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Soberano Solera Brandy de Jerez
Distiller Score 87
Roasted coffee and toffee emanates from the glass and washes over the palate. Cashews, marzipan and caramel add a chewy richness. This is all brought together with cinnamon spice, pear, orange rind, and a hint of cigar-box tobacco aromas, heading off into a slightly hot finish.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
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Schoharie Eau-de-Vie de Pomme
Distiller Score 88
This unaged cider brandy shows wonderful transparency and a delightfully balanced texture. It emphasizes pure, delicate fruit and leafy forest air aromatics in contrast with some of the heavier, waxier European style eaux-de-vie.
Reviewed by Duncan McRoberts
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Laird's Straight Applejack 86
Distiller Score 85
Clear-as-a-bell tart apple juice, warming cinnamon, and a touch of barrel smoke. The taste is sweet/tart and is full of baked apples. There is a spicy bite on the finish. Great value.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
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Zumwohl Kirsch
Distiller Score 91
'Zumwohl' is a toast to good health, but drinkers should be wary of taking this cherry schnaps as a shot. Bottled at a whopping 132 proof, it carries a lot of heat. But it carries a lot of flavor, too: cherries, obviously, but also nutty notes of almond and a notably medicinal taste. It's an intense spirit -- not for the faint of heart! -- and it's sure to be a unique addition to any liquor library.
Reviewed by Jacob Grier
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Maraska Kosher Sljivovica
Distiller Score 88
Slivovitz, traditionally long on character and short on finesse shows an abundance of delicate aromatics here. Fragrances of white flowers, lavender, blueberries, and grape juice seem to dance in the glass. The first sip starts hot, but this eases quickly on the mid palate revealing the floral and fruit aromatics first detected by the nose. The time in barrel adds a hint of butter that takes just a bit of the edge off. Then there is the finish, it goes on and on, pleasantly warm with the delicate fruit and floral flavors lingering to the very end. Drinking this traditionally as a digestif is recommended. Alternatively try in cocktails with honey like the Bee's Knees.
Reviewed by Kelley Slagle