanco Tequila
Tequila Blanco — Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed February 13, 2025 (edited February 17, 2025)The final bottle of the Winter 2025 50ml Clean-Up left me with a celebrity novelty, but it's still tequila nonetheless. I've had the reposado version of this and only remember it being one of the sweetest tequilas I've ever had, almost capable of being poured over ice cream if not for the thin consistency. Even though this is a standard 80 proof tequila with no age, it's concerning that the back of the bottle indicates a vanilla finish, and really makes me wonder how all of the age statements would be capable of this super sweetness. Here's hoping some of the more vegetal notes from the agave can be captured here without any sweetness overpowering it. The nose is very aggressive and somewhat bitter, with notes of carbon and cleaning chemicals, similar to high wine heads right off the still. There's nothing about this that is appealing, but there are still very faint notes of raw, vegetal agave, and even the vanilla that was predicted from the start. The initial flavor and body are both light and unimpressive, but this flips quickly when the carbon and vegetal notes from the nose start digging into the gums with a raw and aggressive burn, again reminding me of fresh-off-the-still distillate. The finish has some notes of green bell pepper and black peppercorn, and indeed a small touch of vanilla (although kind of artificial and not very sweet), but is far too strong and unrefined to be sweet or approachable for almost any crowd. This is definitely a disappointment (as most celebrity spirits are) as far as tequila goes, and rests right on the line between "not enjoyable" and "actively disliking." It has no place for drinking neat, nor would it lend anything to most cocktails. Given that there are plenty of other tequilas around this price point with far better flavor and quality (and minus the unnecessary celebrity endorsement), this is worth ignoring in the store and in the public bar alike. -
Courvoisier VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
Cognac — Cognac, France
Reviewed February 5, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)Second to last on the "Winter 50ml Clean-up Tour" probably still doesn't break double digits on brandys that I've tried, let alone cognacs. Because I'm quite ignorant with brandy and cognac alike, I have absolutely no idea what to expect here, but I do know that Courvoisier is a very popular and equally cheap brand, so there must be something here to like. I believe I have had the VS version of this, but don't remember it being notable one way or the other. Having such a blank expectation seems like a well needed gift in a world of essentially a new spirit type to me. The color is not unlike many popular American whiskey brands, with a mix of chestnut brown and golden raisin. Speaking of, the nose incorporates both the sweeter side of oak as well as some expected grape must. The ethanol is strong through the nostrils, especially so for just 80 proof. Really the 2 above notes are the only that are in play here, at least at face value, with a balance between spiciness from the overall ethanol as well as a cinnamon and baking spice with repeated smelling. The grape must is still the other half of the spotlight, but lets the sweet overtake this added dry and almost savory component. The flavor begins with slightly citrusy and sugary mixed berries and cherries (is a cherry a berry?), which evolves into whatever flavor Froot Loops are. The body is very light and prevents this from being too sweet overall, and in fact, an oak-forward spiciness begins to form through the finish. This spiced oak stacks with each sip, and some air introduced at this point also unlocks the dry grape must note from the nose. I'm not sure what else I can add here, since even though I have had very few cognacs, this still managed to taste fairly close to what I expected. The initial fruit flavors did catch me off guard, but it was still enjoyable from a neat pour standpoint, and would probably play very nicely in cognac or brandy based cocktails all the same. If the price is really as cheap as I've heard, I don't see any reason why you wouldn't want this, at least as a functional and tasty simple cognac with no frills. -
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye (2024 Release)
Rye — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed January 22, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)Barrel house: 1-06 Barrel number: 24-10385 Bottling date: 06NOV2024 129.5 proof, 64.75% ABV Nice, happy to finally see this out in the wild. I have only heard good things about this product, and have had it recommended to me multiple times now. What I didn't realize is how much time had gone by since hearing about it and having it recommended, which only just now makes sense, knowing this is an annual limited release. I'm happy to have found it at MSRP, but knowing the poor distribution and allocation of the American whiskey market, I assume this will already be sold out by the end of this sentence. I've also never been a fan of people putting corn and rye together and having the boldness of being proud of it as a rye whiskey, but I suppose it's not abysmally hopeless at 70% rye. I will, however, give points on having a barrel strength product that's finally above these weak imposters that sit between 105 and 110. The only thing that would further be improved here is if the age was known, but thank goodness they put the bottling date, like giving us half of the answer was good enough. The color is a combination of chestnut and mahogany, but only if you use the word "rich" in conjunction with describing them both. Initially there is a good amount of red and blue berries on the nose, as well as a chaser of cracked cinnamon, dried grass, vanilla frosting, and some spicy toasted oak. The ethanol is definitely very tame, and allows deep smelling without fear of burning reprisal. Repeated nosing introduces a small tobacco note as well as some other general baking spices, but the sweetness really doubles down as well, this time more detectable as aged corn that's had time to lose the more raw and aggressive side. The initial flavor begins with classic cinnamon and herbaceous rye whiskey notes, but with an added flavor of sweet chocolate sauce. Cinnamon or ethanol burn aside, something begins really clawing and burning the gum line, while spiced French oak and citrus oil flavors also quietly join the party. Those red berries from the nose also come around, more specifically as cherries, but because of the sweetness, have been given the maraschino treatment. The finish is dry but returns to the spice and citrus, with just a touch of that iconic charcoal filter flavor, although this time much more full-bodied than the lower proof stuff. This really is an awesome representation of how rye whiskey can be used, reused, and transformed in the American distilling world, and even though it doesn't tick all the boxes I usually demand from my American ryes, it's uniqueness is all it's own. The charcoal filtering and medium rye mash make for a really fun flavor to dissect, provided you can do so within the few sips it tastes to get snuffed out due to the proof. Don't get it twisted, however, this is how all whiskeys worldwide should be served; you can always add your own water, but I haven't yet acquired the technology needed to take it away. I'd really love to know the age statement here to better understand how the grains have developed, but far more than that, I wish this was more readily available for purchase, or simply more often distributed and allocated. I'm not sure what the deal is with the proofed down version of this same whiskey as far as where and how often it's sold, but if the price is right on that front, Jack Daniel's has provided another great inspiration for single barrel collecting, and helped this drinker to revitalize the thrill of comparing them. -
Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
Flavored Gin — Canada
Reviewed January 20, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)I did not know that adding ingredients after the distillation process would constitute a flavored gin, although I don't see how that would be confusing, just unexpected, but then again, creating any type of colored gin on the market is extremely out of place, with Empress 1908 being one of very few examples. In any case, I did not know that this was only the second release from this distillery, with a new cucumber lemon variant being released to the US about 6 months ago (maybe Ohio will see it in 2026), and even a standard cocktail gin also floating around somewhere. I don't remember really caring about the flavor of the indigo gin all the much, and found that most sales were dependent on the color changing gimmick, so I'm hoping that some of the very unique botanicals used in this blood-colored version improve upon its purple brother. I'm not really sure what the point is to focus so hard on making a colored gin other than pure presentation, but it does leave this one looking like watery fruit punch Kool Aid that's also still a deep hue, like you used double the amount of drink mix by volume, but then added ice cubes which have since melted. The juniper and ethanol are the powerful players with the first few smells in the glass, but the elderflower and lavender create a pure florality behind it, without any added sweetness. There is a citrus note as well, but closer to lemon than orange. Repeated smelling really stacks a spiciness on the nose, but it's more the ethanol than any specific herb or spice. Both the flavor and body begin as very neutral, and fairly weak. Citrus oil is the first real note that's detected, and although there's a general floral blend behind this, it's very dry, and other than a very small touch of rose, nothing stands out here. Repeated sips really just circle the block, beginning with neutral juniper, then a light spritz of citrus, and an almagam of a dry, floral finish, although the ethanol hits a little harder and hotter than expected at this proof point. Another questionable Empress 1908 gin makes me wonder just how well their cucumber lemon and cocktail variants are selling, since they aren't colored at all. Is that all this brand is good for, showing off a crazy and different cocktail hue? It's not like $40 is an odd or overly expensive MSRP, but with innumerable other options at that price point or lower, what am I really getting out of this as far as flavor goes? Sure it's serviceable, but something tells me that's not the selling point at the end of the day. Plus, this is the first and only gin I've ever seen that has a "best by" date as given by the distillery, and will noticeably fade in color (you know, the main selling point) and isn't recommended for further drinking after a mere year of being opened. In the end, there's nothing special here to recommend, providing the reason you're drinking gin is to actually drink the gin. -
Another 50ml of something I wouldn't normally drink in any other circumstance, although I have no idea what to expect here. The only use and reference I've ever heard Licor 43 used with is a "little beer," and I don't even know what that's comprised of. Instead of looking up any reviews or known ingredients, I prefer to stay blind and treat this as any other "secret" imported liqueur, hoping it won't be overly sweet or overly focused on any of the many ingredients. The color is a beautiful golden honey and captures light very well; were it not for the texture and the movement in the glass, this would be difficult to distinguish from actual honey at a distance. The nose has a sharp beginning of bitterness and herbaceous notes, reminding me a lot of a genever, but a touch sweeter. The ethanol is surprisingly quite present here given the lower proof, and a full-bodied note of honey now also reminds me of Drambuie to an extent. The initial flavor isn't as noticeable and dominant as the initial texture, which is rich and viscous, but not necessarily sticky or thick. As it rolls around the mouth, honey and vanilla are super prominent, just on the edge of being too much (think "birthday cake syndrome"). The herbaceous, floral, and otherwise botanical flavor from the "genever" note on the nose presents itself first, once you get past all the sweetness, followed by a slightly spicy base layer of ethanol. The finish circles back to the sweetness, while the floral and herbal notes dig into the gums to create just a touch of a dry accompaniment. This is easily the sweetest liqueur that I've ever tasted that also doesn't taste too overdone or distracting. There have certainly been sweeter sugar bombs out there, but this lives just on the line of too much, and would deliver well if you were looking for a vanilla or honey flavored something that didn't hurt your teeth with the sweetness. Having said that, the very viscous texture that was initially unique and fun prevents drinking this at any kind of volume, and makes it difficult to get through even just 50ml. If you're a low proof sweetened liqueur lover and are looking for that next dessert beverage, give this a try, but expect a bottle to go a long way as far as volume goes.
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Jose Cuervo Especial Gold Tequila
Tequila Mixto — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed January 13, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)I knew we would end up here eventually. It's certainly not my first sip of Cuervo Gold, but I never thought I'd see the day when I attempted to take it seriously and give it an objective review. Cuervo Gold is one of very few spirits that I not only refuse to drink any more, but proudly so, and unabashedly think less of people who don't respect themselves enough to branch out to literally anything else. Even I was unaware of what a tequila mixto was until about half a decade ago, but after learning about it and discussing it with others, I was truly left speechless with the amount of people who have no idea what it means, and how many people are tricked into hating tequila for the rest of their lives with the famous "ugh, I can't drink tequila, it gives me hangovers and makes me puke lol" line, totally unaware that what they've been surrounded by this whole time was reposado-flavored sugar... but, I digress. It's truly the tequila of the ignorant, but alas, I'm cursed to have to rate what I know is basically the Keystone Light of agave spirits. The color isn't hateful if you're trying to trick yourself into thinking this actually spent any respectable amount of time in a barrel, presenting somewhere between pale straw and pale gold. The nose has a surprisingly strong ethanol burn, with classic and expected herbal notes from the agave, including black peppercorns and green bell peppers. There's no real development past this point, though, and the pepper notes instead start digging into the nostrils to burn it further, taking away the appeal. Repeated nosing does give a faint caramel sugar cookie sweetness, but not nearly enough to counter the former notes. The body is very light, watery, and almost refreshing (but not in a good way), as if an ice cube were added and left to melt. The flavor starts with a bit of the spicy pepper note from the nose, but after some time I realize the spice is really just the burn from neutral ethanol, like vodka. The finish feels like the black pepper is back, and makes you long for more vegetal agave notes, but none seem to answer the call. It's very strange how this spirit manages to simultaneously be as watery as an NA spirit, but also spiced through the roof. It's hard to tell what an 80 proof version of a tequila High Noon (arguably the best "tequila" seltzers) would taste like, especially since they only come flavored and can't really be compared here, but I still imagine that this is exactly the base for that, minus the sparkling water and artificial flavoring. In the end, is it worth it in any capacity? No, not at all, but not because it's all that hateful. Rather, it is super cheap, but then again, most low-end 100% agave tequilas are cheap, and as someone who collects predominantly American whiskeys, I find it very hard to break the bank with even top shelf and very fine tequilas. Still though, if you're looking for a cheap mixer, just go for 100% agave, and it really doesn't even matter which one you choose at that point. By not drinking what is essentially several hard seltzers each time you down a few ounces of this, you'll thank yourself as you avoid the headache and major dehydration, and you won't be missing any of the flavors here no matter where you choose to advance to. -
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Apple
Fruit Liqueurs — Tennessee, USA
Reviewed January 9, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)Going from one flavored whiskey to another, and even though we're now working with a completely different added flavor and even a different regional whiskey base to begin with, I still don't have great hopes here. I'm not entirely sure how most distilleries make their flavored products, specifically a whiskey, but blending an apple liqueur with standard Jack Daniel's seems a bit odd to me, as opposed to creating something from the ground up. 70 proof isn't bad, considering there must not be that much added liqueur to account for a 5% ABV drop compared to the standard product, so here's hoping it doesn't overwhelm itself in the end. The color is a very pale golden copper, which isn't too much lighter than standard Jack Daniel's, and still looks appetizing from a whiskey perspective. The artificial apple scent can be smelled from feet away, and before I even get close to the glass, it has a sticky, overly sweet tinge to it. Smelling in the glass, the super sweet scent doesn't waver, but takes on a specific green apple candy note that's more sweet than sour, but the latter is still present and true. The base whiskey can be detected, but it's weak and heavily overshadowed, like the apple liqueur was blended with regular Jack Daniel's that had long ago melted ice in it. The initial body is pretty watery, but still has enough to it that let flavors move about the mouth without trouble. The overall and really only flavor note of apple (now vague and losing the Granny Smith specificity) tries to take the spotlight, but some kind of bitter maltiness fights with it. Although this helps to calm the heavy and syrupy sweetness, this isn't the ideal balancing flavor, and results in a thick texture altogether, and a dry finish that tastes out of place, almost like the iconic charcoal filtering turned sour somehow. Another loss of a flavored whiskey, but surprisingly not for being too sweet. This isn't true across the board for Jack Daniel's, however, as their honey variant is my favorite honey flavored whiskey of any American distilleries by a long shot. It goes without saying that using fresh apples from the beginning would result in a better tasting product, and maybe this was the case, but the use of an apple liqueur and blending wasn't the right call. Sure, it tastes different than apple brandy or vodka, but different doesn't always guarantee a positive outcome. -
Evan Williams Fire
Flavored Whiskey — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed January 7, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)This actually was not meant to be next in line for tasting, but after spending way too long researching the super secret 42 proof Ohio special version of Fireball Whisky, I resigned to it not being worth adding as a variant on Distiller, and to ironically move forward to another cinnamon whiskey. I've never been a fan of cinnamon in my spirits, at least in an artificial flavor (because heaven knows I put multiple sticks in my hot toddy batches), and I find that most of the American distilleries make too similar tasting competition in this regard. Evan Williams and Jim Beam are especially two of the tightest and most similar when it comes to their entire product line, but for the time being, let's see how the former presents their cinnamon idea. Pale, golden straw is the color shown in the glass, which is miles away from even the base black label bourbon, which itself is also light and watery. Red Hots candy unsurprisingly leads the nose, along with a lot of honey, and an unknown grape-like malty note. It's hard to tell if the cinnamon or the proof (which is not terribly low for a flavored spirit) is causing a slight nose burn, but in either case, it isn't quite strong enough to force a drawback. The initial flavor is full of thick, sugary syrup, like eating melted hard candies. Speaking of candy, the Red Hots note is spot on, providing cinnamon and overwhelming sweetness without fail. The texture is even heavy and moves slowly through the mouth, which is a first for something that isn't a cordial or below 30 proof. The finish is slightly dry, but leaves the lips sticky and wanting for more (but not this). I was definitely in my very early teens the first (and probably last) time I had Fireball, and although I don't know which "version" or proof I had at that time, I would wager that it was somehow more enjoyable than this. The real disappointment here is how sugary and syrupy a 70 proof whiskey product is from one of the biggest American distilleries and producers of bourbon in our country. In the end, it's difficult to drink, both due to the taste, as well as being physically barring with its thicker texture, and isn't worth any level of purchase, given that there are no less than half a dozen other easy-to-find competing cinnamon spirits. -
Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream
Fruit Liqueurs — Missouri , USA
Reviewed January 6, 2025 (edited February 7, 2025)Arguably the scariest 50ml that I found, the fact that this has some type of dairy in it and comes with a refrigeration requirement after opening has me concerned about how many years this has been sitting on my shelf... (thankfully unopened, but still...) I tried putting the little bottle in the freezer to achieve the pink roses, but saw no signs of the color changing after 15 minutes, so I'm thinking maybe the nib bottles don't have the same label ability. Despite this, I did pour it while it's quite cold, and as a strong disliker of milk, low proof liqueurs, and poor quality tequila mixto (I'd bet my life that's what's here), I'll do everything in my power to be objective for this review. The color is scary if you're aware that anything alcoholic is about to come out of the bottle; it makes a lot of sense in retrospect that the bottle is fully opaque black, since the creamy strawberry milk color that came out is definitely unappealing and unnerving. The nose is full of sugary strawberry bonbons and a touch of cream, but more like the cream flavor you'd find in a Werther's caramel & cream candy, as opposed to real cream. There's a small underlying note of general citrus, and a surprisingly detectable and almost hot nose of ethanol, which is super shocking at this low proof point. The flavor begins with a tinge of ethanol, but is by no means too powerful or off-putting for even the completely sober and abstaining. The body is indeed very creamy, and reflects that sweet strawberry candy flavor immediately and in a concentrated form, almost to a sour, citric acid degree. I'm not sure what the tequila is meant to attribute here, because there's no way to get a word in past the strawberry flavor, and is basically undetectable. I think having "tequila" on the label is likely losing more customers than gaining them, mostly because the flavor of the spirit doesn't attribute well enough here to be missed in lieu of vodka, but additionally since a lot of low proof drinkers generally have had bad experiences with cheap tequila (as opposed to vodka), and will likely shy away from buying anything using it. Having said that, the strawberry flavor here is immense, sweet, and makes for a lovely candy-like dessert liqueur that has no match that I'm aware of. I'm shocked I like it as much as I do, but if you don't have anything similar in your cordial or liqueur collection, I recommend giving it a try, especially because I'm almost certain the price point is likely very attractive. -
Moving forward with the 50ml clean-up, it makes sense to go from an unflavored vodka to a flavored one. This one frightens me somewhat, since I don't believe I've ever had base Ciroc to begin with, but I certainly didn't know it was distilled with grapes, so I can only guess how that will interact with the black raspberry flavor. I'm also assuming that classic Ciroc is 80 proof, and although it's expected for flavored liquors to be lower than 80 proof, 70 seems a little low if all that was added was natural and artificial flavor "magic." The nose combines the expected "vodka cleaning supplies" concept with raspberry jam but also the exact raspberry flavor that I've encountered in every brand of sparkling water that produces that flavor. Predictably, the ethanol burn and presence are incredibly low, instead making way for an overall heavy sweetness that I hope isn't also part of the taste. The initial flavor and body are very weak, and begin as basic sugar water. The black raspberry flavor is somewhere in here, but definitely doesn't manifest as black raspberries specifically, instead as a faint flavor of raspberry donut filling combining with the sweetness of a grappa, but minus the burn or the body. The finish sheds away the flavoring, and returns to a decent grain neutral vodka focus. There isn't too much for me to say here, nor should I, because flavored beverages just aren't my thing, let alone vodkas. To be objective, the raspberry flavor on this one is actually very prominent, and has a medium sweetness that isn't too sugary or thick. I'm not entirely sure what the difference between red and black raspberries are flavor-wise, especially if used in a spirit, but I wouldn't go into this with too much of a focus on the color of the fruit.
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